The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-29

lLlSlOLLuu6 WDlCn GOUltS WIFI Llt mrs
waking. The pavement was cool and the
air was comparatively sweet. There
was tlnkle of wa er, though only from
water cart Miss Bethune opened tho
door into this sweetness and coolncS5 and
morning glory, which exists even in
bloomsbury, and found herself suddenly
confronted by stranger, whose hand had
been raised to knock when the door thus
suddenly opened before him. The sudden
encounter gave heT a little shock, which
was not lessened by the appearance OF the
young mana young fellow OF three or
four and twenty, in light summer clothes,
and with a pleasant sunburnt CounJen-
ancc.
Not his the form. not his the eve,
that youthful maidens want to fly
Miss Bethune was no youthful maiden,
\ but this sudden apparitiOn had a great
: effect upon her The sight made her
start, and grow red and grow pale with
( out any reason, like young person in her
/ teens
IL beg your pardon said the young
/ man, making a step back, and taking 0 T
his hat This was clearly an after
Thought, and due to her appearance,
/ which was not thai Of the mistress of Il
/ lodging house Il wanted to ask after
| Il am not the person of the house, ,"
said Miss Bethuue, quickly.
Might [ ask YOU all the same2 l
/ would so much rather hear from some one
/ who knows him.
Miss Bethuns's eyes had been fixed
! upon him with the closest attention, but
her interest suddenly changed and
dropped at the last word. Him." she
said, InvOlun,arily, with fash out of
her eyes, and look almost Of disappOint-
ment, almost of surprise. What had she
expected? She recovered in a moment
the compOsure which had been disturbed
| by this strangers appearance, for what
reason she only knew.
Il came" he said, hesitatiug n little.
and giving her another look, in which
there was also some surprise and much
curiosity, Ito inquire about Mr. Manner
ing, who. | am told, lives here"
Yes, he lives here"
And has been ill.,"
And has been i'll, Sc she repeated after
him
The young man smiled, and paused
again. He seemed TO, be amused by these
repetitiOns. He had a very pleasant face,
not intellectual, not remarkable, but full
of life and good humor. He said, Per
haps | ought not to trouble you, but if you
know him, and his child
u know him very well, and his child.
who is child no longer, but almost
grown-up. He is slowly recovering out of
a NCAJ lOhE NduEtLOuS ltlilCSS.
THAT is what we heard. | came, not
for myself, out for lady who takes d
great interest. | think that she is a rela-
ton of-of Mr.. Manuering's late wife"
rs that woman dead, them" Miss Be
| thune siad. Il take a great interest in
the family" she said, ~ shall be glad to
tell you anything | know, but come with
me into the square where we can talk at
our ease.' She led him to a favOritc seat
| under the shadow of a tree. Though it
was in Bloomsbury, and the sounds of
| town were in the air, that quiet green
| place might have been far in the country,
in the midst of pastoral acres. The
| squares of Bloomsbury are too respectable
to produce many children. There were
| scarcely ever any perambulators to vul-
| garlic this retreat. She turned to him rs
she sat down, and said again, 80 that
woman is dead2"
The young stranger looked surprised.
You mean Mrs. Mannering?n he said. Il
| suppose so, though | know nothing of her.
May say who | am trst2 My name is
| Gordon. | have just come from South
America with Mrs. Bristow, the wife of
my guardian, who died there a year ago.
And it is she who has sent me to inquire"
''GOrdOn?" said Miss Bethune. She
| had closed her eyes, and her head was
| going round but she signed to him with
| her hand to sit down, and made a great
effort to recover herself "You will be of
one of the Scotch families?" she said. 'f
Il don't know, have never been in this
| country till now"
Born abroad" she said, suddenly
| opening her eyes.
! Il think so-at least-but indeed, I can
tell you very little about myself 1t was
| Mrs Bristow''--
Yes, know, l am very indiscreet
! putting so many questions, but you re-
minded me Of-of some one I once knew
| Mrs. BristOw-yOu were saying"
She is very anxious to know some
| thing of Mr. Mannering and his child.
! think she must be a relation of his late
wife"
God be thanked if there is a relation
that may be of use to Dora. She wants
to knoH-what? If you were going to
! question the landlady, it would not be
| much
Il was to try to do-exactly what
| seem to have been so fortunate as to have
! dOne-to find some friend l could ask about
taem. am sure you must be friend to
! Them"
How can you be sure of that, you that
! know neither them nor me?'
| He smiled. with very attractive in
| genious smile Because you have the face
| of a friend"
Have | that? There's many many,
|
for knowing it that have never found
it out. And you are a friend to Mrs.
| BristOw on the other side.
"A friend to her?-no ] am more like
her son, yet not her son. for my own
mother is living-at least believe so. l am
! her servant and little her ward. and
devoted TO her "he added with bright
flush Of animation and sin ;cri;y. Miss
Bcthune TOOK no notice of these last
words
Your mother is living, you believe,
and don't YOU know her, then! And why
! should ou be ward or son to this other
| woman, and you mother aiiye?"
"Pardon me" said the young man,
chats my story, and it is not worth a
thought. The question is about Mrs
Bris ,ow and the Mann erings. She is
anxious about them, and she is very
broken in health. And 1 think there is
some family trouble there. too, so tina.
she can't come in natural. straightfor-
ward way and make herself known to
them. These family quarrels are dread
full things"
Dreadful things Miss Bethune said.
They are bad enough for those with
| whom they originate, but for those who
come after worse still. To bc deprived
OF natural friend all your lie becaUseo
! some row that took place before yoI We're
! tOrn ~