The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-17

Next he had the curiosity to see how he
/ had got free. The bamboo to which he had
| been so long bound fitted into two stout
short poles about SIX inches thick, which
came through the floor. Examination now
showed flaw in the center of the broken
piece, which had extended, till the sound
wood had given way in the fury of his
| final struggle. The stick had snapped
and the bamboo had been released from
| its resting place.
| My worthy professor" murmured Her
bert, you did not allow enough for con,
| tngencies. 1 have a strong temptation
| 10 break your head before l CO."
He ate and drank and then. prepared to
leave. The door was unlocked, he passed
| through and stood in a small passage
And now q. mystery was revealed which
had hitherto puzzled him. How, he had
wondered, had the professor got him up
stirs when insensihle. but a lift which
! stood before him now explained. CHANGING
through the landing window, he saw ne
was a good way from the ground.
| Following the stairs downward, he came
to the story below. Passing along a pass
| age a sound caught his ear from behind
! one of the closed doors. He paused ana
listened. 1t was the sound of a girl sob
! bling and uttering broken words of prayer
the voice of Grace. In the sudden ex-
element of liberty, not yet five minutes
| cid, he had forgotten her, but now he re-
membered, and his heart smote him that
he had been going away without a word
| of farewell. He remembered all she had
done for him, in fact, it was chiefly OWNS
| to her that he was now at liberty He
must lei her know at once.
| He knocked a the door and whispered
| Miss Vincent" The sobs ceased, and her
vioce cried with little gasp, Who Is
| there?'
'I-Pattison. I have got free" he an
sWered. Then, seeing the key in the lock-
he remembered that she had been locked
in; he turned the key and entered. Grace
had been kneeling by her bedside, she
| now confronted him with look of min
gled establishment and joy. Her hair was
| tumbled, her lips parted in surprise. Is
it really you?" she gasped. timidly
Pattison laughed at her establishment as
in few words he told how he had gained
his liberty. AS he spoke her tears vanish
ed, her eyes glowed, and the pale cheeks
| became rosy.
Il am so glad" she said softly. ct was
praying for you. God must have heard me- -
"You have been very good to me, Grace, -
he answered unconsciously. pronouncing
her Christian name. "But--"s
He broke off, conscious of new feeling
towards her. If he went away what would
be her fate? Hitherto the longing to es-
NdpS ueu WhOily OtCupleu uiIn, DuI IL now
struck him that he gone, the undaunted
professor might again set the golden trap.
What way was there of stopping him? His
brain at that moment was not very clear
and he could think of none without pub
fishing his ridiculous captivity to the
| world.
Now as his eyes rested on Grace he felt
how impossible it was TO leave her under
| present circumstances. His sentiments
were quite changed. 1t was one ming to he
| blandly ordered to take a wife as doctor
might order dose of medicine, but an
other to leave the poor girl who had done
so much to aid him to the fate of having
! 10 marry the next man captured as he had
| been.
But how to save her? There was but one
way; by marrying her himself, and this
step he found not wholly unpleasing In
fact he realized that he was in love with
the girl who had been the innocent cause
of all his sufferings.
Nor was this to be wondered at She. had
! done much to aid him. had dared for the
first time in her life to disobey her guard
ian. Short as had been their acquaintance
her disposition in all its simplicity and ten
| derness had been laid bare before him. And
! chief of all reasons in a mans eyes her
beauty drew him. She stood there in a sim
pie dress and untidy hair, but nothing
| could disguise her loneliness. As he stood
! looking a her, his eyes must have express
| ed his admiration, for hers fell and her
| color deeDened.
DO you think" he said at last "tbe
professor will go on with this mad
scheme?"
"I-don't know; but go now, before he
comes back"
Grace" he cried, not needing her
words, my darling. / can't leave YOU 10
such fate. You shall not be married 70
any stranger
With a shy. eager look she raised her
eyes and made half step forward to
wards him, as though welcoming his sue
cour. He caught her in his arms and kiss
ed her.
Grace, do you love me?"
Il don't know" she whispered softly.
"You see 1 have not met anyone like Won
before
yes, but-you let me kiss you You
don't mind?"
''Well, nobody ever kissed me before. -
she said, with an admirable blush.
"If anybody else ever does, I'll murder
him. Darling. 1 want the monopoly of
your kisses, your society, yourself. Grace,
now I'm free know l love you. VIII YOU
be my wife, and remember if you don't
you'll have 10 marry"
mo. I wouldn't" she whispered. I'D
never have married anybody else after
L met you
But Herbert received the information
that he had sacrificed himself in vain with
noble fortitude
And Grace's world had changed all i'm
an instant. 1t seemed almost TOO good to
be true. After the shame and hourly
growing humiliation Of being forced on
an unwilling husband to be wooed by this
man now that he was free and at liberty
to walk out of the house. Her happiness
was too deep for words.
But there was no time for love-making.
The professor was out for a walk and
would soon return. Herbert decided that
it would be best for him to go home and
get some sleep and return on the morrow
to see his old foe and tell him that he had
won after all. M -
Grace declared she had not the courage
to tell him herself. and begged Herbert to
leave her locked in her room and to go
away at once, and this he finally did, and
bidding her a tender farewell, relocked the
door and went downstairs.
He glanced at himself in a mirror in the
hail above which he found hanging his
own hat which had fallen off when the
Professor kidnapped him. He put 1t on.
and turning uD the coat collar of his light