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

That same day he returned to The Haugh
in time to meet his amalgamated guests
az dinner. And now, al last, every one
was agreed that Sir Justin's manner was
unusual: He bowed over Lydia's hand
with a courtllness which made her sister
stare Etile, nd Lydia herself 10 lift
her head, ehHled and a tribe naughty. The
dinner went of. heavily,the baronet gloomy
and preoccupied the guests oppressed, Ru-
fus Stormont inclined to laugh. THE
fool, he thought he's doing it as badly
as beardiess boy He felt a strong de-
sire 90 rise and tell them all what was
the matter with their host. a mere puppet
in his hands.
But Stormont himMlf was to be sur
prised. Like so many&illains before him.
he could rouse a passion with a MASTER
hapd, but once aroused, il and its doings
We're beyond him or his calculations.
When the men were alone, Sir Justin
reused himself. He joked and laughed
loud. and often, his hand went often to the
bottle and IN between, his fingers slipped
INTO his waistcoat pocket as if to satisfy
himself of the safely Of something precious
that, hidden there, was giving him mon
strOus secret Satisfaction.
That same evening, by special license,
SIR Justin was married in his library TO
Mary Fossy, his scullery maid. With
INN, from London he had brought both
priest and lawyer, as only strangers could
De MADE 10 abet so wild an act of folly.
AS for the poor serving wench, there
was no one to bid him consider her. The
father, an hour before, had been stulti-
ned into a written consent, the girls had
nominally been already gained. Miss Ed
wards, almost deprived of her senses
tound the ceremony over before she reaIiz-
ed that she. was not witnessing an I'M
seemly farce. Mary, herself, so the house
keeper rel8ied afterward had no sooner
repeated the binding words under Sir JUS
ms terrifying gaze than she swooned
rough country wench that she was. and
listened to the furried officiator's final
exordium, pale as lily, breathless, with
closed eyes, and head against Miss Ed
wards unwilling shoulder.
When all was over Sir Justin drew the
housekeeper aside. gSay nothing of this
till l myself make it public news to-mor-
row." he said. II shall not forget your
attention. Keep Lady Stormont, please.
exclusively in your care"
Whatever Miss Edwards might have had
to say, 1t was checked effectuaIly by Sir
Justin's manner. Once outside the library
door the miserable Bride clnging to her
arm, the housekefpSfrb burst into flood
of tears Mary seemed too stunned TO
weep or speak, and sat far into the night
with chalk colergd scheeks and wide ewes
staring unseeingly before her, starting at
every sound.
The following day was one to be remem-
Dered IN Feathersrone. 1t was gloriously
| fine, as the whole month had been I'M
usually warm. the sun shining through
| soft yellow haze
Sir Justin showed al breakfast as usual
| BY his special request and the intima
lion that he had something else to offer
| them, the shooting had been for once
| abandoned, and by luncheon-time every
one was present--the ladies from the Dow
er House IN fun force, all the men stay
lpg at the Haugh. Lydia, seated at Sir
| Justin's right, wondered sadly at the
change in him. He could not be well. He
| avoided her glance and devoted himself
| TO Stormont, as usual now upon his left
In one way Stormont was a cleVerer ras-
! cal than has model, He had worked upon
| Sir Justin relentlessly, increasingly, CON
summately TIL Lydia's lightest actions
| sifted through an ecstatc lovers reaction
| Of jealous madness, appeared like scarlet
| sins. And yet Sir Justin did not suspect
| in him an enemy. His impression ather
| was that his cousin in loyalty to him re-
| sisted Lydia's Vaccinations and strove to
| keep her up to the. maintenance of those
Luncheon over, Sir Justin allowed his
| lieu 10 p9AI9ouoo psu I9AoI Isu sIeepI usIu
on, Yillaini villainl
] guests to rise from their chairs but stay
ed them then with an uplifted hand, and a
| sharp clang upon the handbell. The door
| uncoSed, as at a signal a WaVering figure
] crossed the threshold. Sir Justin, smil-
ing strangely, advanced to meet it. The
| silence was awful one might have heard
| pin drop. Tragedy is its own forerun-
| ner. Every face was turned towards the
| door, every breath was held Then she
| who had been Mary Fossy let Sir Justin
| draw her hand within his arm. and let him
| lead her in that -breathless silence to the
| center of the room.sc38
| My friends he said, "let me prepare
you Tor something of a surprise. 1 have
! taken this Opportunity Of your being all to-
| gether to present to you my wife He re-
| peated the words, drawing the girls hand
| still further forward on his arm: My wife
Lady Stormont"
And still there was no sound. though
| Rufus almost leapt in his astonishment
| NO one looked at Lydia. Enchantment
seemed to hold the group about the table
All eyes were fixed uponsSir Justin and the
| girl.
| Miss Edwards, in sheer womanly pity,
| though she was accused afterwards of
| having had an eye to her own interests
| throughout, had done her best for the un-
| fortunate victim of Sir Justins freak.
| plain gown of grey silk long and full
| draped the angular undeveloped figure
| and plenty of good lace was ruffled about
| her throat and careful1y-gloved hands. and
| a Quakerish little bonnet was tied prettily
| beneath her chin. j., Nothing could save
| her, nothing make her look other than
| the ordeal she had undergone was fully
| realized even Lydia herself acknowledged
she had borne it remarkably well. Snow
| white, blood-red by turns. only held in her
! place by Sir Justin's support she stood
| it out and contrived to make no scene. In
| days to come, when the madness and the
! fever had left his blood, her husband re-
| membered and appreciated it.
| Now it is not to he supposed he gave her
| as herself q thought. In the still. I'M
broken silence he turned and led her to the
| door. "Our guests will excuse YOU to-
day, Lady Stormont,' he said He lifted
her hand from his arm and kissed it be-
fore them all 'And have few words
still to say that you need not stop to lis
ten to-" Then he bowed her out, and shut
ting the door Sharply, faced around on the
little crowd, picked out LYDIA Montrose
with his eyes at opce. and went slowly up
to where she stood.
What he said was no great matter. for
the worst was DONE but If Bertram Mar
could have had his why or for that mat
ter, Sir Justin, Il would have meant
dueli but the women interfered
He is drunk" cried Lydas sister He
is mad! said Lydia herself, white and
trembling, and insisting ON it, she thrust