The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-21

In genial autumn, some years after
the above events, DIR. Roland, who had
never ceased TO keep hold upon his for
mer neigh bors, whose departure had so
much saddened his life, arrived on q visit
at that Highland home. 1t was rambl-
ing house, consisting of many additions
and engagements built on TO the original
fabric of a small straight and high semi
fortified dwelling place, breathing that
air of austere and watchful defense
which fingers about some old houses,
though the parlors of the eighteenth cen
fury, not to say the drawing rooms of the
nineteenth, with their broad open win
dows, accessible from the ground were
strangely unlike the pointed tall gable
with its crow steps, and the high post of
watchfulness up among the roofs, the
little balcony or terrace which swept the
horizon on every side.
There Miss Bethune, still Miss Bethune
abode in the fulness of a life which sought
no further expansion, among her own peo-
pie. She had called to her few of the
most ancient and trusted friends of the
family on her first arrival there, and had
disclosed to them her secret story, and
asked their advice.
She had never borne her husbands
name. There had been no break, so far as
any living person except Gilchrist, was
aware, in the continuity of her life.
The old servants were dead and the old
minister, who had been cOaxed and fright
ened into performing a furtive ceremony.
No one except Gilchrist was aware of any
of those strange events which had gone
on in the maze of little rooms and crooked
passages. Miss Bethune was strong in the
idea of disclosing everything when she re
turned home. She meant to publish her
strange and painful story among her
friends and to the world at large, and to
acknowledge and put in his right place, as
she said, her son. A small knot of grave
country gentlemen sat upon the matter,
and had all the evidence placed before
them.
Harry Gordon himself was the first to
let them know that his claims were more
than doubtful-that they were, in fact,
contradicted by his own recollections and
everything he really knew about himself
and MIR. Templar brought his report,
which made it altogether impossible to
believe in the relationship. But Miss
Bethune's neighbors soon came to per-
ceive that these were nothing to her own
fervid conviction, which they only made
stronger the oftener they were repeated.
She would not believe that part of Mr..
Templar's story which concerned the
child there was no documentary proof.
The husbands death could be proved. put
1t was not even known where that OF the
unfortunate baby had taken place, and
nothing could be ascertained about it.
She took no notice of the fact that her
husband and Harry Gordon's father had
neither died at the same place nor at the
same time AS it actually happened there
was sufficient analogy between time and
place to make it possible to imagine, had
there been no definite information, that
they were the same person. And this
was more than enough for Miss Bethune.
She was persuaded at last, however, by
the unanimous Judgment of the friends
she trusted, to depart from her first in
tention, to make no scandal in the country
side by changing her name, and to leave
her property to Harry, describing him as
relation by the mothers side. ut
came to you by will, not in direct inheri-
tance," the chief of these gentlemen of
of the country said. Let it go to him in
the same way. We all respect the voice
Of nature, and you are not silly woman,
my dear Janet, TO believe a thing that is
not, but the evidence would not bear in
vestigation IN court of law. He is a fine
young fellow, and has spoken out like a
gentleman"
Bethunes, as well as a Gordon of no mean
name!"
Just So" said the convener of the
county there is nobody here that will
not give him his hand. But you have
kept the secret so long, it is my opinion
you should keep it still. We all know
all that are worth considering-and what
is the use of making a scandal and an
cutlery among all the silly aud wives Of
the countryside And leave him YOUR
land by will, as the nearest relation you
care to acknowledge on his mothers
side.''
This was the discussion that family was
to come to; and Miss Bethune was not
less happy mother, nor Harry Gordon
the less good son, that the relationship
between them was quite beyond the reach
OF proof, and existed really in the settled
conviction of one brain alone. The delu.
sion made him happy, and it gave him a
generous reason for acquiescing in the
change so much to his advantage which
took place in his life.
The Mannerings arrived at Beaton Cas-
tie shortly after the doctor, on their re-
turn from the continent. Dora was now
completely woman grown, and had grad
ually and tacitly taken the command of
her father and all his ways. He had been
happy in the certainty that when he left
of work and consented to take that long
rest, it was his own income upon which
they sat out-an income no longer encum-
bered with any debts to pay, even for old
books. He had gone on happily upon that
conviction ever since; they had travelled
great deal together, and he had com
pletely recovered his health and in a
great degree his interest, both in science
and life
He had taken up even those studies
which had been interrupted by the ship
wreck of his happiness, and the breaking
up Of his existence, and had recently pub
lished some of the results of them, with
sudden lighting up once again of the fame
OF the more youthful Mannering from
whom such great things had been ex-
pected The more he had become inter
ested in work and the pursuits of knowl-
edge, the less he had known or thought
of external affairs; and for a long time
Dora had acted very much as she pleased,
increasing such luxuries as he liked, and
encouraging every one of the extrava-
gances into which, when left to himself
he naturally fell. Sometimes still he
would pause over an expensive book.
with half hesitation, half apology. /
But perhaps we cannot afford it,
ought not to give myself so many indul
gences, Dora"
You know how little we spend,
father" Dora would say,-''no house go
ing on at home to swallow up the money.
We live for next to nothing here" And
he received her statement with implicit
faith.
Thus both the elder personages of this
history were deceived, and found great
part of their happiness in it. Was it a
a so fFNafa a q Ion hsar.