The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-31

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Nothing" she replied family. "T
should like to go home VIII you find
my husband for me and tell him 1 am
tired?"
To say that she passed an unenviable
night would be to detract from the truth.
She was miserable, she was unnerved,
she had scarcely a wink Of sleep. That
Sommerville knew her secret was CALLING
enough to her. for she was a proud woman
IN her way, but additional worry lay be-
hind She had no faith in him and his
protestatiOns Of silence. And, of course,
plenty OF people would not believe in the
matrimonial advertisement and the
ephemeral nature Of her acquaintance
with the man on the seat Worst of all.
there was Vanlees-and his family.
When at length she fell asleep. as the
dawn was breaking. IL was only to dream
of revelations and consequences. 1t will
be perceived that she was taking herself
very seriously indeed for once in her life.
Somehow her favorite motto coute que
coute. did not seem quite equal to the
occasion.
She awoke in the morning pale and I'M
refreshed and appeared at the breakfast
table to find letter waiting for her. 1t
was rather a curious letter The hand
writing outside the envelope was obvi-
ously different from the handwriting
within. 1t ran:
Dear Lady Vanlees-When man is in
difficulties he must perforce ask aid of his
friends, and think have a right to claim
you as my friend. l am in imperative need
of $500 VIII you lend it to me? 1t is ex-
tremely painful to me to be obliged to ap-
peal to you, but in spite of our short ac-
quaintance l know no one upon whose
kindness I can so safely rely. 1 am, dear
Lady Vanlees, very faithfully yours,
T. ROyston Sommerville.
Lady Nanless folded it mechanically.
THE toast, please" she said to her
husband. Her voice was the voice of an
old woman.
you don't seem to like your letter. my
dear" he remarked jocularly. Who is
your correspondent? Let me give you one
of these little birds"
For an instant she regarded him with
kindling eyes. The impulse was upon her
to hand Sommerville's letter to him, to
cry mea cupa, and trust to his good ma
ture. But she changed her mind, and
sent the money instead. of course it was
weak and foOlish-she knew that. Hav-
ing once submitted to blackmail, she was
always liable to further exactions. How
ever, she had worked herself into a nerv-
Gus state when even temporary seemed
cheap at any price.
In the course of the next few weeks she
had ample realization of her fears. SOM
and she was not rendered more comforta-
bic by a casual remark on her husband 5
part that he had heard that Sommerville
had taken to the turf, and that his posi-
ton was decidedly "hshy"
By degrees she was forced to part with
such articles of her jewelry as Vanlees
was least likely to miss; but that they
only postponed the inevitable. 1t came
one day with note from her parasite
to the effect that ruin stared him in the
face. Unless she could let him have
5000 before midday he would be forced
to appeal to her husband. And he went
on to intimate, in tolerably plain terms.
that perhaps Lord Vanlees might find it
worth his while, if she did not to pay
for the suppression of certain facts which
would not rebound to the credit of his
wife OF course, she had no means OF
raising the sum. She could only buoy
herself with the hope that, after all, the
man might not have the audacity tc
fulfill his threat. There she was wrong.
Vanlees was yawning in her boudoil
when a servant knocked at the door. Sht
| prayed that it was only luncheon, but
| foreboding spoke the truth.
| IAN express for your lordsip."
THANK your" said Nanlees, who was
| always polite to servants. "Ah, from
! Sommerville, 1 see.'
He leisurely began to open the envelope
winch was sealed.
The woman who had fancied she was
law upto herself, swept swiftly across
/ the room with genuine tragedy in hel
| face and stayed his hand.
| Arthur, don't open that letter."
! MY dear Blanche, why not?"
"Because-oh, Arthur, listen to me, bt
! gentle to me! I've been foolish, culpable
but it was only thoughtlessness-it was
| indeed. I-oh-oh-ohr'
! to sob, hf
put her into an armchair, and fetched hei
smelling salts with remarkable self-pos-
! session for a young man, and the hour
of revelation had come.
He heard her very quietly and made
no comment until she had quite finished
and then he began to talk himself. Wha
! he said was very much to the point, anC
bit deep. He was master of the position
and made the most of it. She promised
anything he liked. She was as subm,s
| sive as a child. And then, with surprising
magnanimity, he gave her a kiss of peace
and went downstairs to write to Sommer.
1 willie.
He did not show the letter to his wife
This seemed a pity, for it would have in
| terested her very much. He merely in
formed her afterward that she need nc
| longer fear a public scandal. This was
what he wrote:
Dear Old Man: The little plot has sue
ceeded-the lesson is learned. She ha.
confessed, she is repentant, in tears, A
| last she has awakened to the fact tina
| her reputation is actually as valuabl,
| to her as other women's are to them
Entire nous, 1 do not think my beautiful
Blanche will give me any further cause
| for uneasiness.
And 1 owe this delightful sense of Sc
| curity to you and Decie. Thanks to you
both, no end! But although I am infinite
| ly obliged to your military friend for
| answering her lad" and flourishing hen
note of appointment round for me tc
see, 1 am not obliged to him for kissing
her. You told him some of the circum.
stances, although he doesn't know who
| she is, and his instructions didn't &C
as far as that. But she smacked his
face, Toni By Jove, 1 think just fol
that 1 shall soften my heart and man.
age to trace" some of the jewels she sem
| you. Kissed her, indeed! Bally cheek
| Lucky he's gone to the Curragh; / might
have felt temptded to tell him SO.
OF course l must see you before you
leave town. I would ask you to dine
here, only Lady V. might object Shall
we say the club at sharp tomorrow
| Yours always,