The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-06
copyrighted. 1895, by Aderine Sergeant.

on the latch-key in the lock. her eyes
turned toward his face. with moment
ary iook of usefulness which told us
own story-if no, 10 him. at any rate 20
another person who was looking on.
''Ifs rather late," Wyndham scudamore
replied. taking out his watch and looking
at it by the light of the gas lamp a.
Efhe's door. ITS half-past u, you know.
The lool1er-on. Miss Marian Kemp came
to the rescue. She noticed that Etie lace
had grown trine wan. Miss Kemp was
fond of Ellie ana she knew Wyndha!h
very wei. She was not going to see EIiie
disappointed without reason
I'm coming in to look al that engrav-
ing you spoke or" she said abruptly. You
can sec me home alterward if you like.
We mustn't keep YOU up, Efie ! kno"
how hard you work" she added WIN
touch of softness in her tone.
wvndham laughed aloud in the little
dark passage. waking the echoes Of the
house in way which vaguely alarmed
Enle Duncombe who was half-nerVous
at having invited her friends into inc
house. She had not been long IN Lon
dor. and its way were a once terror ana
delight to her terror, because the
habits of The journalistic half-Bohemian
set into which she had fallen seemed 10
outrage. ali the little conventionaities oil
the narrow life which she had formerly
known; delight, because her whole soul
rad revolted against these conventional
lies and she had come to London on pur-
nose to escape from them. But she was
as vet IMMERSED in the new code there
were unwritten laws of which she did not
dream. and it was a joke among her more
intimate friends that Efie usually drew
the line in the wrong place. She was
sweet and innocent and unworldly, and in
her desire to do as others around her
did. she sometimes overstepped even the
liberty that they allowed themselves.
Miss Kemp was secretly surprised that
she had asked her friends into the lodg-
ing house where she occupied two rooms
At this late hour of the night-there was
nothing wrong in her doing so, of course
but it was such a difference from Ellie
Duncombe's ways in Sloperton!-It was
Miss Kemp who had persuaded her away
from superior, AID she knew what IL
was like Perhaps that was why she was
always a little amused at the progress
that Ef1ie was making in her experience
of the world.
Come in" said Ef1e, Hospitality; and
turning into the sitting-room on the LETT
side of the door. she turned up the gas,
and revealed the apartment in all its
glory. After all, for the room of a lady
Journalist who has not private income
Of any appreeiable extent, it was COM
Portable enough. and even pretty with its
bits of quaint china its great bunch OF
terms and grasses in pickle jar. its cheap
r. Indian dhurries and Liberty silk hand
kerchiefs Jolly little place" SAID
Wyndham, his deep voice resounding un-
til Miss Kemp wished she could shake
him and tell him TO hold his tongue.
II suppose l had better shut your door,
Fife" she said with a laugh THE other
dodgers won't bless you if they think you
have visitors SO late
Effie blushed as she set out some small
4 refreshments on the table, Il told Mrs
Gilbert that l was going to the theater
sto-night and should moi be back till late, ="
. she said, so she knows what to expect
We are home much earlier thain l antici-
pated."
Thanks to the iDanity of that awful
farce which / cannot imagine any intel
nEent person SittlNS out. Sdiu w NuQnau',
depositing his long limbs carefully in an
easy chair He LEI himself down carefully
because he had had experience of Lon
don lodgings. and knew that the most
imposing article Of furniture has a way Of
being uncertain on its legs; but on this
occasion his caution was unnecessary; the
gsrm-chair was firmly planted on its cas-
tors, and did not let him down. He was
tall, dark, superciious-looking man.
al least, so lis enemies declared-his
friends made excuses for the critical ex-
preston which they could not altogether
deny, and maini aimed that he was exceed
ingly good at heart He was critic on
a London paper, and the habit of finding
fault had perhaps grown upon him.
Miss Kemp was journalist of the most
modern type; she wore her hair short and
used a pince-nez she had a clever capa-
HE face, ana she was between 50 and 60
years Of age. She looked as if she could
go anywhere and do anything, and every
where be quite able to take care Of her
sclf and her own interests. She was we'll
sdressed. neat and self-possessed. Effle
was her antthesis In most respects She
was slight little thing, with loose. fair
hair. which had a way of straying over
her forehead at the wrong time; soft blue
eyes and wistful, unsatisfied look. which
as Miss Kemp had already told her was
very unsuitable 10 her profession Fol-
Effie had made up her mind to follow the
example Of her dear friend, Marian Kemo
and become "A journalist.
SO far, by remarkable good luck. she
had been successful; but Marian some
times wondered whether the child as she
called her. had stuff" enough in her fol
the work. and whether il would not have
been better to leave her in that wearisom,
but soothing solitude against which she
had reVoited. For il had not been at al
what Miss Kemp contemplated. that Eff,
should al once fall in love-especialiy will
man who was so popular and so exclu
sive as Wyndham Scudamore Yet thit
was what Efiie had done, and she had no
been able to hide the fact from her friend
Miss Marian Kemp.
So il was with a flush OF excitement OF
her cheek that Etfie set out her cake an,
biscuit. and. little timdly. the flask o
whisky which she had been told that al
journalists (of the male persuasion. at an,
rate believed in as the sign of good fell
lowship; and asked her friends to partake
Miss Kemp nodded and nibbied biscuit,
while Wyndham absenuy mixed himself
q weak glass of spirit and water. and ex
pressed his views upon the drama Eff,
ate and drank nothing AT all. She wa.
much absorbed in watching her hero anc
in listening to the words Of wisdom which
fell from his lips. She had never in al
her life come across anybody who appear.
ed to her so witty, so wise so superior IL