The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-28

He rallied at her, at her children. at her
dead husband who lay in the wind-swept
graveyard beyond the manse walls, at
countless things he had rallied at over her
covering body and spirit without ceasing
before, until lvid with passion and rage;
and then, instantly changing his manner,
snapped at her like some vicious animal:
Get outi
and softly closed, he snapped out again:
Come back here"
The door now only partially opened and
the voice behind It, in which was mingled
the tremulousness Of tears. submissively
asked:
Wen, brother Anstruther?"
Who brought these Ietters?''
Mr. Penruth, sir"
"Oh, of course, Mr.. Penruth! That fell
low haunts this house like a specteri
Sparkling Edith, ! s'pose? Now, what's
up tonight? out with it, or you'll regret
it, Susan Hammock
Yes, yes, yes. brother Anstruther:"
she faltered, half beside herself with fear.
The young folks thought you wouldn't
mind If they used the kitchen-it's the
largest room in Milvale-and they'll surely
bring all the apples and nuts and such
things, themselves; and Wen be very
sparing of the wood and lights"
'Whos-who's doings is this, woman?"
"Oh, SIR. it's mine and Edith's and Her
berts and-Mr. Penruth's-"
That scoundrel! And you beggars
dare do this in Hammock Manse without
my permission?"
Here 'Struther Kannock's voice merged
into something like howl Of rage, rose
into a gurgling shrek, and died away into
gasp of impotent condemnation and
detestation
I'm see about this. I'll see about this!"
he growled See, here, now, you keep
that cur of schoolmaster in the house
half an hour or so. I may want to look
him over a minute. Understand"
oh yes, sir"
Then get out"'
'struther Hammock tossed the letters
upon his desk and paced his room, con-
sumed with passion and anger.
But there was a certain cowardice and
impotence in his rage which rendered its
expression puerile as it was brutal and in
human. Something restrained 1t, held it
just within the bounds of actual objective
outbreak, curbed 1t from its own natural
tragedies and their punishment; and so
these storms were driven more wildly and
mercilessly through his own Implying
heart.
When this storm had died away he
plunged into the arm chair and betook
himself to the letters before him He cum
ningly examined each superscription.
postmark and envelope and balanced
each letter in hic hands. as though they
were scales, before he opened it.
lymph! Check for this fellows last
quarters rent. Month behind. He'd bet
ter look lively Umph! This one can't
meet his mortgage. Oh. no, of course, he
can't. Prays for a little time. Oh, yes,
he'll get little time 'Struther Hammock
gets that place. Umph-Bah! Can't
Struther Hammock help the Millvale char
ity fund? Hard winter coming on-many
mouths to feed. Not much!
And thus on and on he told his own mis-
cradle story to his own miserable self;
joyous in ruin, unmoved by piteous ap-
peals. scorning all human suffering and
hating all mankind.
He gathered up the Uttered mass to place
it in a pigeon hole of his desk. To do
this he had partly raised himself to a
standing posture and was leaning for
ward. Suddenly he sank back into his
chair with wildly staring eyes.
There before him, where it had pre-
viously escaped notice, lay a letter plainly
addressed to him In his dead brothers IA
miliar hand.
He rubbed his eyes fiercely, as If he
could not believe them longer. He loos-
ened the collar at his throat, as though
the drafty room were suffocating him
He mopped his forehead with one hand
and another. and beat away the cold
drops which had instantly gathered there
He bounded from his chair and backed
into his shadow against the wall, and
seeming TO remember it's presence there
sprang from that subtle darkness as
though 1t held revengeful life; when finally
like beast at bay, he wriggled to
the middle of the room, peering and pant
ing in quick succession towards its every
side.
"Anson Hammock here again!-and on
Halloween night? He said he'd curse me
in his grave, if-if-who dare say haven't
done right by EN-? Well, well! Ghosts,
Ell! Bah! Didn't 1 bury him? Didn't
put the stone over him? Only fools like
Susan would be frightened at ghosts or
letters from a ghost"
He edged up to his desk craftily. With
quick lunge of his arm he brought his
fist down with crash upon the letter.
There, Mister Arson Kannock That's
what I'd do If you were in its place. Bah!
Who's afraid of a letter."
He still held his fist upon it. CHANGING
covertly about the room, he clutched the
missive, and tremblingly tore it open.
Then he read these words:
Anstruther:
You have been false to your trust My
poor wife and her children are without
mercy at your hands. You will meet me
beside my grave between IL and our
fathers tomb, alongside the old footpath
from the village an hour before midnight.
If you fail to do this. every vestige Of
your wealth and your power to harm
others shall pass before morning from
your hands. Arson Hammock
Never had 'Struther Hammock in all his
worthless life been so still and hushed as
now.
There is no such bravery as the I'M
conscious valor of integrity; no such cow
ardice as that skulking behind hui
man injustice. 'Struther Hammock pale
and trembling before the accusative
and threatening words penned by dead
! and harmless hand. was now infinitely
a more abject creature than the weakest
human he had ever ground to nothingness
and despair.
The blow had shrunk and withered him.
1t had swept his passion and rage from
him. 1t had silenced his brawling tongue.
As water vanishes in deadly flame, so
had his very vitalities been consumed
within him. The wretch who but a mo-
mnnt before had found his keenest de-
light in scourging helplessness, in plan
ming ruin for the upright and the good.
now with a sckening luiver of human
! dependency found himself reaching out
appealingly TO the feeble strand of hone
and pity binding him to the outraged ones
about him.
bttvna1 fha Iottar ,rA a..