The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-10


"Ill DO all YOU ask ma am she answer
. 81 in half-extinguishe voice. The girl
. handed her the note. L. was addressed
I TT. DraX. Esq. Riverside Lodge" Then
. Alrs. Dunlop gOt redder than ever An
] idea had flashed across her brain. and she
] f0resaw great trouble.
Il don't know my DEAR ] don't know
I what ] ought 20 do. Im sure.' she cried.
ia perplexity and grief.
send 10 or I'll xii. myself before to-
D morrow exclaimed the girl, turning still
I whittier Yes. you shall know who 7 am.
I An. perhaps you guessed2 Ny name IS
Edith Eddingtou, and I've married the
greatest blackguard On the tire kingdoms.
] % help me, as you are a good woman.
Have pity on me- You don't know the
T things he's done and said 90 me-
Nrs- Dunlop rose. hurried through the
back door. and letter in hand. went out
/ into the garden. a heavy boy was at
work there gathering spinach He was
/ the deaf and dumb son OF the man who
Z looked after Mr.. DunlOps COWS and horse.
] The laudlady spoke 10 him on her fingers
! quickly. but with an impressive air. ana
I gave him the note. As she retraced her
steps she kept on repeating aloud-"CiOd
forgive me b. it's sin II it's a sin! But
everything Is all so jumbled up in this
world. the rights and the wrongs are an
awful puzzle And he struck her. Per
haps she'll suffer for that all her life,
poor soul. IL is. ] really don't seem for
the life of me TO know whose sin it may
be-"
Edith Eddington was taken up the back
stairs. Arrived in a spare bedroom, she
threw herself upon "A little sofa overlook
ing the cOrnfelds, and "a distant silvery
glimmer OF the river. There was
stretch of common land still to be seen
beyond them, frInged by wide pastures.
in which clumps OF lambs tongues
and tufts of rosy clover were I'm bloom.
Beyond the river was the railway station.
There is a nearer one to-day. but all this
happened, you must remember. some
twenty years ago. 1t might have been
about two hours later. when the sun was
no longer scOrching, and the green corn
began TO wave just little in the cool
breeze, that a man drove up in a dOg-cart
TO the Startled Fawn. very tall, very
handsome young fellow. spruce and well
dressed, and wearing a straw hat that
threw deep shadow over his eyes.
Good evening. Mr.. Drax." said the ost-
Ter. Tom was we'll known by everyone
whose business led him among horses.
The new conner flung him silver coin.
Take the pony out" he said, and don't
let him bite you. He's a nasty temper
sometimes"
Then Mr. Drax went in through the
front door. Mrs Dunlop's red face peer
cd cautiously out from the door of a
private sitting-room.
You've come quickly. Mr.. Drax." she
said. and she noticed how pale his hand
some face was, now that he had taken
his hat Off.
Where is she?" was all that he said
speaking very slowly, as if he had great
difficulty in forming even these few
words. The landlady led the way up the
creaking stairs. Then she waited on the
landing. not that she might listen. she
earnestly assured me, but only in case
that she might be wanted Just a few
snatches OF tremulous conversation, scat
tered heart-broken utterances, came to
her cars through the closed doors.
My darling, that it should come to
thisi" said the mans voice
You told me that you would be al
ways ready. always waiting-you know
that. TOM" sobbed the woman. "And /
don't deserve your love for me. l did
marry him believing all that people said
of him, and I cared for you Tom, my
darling, all the time. I did, / did, I am
the weakest and wickedest of women to
have treated you so and then to come
after all and spoil your lfel'
Whatever you did. however you treated
me, you would for ever be my own dear
little girl" the man said in a lowered
half-dogged voice. Come to me now, he
said. raising his tones. "be with me al
ways. Edie, my own lovei l will defend
you, | will stay with you till the end of
everything. Neither he nor any one else.
shall part us any more"
Yes. yes. ! viii come" She was sob
bling upon his breast 20, Tom my dear.
dear GOOD boy, how brave and honest
you have always been! It will make the
poor old father angry and sad If | stay
with you, but I feel l must What can
do2 It's too great a temptation for me to
| fight against! When shall we go, Tom
Now-now. at once"
AT once" said Tom Drax your hus-
band won't be back for some hours. We
shall have a long start of him, Edie dear "
He is at Windsor races, and it will be
dark before he is home" she said. The
lover bent down and kissed her once
again. Then he opened the door.
Mrs. Dunlop, send my cart around to
the back door. Hurry up the man will
you? there is no time to lose" Tom Drax' 5
voice shook a little
The landlady went down the front stairs
breathlessly enough. Through a porch a
heavy dust cloud floated in; and the sound
of speech as we'll A mans voice, loud
and course in tone said
so DraX is here? - him. All! thought
as much"
Mrs. Dunlop turned very pale and moved
forward TO the front door. Her husband
and one or two others were standing
with their backs to her. confronting a tall
figure, that of a person whom she knew
well by sight A tail, young man with a
red clean-shaven face, very thick lips.
and narrow gray eyes. His age was about
twenty-siX. but he was already bald and
heavy for his years He wore extremely
tight trousers, a tan-coOred coat with
| large buttons. and a low-crowned. white
hat. In his hand he held a hunting crop.
He was covered with dust.
And you are not quite sure whether
my lady is here or no, too? You don't
say sou He smiled a little with those
coarse lips of his and there We're creases
at the corner of his eyes as the evil smile
crept upward. She means to be back.
l suppose. anyhow, for dinner? Thought
l was at the races | imagine? But l can
play my little games too. sometimes.
Good evening, Mrs. Dunlop. You're look
ing uncommOnly fit We're having sultry
weather. amt we? Thanks I'll take a gin
and ginger beer, and would prefer 1t up
stairs in private room"
He pushed past the group and slowly
mounted the stairway, which creak ed
more than ever under his fifteen stone
weight. Arrived at the top. he laughed
aloud, harsh. metallic laugh, and crack
ed his hunting crop still more noisily.
Halo. my lady, Hope you're rested by