The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-25
AN ACT OF WISDOM.


half conservatory.
Il have Just had a telegram from Cyril :
he is coming tonight. Mary
Mary Sebastian smiled al her hostess
radiant expression.
Al should not have imagined the at
mosphere of a musical festival quite con
genial to MIR. Dunstan," she said.
.Oh! it isn't, Lady Lillian Snowe an
answered promptly. Cyril does not
know the difference between d trombone
and a symphony; he IS coming 10 look
after the guns. You see my party is a
little mixed
Mary laughed, and said VERY" TO this,
seeing that the party comprised couple
of Guardsmen, popular tenor barrlS-
ter middle-aged prima donna and her
mother, two society beauties and the
daughter of a prosperous craftsman.
'',Just little mixed, certainly, dear Lady
Lillian" she repeated lightly.
MY dear" Lady Lillian replied quickly,
''your father is not a craftsman
what is he, thenl'
''No one can call MIR. Sebastian "a
tradesman. A great fnancier, if you
like, but not a tradesman.n
Mary Sebastian looked doubtful.
"He began by hawking chips on bar
row; now he contracts largely for the sale
Of timber / call that trade, don't your
But it is an honest word after all, and /
am not ashamed Of it. l am in fact, eX
actly like the old butterman in the play,
for l never see tree that l don't feel in
clined to make a courtesy TO II. You don
want me for anything, Lady Lilianl No;
then 1 think l viii go and remove some Of
my muddy garments
Lady Lillian frowned just little when
she was alone.
MARY is charming, of course" she
said TO herself, but she is almost objec-
tiouably frank. l dislike people who are
so gFatuitous with the truth. However,
being the daughter Of millionaire, she
can afford to be as eccentric and truthful
as she likes. VIII Cyril be sensible this
time wonder} She would accept him
tomorrow if he would only be wise and
ask her. But, really, Cyril is 50 odd; he
always does exactly the opposite to what
one expects or desires. Perhaps" Lady
Lillian said, fretfully, as she went 10
dress for dinner, perhaps If he could be
made to know how desperately necessary
it is to me that he should marry a rich
woman, he would be a little more consid-
crate, instead Of Disappointing me so
perpetually. He could have married
Enid DOnnithOrne year ago If he had
liked, although, of course, there is no
comparison between the Sebastian mil
lions and Sir Williams fortune; still she
would have been very far from bad
match. Cyril infuriates me sometimes.
He is so difficult; so miserably foolish so
despairingly unwOrldly. If he fails me in
this chance with Mary Sebastian he will
drive me into lunaUc asylum or a
debtors prison. But" added Lady Lii
ian to herself with quiet emphasis, "but
he shall not fail me this time He shall
not leave here till he has proposed to
Mary and everything has been fixed for
an early wedding; the earlier the better"
The confidence which knowledge of her
own strong will awOke within her put
Lady Lillian into the best of spirits. She
embraced her nephew warmly when she
came down stairs.
''Your uncle is in the bed with the govt.
C'est touiours la meme historic" she
said; she gets more unbearable every
time, Cyril really, his language to-day
would be a disgrace to any parrot"
Lady Lillian was furious with you,
you know, when she heard you were not
coming TO the GLADSTONE" Mary Sebas-
tian said confdentially TO Cyril Dunstan
when they were seated beside one another
at the dinner table.
He smiled as he answered her. 81
should think she was She wrote me
such letter But, TO tell YOU the truth
the very idea of this festival business
frightened me. 1 thought l should be 50
out Of IL with all these singing people
staying in the house"
Mary smiled as their eyes met. The girl
coiored, and then looked away, her heart
beating little irregularly. She knew
quite well this was not his real reason for
trying to escapea visit to Gatestone Hall
just now, and though the knowledge hurt
her in one sense, 1t gave her a touch of
tender of pleasure in another. Lady
Lilian's very transparent matrimonial
maneuvers ana intentions had been
swiftly revealed to Mary in the earliest
stages of their acquaintance, and at first
the girl had been inclined to mete out to
Cyril Dustan the same measure of con
tempt that she gave 10 the other numer-
our fiatterers who laid seige to her heart
for the sake of her fortune Very quickly.
however, she realized that this feeling of
disappointment and contempt could never
be justified by Cyrils attitude toward
herself, and in the shortest time DOS
sible after this discovery the girl con
fessed to herself that the whole of her
good, honest, womanly heart had gone
out to Lady Lilian's nephew in love
that would never change. That this gift
of love on her part was equaled by one as
great from him Mary had swiftly gath
cred, but she had never let him see this
till tonight, when she seemed TO feel that
the struggle that had lasted so long be.
tween his rigid sense of honor and his
love must be set at rest by her hand once
and forever.
Lady Lillian, watching them with an
eagle eye, grew so excited she hardly
knew how to contain herself. The ex,
preston written on their two faces con.
veyed everything to her that was most
desirable
81 have always loved Mary" she as
sured herself, confidently, now [ shall
positively adore her. To think of Cyril
safely married to all those millions! 1t is
a dream"
Something Of this favor rang out il
Lady Lilian's congratulations when she
found herself alone for a few moment.
with her nephew that night before going
TO bed, and Cyril Dunstan was quick K
catch what was in her mind, and quick L
resent it, too.
81 am marrying Mary Sebastian be
cause l love her with all my heart auC
soul, Aunt Lii he said, very quietly and
very cOldly. If she were alone in the
world tomorrow without one penny be
longing 10 her ! should love her Just the
same, and indeed, marry her with ever
greater satisfaction than 1 do now"
Lady Lillian accepted her nephew's re
proof very amiably.
"Charningly romantic" said she t,
herself, as she sat having her diamond,
taken from her hair, land so character
istic Of dear Cyril No doubt he woulC
marry Mary lust the same il she yVar,