The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-27

tne mouse party at Lady Glover's You
al KNOW her place and what a curious as
sortment of people one meets tbare W.
louhd the Chase rather full and sat down
twenty 10 dinner. But the gaiety of the
party and the constant round of entertain
ileu' amused Ethel, and l did not regret
having come.
OH the second day we went win a mer-
ry party for drive to Crosby Abbey. and
on the homeward journey one of The horses
lell ana broke its knee; so we were delav-
eu ana mad to walk back four miles only
SetIIhg nome Just in time for dinner; and
Wheh we got into the drawing room the
visitors were already going out. There
had been some fresh arrivals in the after
noon, and my attention was claimed nv an
Ola acquaintance who took me in to din
her' didn't see who il was took Ethel.
but just saw the butterfly in her hair
as she went into the room. The dinner
was better than usual but l had no appe-
lite and felt indisposed. An overwhelming
wave of depression had suddenly descend
ed on me. 1t was quite useless fighting
against 1t. My neighbor noticed it indeed,
and leased me about being so triste.
could only make apologies, and say that I
had the toothache, and Immediately Lady
Glover rose hurried out of the room and
went upstairs, threw myself on my bed.
ana gave way to hysterical fit of weep
ing.
This relieved me, and after an hour or
so l went downstairs and entered the
| drawing-room. My absence had not been
noticed. found the gentlemen had been
in some time. Some one had been playing
and everybody seemed 10 be in high spir-
its.
Il exchanged a few words with old Mrs.
Moncreff, who was over ninety and had
known my mother when she was a little
girl We spoke of old times and things,
and then she said to me- what a graceful
creature your little girl has grown. / have
been admring her ever since dinner. But
who is that old gentleman she is talking
to-?
Then l glanced round the room and saw
Ethel seated at table. idly turning over
an album of views. as she chatted with
her fathers murderer
At this juncture Mrs. Grlmstone drew
her seat little nearer the fire, as though
feeling cold. The journalist cleared his
throat in order to remind us that he was
taking it all in. and the countess famed
herself to conceal her anxiety
Il had great difficulty in keeping my
self-possession. My first impulse was to
do something dreadful. Then 1t occurred
to me that this man, though morally the
murderer of my husband, was legally a
tower of commercial probity; an ornament
to the city, you know. ! could not charge
him with any crime, and to have made
a scene would have been extremely Ill
bred, and have served to rake up the for
gotten tragedy in my life. But to see
Ethel cOnfdentially talking to the man
taking an evident pleasure in his COM
panlonship was too frightful He was
certainly no fit companion for any de-
cent woman, l knew that. And my Ethel
was always an unusually supplemented
girl
80 l told Mrs. Moncref that I did not
know who the person was, and tried to
catch Ethel's attention, to beckon her to
me. But she was so cngrossed in her con-
versatIon that ] could not
And l did not dare go and confront the
old man. | could not trust myself. The
horror of the situation overwhelmed me.
1 made some excuse to my companion and
crossed the room to where my hostess was
sitting l noticed as I did so that the hor-
rid wen was visible behind the villains
beard.
Il asked Lady Glover who the man was.
She answered me with a significant smile.
He is friend of Sir George Wraggles."
she told me- "His name is Joshua or Jo-
seph, something beginning with j. 1t
may be Judas l don't remember. But
Sir George said he was a great friend OF
his. He is on some of his companies, and
all that sort of thing; so 1 said he could
bring him; and here he is-quite char
acter. don't you think so? They say he
is very rich
81 sunk away feeling unutterably
wretched but was cheered when young
Richard Balmain accused me of trying to
cut him He was always a protege of
mine. and had only just got his commits
sion for the Royals. | treasured him and
packed him off to rescue Ethel and bring
her to me.
"She appeared surprised at my message.
but rose and came to me not looking best
pleased at being separated from an anus
ing companion He is so very funny
she remarked so vulgar and SO conceit-
ed. and he talks about nothing but his set,
and the upper ten. 1 never met anything
"a erotesoue. He fancies himself sort
of George w
az thought it wisest not to tell her any
thing. and so explained l thought it would
he nice if we were to take a walk in the
mark 1t was a perfect night, and full
moon. and | added that l was sure that
NJ Ralmain would be our escort. My
proposal was agreed to, and we all went
ont and strolled down the avenue and I'M
der beeches, which you know at Braxteth
are famous. We stayed out quile an
hour and then went in again but pleaded
fatigue. and so went straight up stairs
with Ethel, and begging her not to go
down again we said good night and went
to our rooms, which joined and commu-
nicated by a door from one to the other.
II undressed, but felt that | could not go
10 sleep. so l took a book and started 10
read. But my attention kept wandering,
and I found myself seeing an old mans
face with a white beard, and then the
heard would appear parted in the middle,
showing the wrinkled bag of flesh which
hing beneath. And the wicked black eyes
stared al me- and the bushy white eye
brows contracted, until at length l felt
could stand it no longer, and finging down
NV book l went into the next room to seek
The companionship of Ethel.
"she was in bed and asleep. stood by
The he'd and admired her face. 1t bore the
oppression of such simplicity and sweet
ness-remember, il is fifteen years ago
that l am speaking of"
''The reminder is unnecessary, my dear
internolated the Countess. Ethel is still
both simple and sweet, as well as beauti-
ful: marriage has not spoiled her bit
she takes after her mother"
Mrs. birthstone did not appear 10 have
noticed the compliment, but continued her
recital.
nh Itba1 xuaa