The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-15

TO realize how much more of an actual
daughter to him was Isabel than Grace
Inc latter, exquisitely affectionate. never
thought of helping him in his work. If
she hao ottered to do so he would have
put her hands behind her back and sn,il
lngly told her to mind her own afrairs
he might have added, with a kiss: "Belle
ana can get along perfectly we'll without
you OR perhaps he might have taken
ms Waru cooperation, so brisk vet pa
tlent SO alert yet capable, cooIiy and
heedlessly as matter of course.
bel now said to him.
1T would be so horrible If sbo ,,o,,4
as ner mother did," he muttered
wait till you see real signs of danger -
he looked Isabel full in the ewes,
nowr' see them
ed to her feet Ga =
moment. III
Haven't you SEEM" he said. buqeing
ms ms Knee with both hands and staring at
me carpet. My dear girl she's desner-
ately fond of Oliver Thurston "
are you sure Of this?" Isabel said. fin
gering one of the buttons at the front
oL her dress, and speaking in a muffied
breeding voice. w.
O.. &c - 9"Ao VI II, slowly answered
SIaHord, AS I'm sure that Won and
Thurston are already half in love With
one another" WIN
"a, you thlnk that, do your" RESPONDED
ISABEL she resumed her re-arra nga7nent
VI Ine loose manuscript Sheets and pres
entity began to dust her guardians inlr-
stallo and the inner lodges of his desl,
WIN va, little piece Of channels leather
All TINS was region which she wo,1ld
permit none of, the servants to invade '''O
she had lost her color, but with stoop-
lIs 1hus to her task she regained il And
sooh' very composedly, she said. as she
turned and faced Stafford, giving to an
angie OF segment of the desk faint side
touches with the tawny square of skin;
Don you think that studying the poll
1 pe ana dynasties of Byzant:um from
Byzas to Constantine may make YOU a lit-
lle obvious concerning affairs of your
own land and timer
Come, now Belle, no sarcasm" her
guardian answered, with good-humored
SADNESS. oliver does like you immensely:
l We seen 1t. And I've seen but too clearly
mat Grace is interested in him to a most
marked degree. OF course, he'd be a nice
ihalch Tor either of you girls; but the
hatetul part of it is just this unhappy tan
gle"
What tangle?" asked Isabel. in cold
staccato. She appeared to have discovered
fresh flaw somewhere on the neat-wiped
walnut of the desk, and had begun a sud
den cleansing attack there
why, my dear Belle, that you've both
OF you lost your hearts. It's palmer than
if you'd both confessed it, Palmer than"
"Hush!' broke from Isabel, with lifted
hand of warning. And just then the half
closed door of the library was pushed open
and Grace entered. She dropped into a
chair close at her fathers side and took
one of his hands caressingly between her
own. Stafford asked her if the headache of
which she had complained little earlier
was better now, but she evaded his solicit
tude with a laugh, and chided him for
thinking that she was in the least i'll.
His collaborative work with Isabel went
on. Their intimacy had now grown closer
in a purely perfunctory sense, than ever
before. The history had reached a kind of
difficult and test-lke crisis which fasci-
mated them both. 1t may have been that
they did not pause to consider the question
of how tremendously and fruitfully they
worked together. Eager to render aid, Isa-
bel was perhaps unconscious of her rare
and vital qualities as a secretary. Accus-
toned to this aid, Stafford very possibly
accepted it with a business-like acquies-
cence in which were hues Of seeming in
gratitude that he himself have been the
first to condemn.
Still, no doubt his increasing worriment
as to Graces condition largely accounted
for his apparent apathy. BY midsummer
the girl had begun distinctly to decline.
oliver Thurston, who spent three or four
hours at Top-o'-the-Hill every day, was
at last forced to admit the veracity OF
Staffords murmurcd misgiving.
IT'S true" he said, with gloomy sympa-
thy "A half-hour of tennis on the lawn
tires Miss Grace now. And she's so fond
Of the game"
"Fonder of it than Isabel" said Stat
ford, with a yelled sarcasm. whose ran
dom rancour he himself might i'll have
explained.
Oliver, who was always the nonpareil
of a well-groomed young man, with even
family passing the bounds Of foppery,
stared down at one Of his bright-varn-
ished boots. Suddenly he lifted his eyes,
full of such linpid amiability and volun-
teered advice about consultations with
certain famous doctors.
oh yes" replied Stafford, shortly, II
not CURLY, call that must come SOON
He was out of humor with himself, with
poor Oliver, with all the world, and his
erosive anxiety lay at the root Of this
spleen.
But chiefly did he feel annoyance at
Isabel Had she not heard him tell her
that she cared greatly for Oliver Thurs
ton2 And yet she had given him no an
swer Did she mean that this sentiment
on her own part was no concern Of his?
or did she mean Stafford almost despis-
ed himself for his unwarranted bitter
ness as he put the query to his own
thoughts) that Graces covert passion |
must work out its natural course, wheth-
err the secret throes and struggles it cost |
meant jeopardy, even ruin to her al |
ready failing health?
Isabel is selfish he at length sullenly |
determined. She goes the whole melan-
choly matter, and yet" Here, in his |
caustlc nominations, he paused, continu- |
Ing thus: "Ah. well, love is always sell
fish. She loves Thurston, and with all |
he girls good points she would not give |
him up, though Grace's life were spared |
by the sacrifice"
Meanwhile there was never q more sweet |
and sedulous nurse than Isabel now PROV |
ed TO Grace, before the autumn physl- |
clans of note had met at Top o. Hill and |
talked together about Grace's cough and |
her fading flesh and her augmenting |
weakness. Their final verdict was a sick. |
ming horror to Stafford. II meant no hope |
none whatever. There might Of course, |
be a prolongation OF life by change Of cl- |
mate. But tuberculosis had already |
wrought ravages Of frightful suddenness. |
Il stood slight chance OF even being ar |