The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-17
Blu MRS, OLIPHANT,
COPYRIGHTED, 1893, BY THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER XIX.

ne 0EQl not leave III lAllS WAY NlAE l4UA1E ~
Bloomsbury. He went down stairs eau
tiously and quietly, though why he should
have done so he could not himself have
told. since. had he made all the noise in
the world, it could have had no effect
upon the matter in hand in either case.
Then he knocked at Miss Bethuhe's door.
When he was hidden to enter, he opened
the door gently, with great precsution,
and going in, closed it with equal care be
hind him.
Il am speaking, think, TO Mrs. Gordon
Grantln he said
Miss Bethune was alone. She had
many things 10 think of, and very likely
the book which she seemed to be reading
was not much more than pretence 10
conceal her thoughts. 1t fell down upon
her lap at these words, and she looked at
her uuestioner with a gasp, unable 10
makh any reply.
Mrs. Gordon Grant / believer" he
said. again. then made a step farther
into the room. Pardon me for startling
Won. there is no one here. / am a solicit
ter. John Templar, of Gray's Inn. Pre-
cautions taken with other persons need
not apply TO me. You are Mrs. Gordon
Grant know"
I have never borne that name" she
said, very pale janet beIhuue' OiaO Is
my name =
in my possession. You will pardon me
but this is no doing of mine. You wit
messed Mrs. Bristowe's wlll!'
She gave a slight nod with her head in
acquiescense.
.sAnd then, to my great surprise, 1
found this name, which l have been in
search Of for so long.
har hpau in search ut itZp1
Eyes. for many years" The skill with
which YOU have concealed il is wonderful.
have advertised. even. ] have sought
the help of old friends who you must see
often, who come TO you here even, know.
But never found the name l was in
search Of, never till the other day at the
signing of Mrs. BristoweS will, which,
bv the way" he said, the young fellow
might have signed safely enough, for he
has no share in it"
DO you mean to say that she has left
him nothing-nothing, Mr.. Templar? The
boy that was like her sonu'
mot a penny, said the old gentle
man-''not a penny. Everything has
gone the one way-perhaps 1t was not
wonderful-to her own child"
u could not have done that" cried the
LADY "Oh, I could not have done It'll
would have felt it would bring curse
upon my own child"
Perhaps, madam you never had a
child Of your own which would make all
the difference" ne said.
She looked at him again, silent, with
her lips pressed very closely together,
and kind Of defiance in her eyes.
but this" he said, again softly, lis nc
answer to my question. You were a wit
ness Of Mrs. Bristowes will and you
signed a certain name to it. You cannot
have done so hoping to vitiate the docu
ment by a feigned name. 1t would have
been perfectly futile TO begin with, and
thing That was, presume, your lawful
namel"
ut is a name 7 have never borne; that
you will very easily ascertain"
Still il is your name, or why should
you have signed tin inadvertence,
SUPPOSE"
mot, certainly, in inadvertence. Ha.
anything ever made it familiar to me? i
you win know, l had my reasons.
thought the sight of it might put thing.
in a lawyers hands, would maybe guild,
inquiries, would make easier an object o
my own
s'That object, said Mr. Templar, EVA
70 discover your hus bandZn
She half rose to her feet, flushed ant
angry,
''Who said had husband. or that Il
find him or lose him was anything I,
me!' Then with strong effort sh
reseated herself in her chair THAT wa
bold guess" she said, MIR Templar
not 10 say a little insulting, don't yo
think? to a respectable single lady tina
has never had finger lifted upon her.
am of a well-known race enough. hav
never concealed myself There are plent
of people in Scotland who will give yo
full details of me and all my ways. II i
not like lawyer-a cautious man, boun
by his profession to be careful-to max
such strange attempt upon me"
i make no attempt. | only ask ques
tlon, and one surely most justifiable. Yo
did not sign a name to which you had n
right on so important document as
viii; therefore you are Mrs. Gordo
Grant, and person to whom for man
years have had a statement to make"
She looked at him again with a dunn
rigidity oil aspect, but said not a word
The communication l had to make +
you," he said, was of a death-not one
so far as / know. that could bring yo
any advantage, or harm either, suppose
J must say that IL took place years ago.
have no reason, either to suppose that
would be the cause of any deep sorrow. -
''Sorrow?' she said, but her lips wer
dry, and could articulate no more.
i have nothing 10 do with your rea
sons for having kept your marriage S
p1O4OuIQ Il SCNLtls lC odtNl- he IGSul
has naturally been the long delay of
piece of information which perhaps woul
have been welcome to you. Mrs Grant
your husband, George Gordon Grant, die
nearly twenty years ago"
Twenty years agol' she cried, with
start twenty years; - Then she raise
her voice suddenly and cried, "'Gi
christ" She was very pale, and he
excitement great, her eyes cleaning, he
nerves quivering. She paid no attentio
TO the little lawyer, who on his side OF
served her so closely "GilchrisJn sh
said, when the maid came in hurried
from the inner room in which she ha
been, 1--WE have often wondered why ther
was no sign Of him when / came into m
fortune. The reason is, he was dead be-
fore my uncle died.
Dead" said Gilchrist, and put up a
once her apron to her eyes, dead! Oh
men, that bonnie young mani"
'Ges, said Miss Bethune She ros
up and began to move about the room
great excitement. Yes, he would sti
be bonnie young man then-oh, a bonni
young man, as his son is now woI
dered how it was he made no sign, BE-
fore It was natural, but when my incl
was dead-when had come into my foi
tune! That explains it-that explains
all He was dead before the day he ha
reckoned on came.n
on, dinna say that now" cried Gil
christ. How can we tell if it was tn
day he had reCkoned on2 Why might