The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-04
PEELED to look the other wayl Return the
visit"


| flesh "a week that had biauched and pinch
| ed the rosebud Susan. At the end Of that
| time the second strongest natural force
/ In the wOrid-if. indeed, i be not even
| mightier than the master instinct which
| draws men ana women 10 each other
| mother-love. vanQuished. Ii has had many
more glorious martyrs: illustriOus human
/ pe.icaEs, whose names have gone down In
/ song and story, but seldom one whose sac
r.tice was attended with acuter pangs;
and the heartfelt, quivering. "Oh, mother.
/ this is good OF youI with which her child
| paid homage to her self-murder, sounded
| in her ear as inadequate as any recogni-
! ton of it must be-
| 1t was IN leaving their own door that the
tribute was paid, and the short walk from
! Ebury street 70 GrosvenOr place was trod-
! den IN total silence Mrs. Baddeley was in
| capable of speech, bracing herself to the
| quaffing that acrid cup OF humilia tiOn
! which her daughter was lifting to her lips.
| II added a senseless pang to her pain to
| see what intense thought and care Su-
| sans quiet toilette evidenced, and what
a revived bloom set IL of.
The Idle thought traversed her brain.
! what a blessing would accrue to the hu-
man race If. in the crisis of their lives,
| the cool. reasonable factS-as they are
the seeing eyes Of bystanders, could be
| loaned or hired out to actors in nfe's
| little boiling dramas! IT, for instance, she
| could even for five minutes place her own
worn, grey eyes, under her child's deli
cate brows, and get her to look at Fitz-
william Thoms through them, the two
women would not now be embarked on an
| errand which entaned their swallowing
their whole life-peck of diEt In one naus-
eous mouthful The goal was reached all
too soon.
The home Of the Thoms was one Of
the larger ones at the upper end of the
stately thoroughfare. Vou could not find
Il in the Red Book) AS they stood be-
meath the imposing portico, with its pol
ished pillars, Mrs. Baddeley-quickly as
the opening door followed upon Susan's
nervously violent ring-had time for a
fash Of bitter memory, recalling her first
visit to the then grateful and simple Ma
rietta. at that distant time and in that
far-of colony where and when the Bad
deleys were the ups and the Thoms the
downs
Her ladyship was at home, and not till
both visitors stood in the hall did the
elder one realize on how large a fund
of hope that the visitor would be out she
herself had been drawing cheques Even
when Mariettas double doors were in the
act of being thrown open to admit them
an almost irresistible impulse toward
flight from this supreme humiliation was
only subdued in Mrs. Baddeley by a glance
at the intense supplication of her daugh-
ter's face. That glance enabled her to
consummate her sacrifice. and follow her
own so lately-banned name into the room.
In a second she was aware that a mo
ments repreve was TO be given her, that
she was not yet face to face with her
former protege and late insulter.
The only occupant Of the large and
snowy apartment was a girl, the one girl
of the house, formerly the bosom friend
of Susan; and who even up to the final
.Ns.=A
of good will. At the announcement of
the once-familiar Mrs and Miss Bad
deley," she had sprung to her feet with
cry; but IL did not need pain-sharp-
ened ears of Mrs. Baddeley to tell her
that 1t was no cry Of pleasure; rather
of most apparent dismay. Albinia Thoms
was young, and sufficiently foolish, and
the crisis found her quite unequal to II.
For a moment, she stood stock still; then
hesitated forward, with an uncertain
hand held out; then paused again; her
whole face one index Of establishment ard
almost terrified inquiry. II was very
clear that Lady Thoms had not imaprted
her peacemaking overture to her daugh-
ter s, -as
We were told that Lady, Thoms. was
at home" said Mrs. Baddeley, and to her
own intense surprise her voice rang firm
and dignified.
IL do not know. She is just going
out. / was waiting for her. l do not
know why the carriage is not here. Do
you-do you want to see her? II viii go
and tell her.
She was out Of the room in a fash:
and they were left alone. Neither stirred
nor spoke, nor budged from the square
foot of expensive carpet which held their
quivering feet The attempt to utter
word would have broken down the weaker
vessel into a helpless deluge of tears;
while the stronger soul was stringing up
the slender nervous body that carried It
to meet worthily the ordeal not dimly
foreseen ahead Of it. The strain of that
expectation was growing beyond even her
will-power to grapple WITH when 1t was
ended by the entrance of the mistress Of
the house.
The majesty Of fur and frou-frou which
announced her presence would have grim
ly amused Mrs Baddeley at lighter mo-
ment; now there was no room in her mind
for any other feeling than the convlc-
ton conveyed by the first glance at the
angry pseudo-dignified face soaring red
out OF its grey chinchilla, that she had
sbased herself In vain.
Lady Thoms sailed galleon-wise into
the middle Of the room, and there stopped
No out-held hand, or even inclination Of
head or body, saluted the intruders.
Il think ] may say / feel sure, you can
not have received a letter | wrote TO you
about six weeks ago. in which was oblig-
ed to tell you that l wished to discontinue
your acquaintance"
All the bracing in the world is OF no
avail against the reception of a sledge-
hammer on your skull. and for a moment
Mrs. Baddeley staggered, dumb, blind and
stEangled.
III you did receive II, I am afraid that
you cannot remember IFS contents"
The sentence held the necessary sting
and prcked the victim back into life
Il did receive il. and It's contents have
not escaped my memory; but / supposed
by your late visit you meant 10 convey
regret at having been guilty OF such am
outrage"
My late visitr'
There was an obvious stupefaction OK
pressed IN tone and words
You viii not I suppose, deny that
week ago you called upon me at my house
IN Ebury street,"
i called upon you week ago at your
house In Ebury street, You must be suf-
fcring under an hallucinationW
"A week ago, on our return from walk
Ing. my daughter and found your card.
Am to understand that you deny having
left it?'
Most emphatically dor