The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-29

could decide upon none On reacnlng MS
studio he found upon his easel, at which
ne was al work, a bunch Of flowers and
a note. With eager fingers he tore the
envelope; for he knew that 1t was from
Dear Mr. O'Carron: I have learnt,
through one OF my relations, who Was told
BY a friend OF yours, OF your journey 70
Liverpool, and the intention which took
you there / think il Is very noble or
you But you have made more than one
mistake about me. You thought ! had
been put in prison as a thief; Well, you
have learnt that was wrong; but you
thought also that / had not pride enough
10 keep me from bringing disgrace upon
an honorable mani Well, you were wrong
in that, too. If ! had been arrested Tor
theft, as you thought / was, / would have
died rather than ever see you again. ana
now. free as l am, ] would die rather than
marry you. Ny brothers disgrace shall
be kept where it is-in the family.
For ali your kindness 1 thank you sin
cerely, though l never mean TO see you
elizabeth Burn. >"
Terence tore up this letter in a rage; for
in the heat and excitement caused by the
emotions OF the past twenty-fOur hours
he could not bear the distant tone, the
dignity, the GOODNESS which seemed TO MIN
to bristle in every line. a few minutes
later. however, his mood changed, anc,
melting little, he picked up the
torn fragments Of note paper
and sealed them up in an en-
NelOpe, which he put in an inner pocket.
He made up his mind, or thought he dlG,
from that moment that he would forget
her; and when, few days later, Horace
Newland told him that the girls relations
had relented and taken her back, now that
Reginald was out Of the way, Terence ar
fected TO hear this intelligence with in
difference, ana said ne was glad TO near II,
al she would now have a chance OF meet
ing a better match than a poor artist.
And Newland, feeling snubbed, dropped
the subject.
Terence was, of course, not so thorough
" cured as he wished to believe. He made
a practice of leaving town from Saturday
till Monday, and he presently began to
a great jar full of flowers somewhere about
his studio. He made no remark upon this;
and when. on the second occasion that
this happened his landlady drew his at
tentiOn 10 the fact with various sly mods
and Winks, he affected TO think that she
herself had put them there.
"Lor', sir don't tell met said she, with
perception born of long years of studio
letting to young men, why, they smells,
as one might say of her pretty fingers!
Letting alone that 1t don't run to flow
ers In the dodgers rooms in these days.
1t was a young lady brought 'em, sir, and
] was to say nothing about it, and nor l
wouldn't {, only | couldn't have 'em laid to
me. And me wilder, and folks always
ready TO say thngsH
And the landlady, with an arch smile,
finished her busting" and left him to
on the following Monday, the flowers
were left again, pungent-scented chrysan-
ers were over, and the days We're drawing
in.
And on the Sunday after that he didn't
go away al all. bur told the laudladv To
say he was in Essex. When the afternoon
began TO wane he heard a bell ring, and
presently step upon the stairs. So he
squeezed himself into as near ar approach
as ne could manage to the natnesS of
pancake, and hid himself behind one OF
the window curtains. The door opened,
and, grown bold from custom, a person
ON VIII hon nd oh,
the studio prying into everything. There
wasn't sketch in his portfolio which that
person didn't overhaul, though that per
son knew most of them by heart already.
Then Terence came out and finding
great litter of fresh chrysanthemums
on a chair, he gathered them up and
threw them over Bessie, who was on her
knees in floods of pictures
How dare you litter up my studio
with your nasty flowers" he said, unstea-
Oily.
She didn't cry out, she didn't even start
perceptibly but she blushed very deeply,
and laughed in constrained and affected
manner. Then she got up and looked at
MIN askance, but progressively.
Il m not going to marry you, you know"
she said, with a little tremor of hurt
pride in her voice.
why. l never asked you! I shouldn't
think of asking YOU cried Terence; "In
be Obliged if you'll remember, that Miss
Burn"
She laughed again. Then she said:
Il thought you We're away. They said
you were in Essex. I'm going now. Good
bye"
Goodbye Miss Burn"
He shook hands with her and he held
the door oDen for her For when a girl
comes to put flowers in your room and
to kiss your sketches whenever she thinks
you're not looking, what's the use of hur-
rying her to come to a decision? She
went as far as the landing outside.
II dareSay you thought it was rather
grand to want to marry me when you be-
lieved had been put in prison" she said
then, with her head in the air, giving him
a curious little look which was meant to
be scornful, but which was something
quite different.
Il did. But I've taken it back; I've taken
it back, you know"
She laughed again. Then she played
with the door post
You wouldn't like to take back the
taking back, l suppose2" she then sug-
gested, looking at her gloves.
Il don't mind, if you have no objection,
Mss Burn"
Miss Burn had none, or at least none
worth mentioning; so when she went out
he went with her, and they walked in Re
gents Park, till they couldn't drag them
selves any further. In the course of con-
Versantion Bessie mentioned that it was
strange she had no thought that he might
play the trick he had played upon her that
afternoon. And Terence said it was very
strange.
Yet perhaps, considering what women
are when they have found the man they
have set their hearts upon. it was not so
very very strange after all.