The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-13


HauRh married twice His first choice
was sufficiently romantic; his second fell
upon his scullery maid. The fantastic is
often the tragicaL In this vagary there
was not a single comedy part; very pos
sibly. however. though not intended, the
scullery maids was the most tragic, But
such .perversity as this Sir Justin showed
is not novel: it runs rather on lines be
come classic from sheer antiquity of use.
Sir Justin Storrnont may be said TO have
begun life twice. When he came first to
manageable age, his mother, long wild
ow, was still chatelaine of Featherstone.
She was an ancient. withal gay dame,
with a hint of that reconcile wickedness
r about her which is generally associated
with high red heels. roughed lips, conical
head-gear and a dominant spirit Her
piquant audacities and her sons modern
lied frivolites held their own amiably to-
gether. The Haugh began TO have rep
utation Sir Justin was matrimonial
prize, yet it became gossip that the bride
he brought home would have to be a sacrl-
fetal one.
This notion, coming to Lady Stormonts
ears, afforded her a theme for merriment
20 the day of her death. But this at last
accomplished. the county drawing breaths
of relief, began to think more kindly OF
her son, and gossip veered to speculation,
more or less hopeful.
Nevertheless. after living five and thirty
years, Sir Justin still managed to do the
one thing unexpected. He married Nor
wegian. Her hair was 10 her feet. her eyes
were a strange sea blue; she was pink and
white and strangely silent, and If these
were not the reasons for her husband s
choice of her, others were not apparent.
This pseudo-romance, however, was the
merest episode. A child was shortly born
and died. The lady died A marble tab
let inscribed to their memory was set
above the empty pew in Featherstone
Church and this was left solitary TO take
up the tale from which Sir Justin, in
person, faded completely. The Haugh
stood untenanted for twenty years. Then
the new epoch began, and Sir justin re-
turned suddenly to set his home in order.
And with this visit, Iago, who accom-
panied him, steps into the story. More
OF this gentleman presently.
Sir Justin, after twenty years, was a
marvel to all in Featherstone who had
seen him turn his back on it, no less a
marvel to those who had heard talk Of
HIM. The baronet had gone away an ele-
gantiy dissipated cold-mannered world
ling; he returned at five and fifty with
the enthusiasm of a poet, his heart and
hopes high as a boys.
These extraordinary conversions are all
most invariably the work of a woman,
very notably so in Sir Justin's case Her
name was Lydia Montrose, a girlish slen-
der creature, with something of the fresh
and yielding grace and fragrance of
spring flowers in her look and gait She
seemed and was as bright as tender as
pure as beautiful.
Sir Justin met her through knowing ST.
las Winchelsea, the painter to whom Lydia
was sitting for her portrait The atmos-
phere of The studios was Lydia's world
her only sister and sole guardian being
wife 10 the well-known painter poet, Ber-
tram Mar
Sir Justin was enamored at a glance,
with word touch, the most ardent
love romantically possessed him. Under
the Inspiration of IL, the record of the
careless years behind him. and the num-
Der OF them. were discarded as effectual-
~ and as simply as the butterfly discards
ats chrysalls. The baronet began his WOO
ing with the passion of a virgin heart
l>ydia's was stormed and won. True. Sir
Justin was five and fifty, but he looked
a dozen years less. and a very fine fellow
al that His home was lovely, his wealth
great. his ardor irresistible.
LYDIA began quickly 10 almost as ar
IDENTITY reciprocate it. and the wedding
would have been within month of their
nrst meeting If Lydia's mourning for her
mother had not come between
For here, Mrs. Bertram Mar was frn,
She had been devoted to her mother had
passlonateiy mourned her death She
would hear of no marriage till at least
the nrst anniversary of the event was over
her NF'i''N
This was July, and there could he M
Wedding till October Sir Justin was fain
10 submit, but to his lovers soul there
came happy thought whereby to cheat
oeiay and Keep his dear beside him. al
most as II she We're already quite his own
The Haugh was unshuttered. every roor,
In 1t reopened to the sunlight and nada
fresh and fair; then sending for a cousin
a counteSsa by marriage a widow of Tho
very shlghest standing, Sir Justin estab-
Hsned her in the dover house, a white
Casteliated building couple of miles from
the Haugh itself, and arranged with her
for the issue of a few invitations for the
summer; notably 10 Mrs. Bertram Mar
and her sister, Lydia Montrose
sir justin himself, with few equally, Sc
iected friends, proposed to occupy the
Mrs. Mar smiled a little over the scheme
put she had no objections to make: IL had
been thought out too punctiliously,. And
SO the scene for the impending blav WIS
set, ana the unconscious actors took their
pieces, few lovely ladies at the Dover
House, Lydia Montrose their queen ana AZ
the Haugh half-a-dozen fine men coming
ana going around Sir Justin, who held
mis- own among them easily. Rf,t
at Sir Justn's elbow, figure
whoever came, whoever went YEAS
Iago. This gentleman's name was tbe
same as Sir Justin's: Stormont-Rufus
Stprmont. Failing direct issue. he was
Sir Justin's heir Thoughts of the on
tail, however, had nothing to do with
Stormont's villainy; it went to suhtler
depths than that.
NO yillainy is objectless, but Stormont.s
vas of that worst kind. which has no ma
terial aim before 1t, but springs fun grown
and independent from sheer egorism nm
adulterated pride of self.
Stormont dabbled in painting. and II was
On Winchelsea's studio where Sir .Iustin
first heard of Lydia that the cousins mad
renewed a long lapsed acquaintance They
seemed to hit 1t of together very well ana