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

The Marchionessf made her self-willed
q charge comfortable. and slowly decked
I herself IN her one attempt at coherent
I costume huge red shawl, the JOY Of
u her uneveutful life. A straw hat with
3 green ribbons afforded a chaste but
I pleasing contrast 20 the shawl After
I surveying herself in the same dun i'm
I personal way Al the glass; she made an
I excuse TO re-enter Slim Pete's room. with
I faint desire in her heart that he should
see his ambassadress TO Miss Stimson
so regally attired. Fortunately for Slim
I Pete's peace Of mind. Che had a pretty
taste In dress and ornaments. as Miss
. Stmson very well knew that worthy
again slept softly. THE Marchioness"
had never kissed a man in her life, As
she watched the thin handsome boyish
I face before her. and saw one weak white
I hand upon the eoverlet. "a strange sudden
I feeling stirred in her heart She put her
/ large hand to her breast as IL TO still some
/ unlocked for pain, then. bending over
/ Slim Pete. touched his forehead with her
clumsy lips.
I Slim Pete stirred and muttered that
feminine name which 1.-THE Marchioness"
I had learnt to recognize as pertaining TO
I Miss Stmson. She hestated no longer
but shufHcd off along the sidewalk upon
{ her errand.
The next evening it was manifest to the
most inexperienced eye that Slim Pctes
/ tced bowie had penetrated too far and
| deep for nature to tolerate such an out
rage. Slim Pete was by far the most un-
/ concerned Of the little group. Now and then
I he raised himself on his elbow ard looked
I inquirngly at the clock, but the effort ex-
! hausted him, and he sank back again.
| At half past six he made sign to The
! Warehouses" to lift him up in bed.
| Doctor Dickinson and Lawyer Johnson
/ talked in whispers at the other end of the
/ room with little Mr.. Phipps. the Presby-
/ terrain minister. At a sign from the in
| valid they all came forward. the sheriff,
/ half hidden behind the curtains, sorrow
| fully waiting for the end
Gentlemen" said Slim Pete. in weak
| tones, I'm going home As you all
/ know, I've some little property sCll left.
] Those skunks of relations Of mine. who
/ haven't been near me, viii do their best
/ to get II when I'm dead. ono woman be-
| trayed me; another woman did her best
/ TO save me. The woman who betrayed
mes rich and beautiful, courted and
] admired; the woman who nursed me.
who's never left me night and day. is
| poor and neglected, a stranger. Shed no
| call to look after me, and / don't lay
! up anything against the sheriff. He did
! his duty. She's mOre'n done hers. And
/ want to make her some amends. Now
| I'm going to marry her, and l charge you,
! gentlemen. to see she isn't robbed when
I'm gone
The sheriff came from behind the cur
/ tains and kEelt down by the side of the
/ dying man. Pete, Pete. don't take on
about her" he said; I'm see Justice
done. Couldn't you say a word TO make
things easier for me? I'm main sorry,
| Pete"
The invalid looked at him with an
/ amused smile, in which boysh tenderness
struggled against a sense or recent
wrong You alters was a soft-hearted
/ old fool, jim" he said, reapsing into
| dialect. Were about square now"
At a sign from the dying man. Mr.
/ Phipps drew near. and the ceremony pro-
| ceeded which was to transform The
| Marchioness" into Mrs. Pete Lorillard
! Half stupehed at this turn of events. but
! wholly unresisting, THE Warehouses"
clad in her red shawl. allowed herself to
| be placed at the dying mans bedside
| When the brief cermOny was over, Pete
| gave little gasp Of satisfaction, and
his thin fingers, guided by the lawyer, pro
ceeded to sign a will by which nc be-
| Queathed all his real and personal estate
whatsoever and wheresoever the same
might be or consist of unto and to the use
| of his Wife
This ceremony over, the invalid lay back
| with half-closed eyes as If waiting for
something to hapnen.
Some one knocked at the door. and the
from the borderand of death. Let her
in" he whispered. Let her in"
! THE Marchioness" opened the door.
| Miss Stimson walked in, and flung herself
weeping at the side of the bed. Slim
Pete surveyed her with a somewhat
amused smile.
As the doctor turned the lamp wick
higher, Slim Pote's smile became more
pronounced. Gentlemen, you see this
lady?' he asked.
They nodded assent.
ASK her. jim" said Pete. weakly
very weakly "ask-her-if-she's ready to
marry me?"
The sheriff gravely advanced. and put
the question to Miss Stimson. who dried
her tears. and also relapsed into the dialect
of her childhood when she, the sheriff,
and Slim Pete, had run about bare footed
little children through the village. "Quit
this fooling." she said. with asperitv.
Then her eyes softened, as she turned
towards the bed Pete" she said, Pete,
you know my mad bitter temper | be-
trayed you to that brute there (she pointed
to the sheriff with a gesture of loathing)
to that brute who stabbed you in the dark
but | shall repent ii in sackcloth and ashes
to my last day l will be yours in death if
not in life" and she looked round as if
expecting Mr.. Phipps to begin.
Pete laughed long and low-laughter
horrible 10 witness. With an expiring ef-
fort, he once more raised himself. You
are too late. Miss Stmson. Too late!
Allow me to introduce you tony wife,
and fell back-dead.
When Miss Stimson recovered from her
bewilderment she dashed aside a sheeted
rain of tears and moved slowly toward
the bed, as if to kiss the dead man there.
But the Marchioness" seizeu a knife
from the table and sprang before her like
a lioness at bay. Hes mine" she said
pointing to the door
They buried the handsome desperate in
the court yard of the gaol, beside 1.-THE
Warehouses " peccant countryman. When
the mourners withdrew, and the little
narrow heap of fresh garth flung it's frag-
rance upward TO the sky. the Marchion-
ess" took her place beside it, her solitary
attempt at mourning, a piece of rusty
Grape bound round one arm. The next
day she went about her work as usual
and ignored the past.
But there is one woman who. tall, proud
imperious and yet sad-eyed withal some
times creeps humbly toward the goal yard
under the cover of light, toward the
grave of the man whom her mad jealousy
betrayed. Yet ever as she nears the grave
10 cast uDOn il her burden of tears and