The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-01
TUE GOVERNORS VACATION.
Nv William Wendsam.

If comfort for Frances Hol-
OF poraft of a mothers care from
' birth. her early years had oeeh
,l,1..ed only by stepmother's grudg-
Dice .,aorce And to crown her mis-
ii9 IS her father had died when she
Ao' an in ninafores and year later
" stepmother had married again.
-. since she could remember she
Ion made to feel that she was an
'-,.,,a, and a charge upon the boun-
.l,ose with whom fate had thrown
49, And yet, Heaven knows she had
10 her own way. 1t was always
. - do this" and Frank, GO
- and "Wiu you never get those
Ives washed?" Never was there an
onnortunity lost to make her feel her
dependence, 10,
I. Vat she had come through it all with
.,..Io,,s retention of character. All
drrdqery had not neutralized her
,,,1sndid heritage, that OF good breed
ing and good blood. Pernaps was
4e rafned beauty that could not De
, the bv coarse work and the proud
mice which could not be broken
ahuse and humiliation, that
tposs.,gbt about a great part of her tor
- The Jordan family felt the IN
li.antioI inferiority and resented 1t.
\ IT,, disliked her and Mary Ann and
q ci,san hated her and saw to IL Wen
80 she kept her place." which was
n ~ The oarret or in the kitchen.
=" cbe never complained. She had
\ Inc If all with a quiet dignity which
~ drew from some unfathomed
source of her nature and which mad
doned the Jordans almost beyond en-
6nrance. 1t was only in her attic or
aIone in the great orchard that she
gave way to grief and despair ana re-
Iieyed her aching heart with tears.
Loving literature passionately she
made the most of her little schooling
and the few books and fewer hours
her life afforded her and really put
Mary Ann and Susan, with all their
days at the seminay, to shame. in the
4rne comprehension of things interlec-
tual
The last straw was laid to her hard
life when the summer boarder came.
He was Gerald Gray, fresh from the
Iahors and triumphs of hardfought
political campaign and recently chosen
governor of the commonwealth-the
i Youngest man ever elected to that high
i Office in the state. The great contest
coming on top of hard campaign for
the nomination which had followed a
brilliant term in Congress and life
OF hard work and triumphs at school,
n college and the bar, had left him ex-
hausted almost to the verge of col
4 lapse. His physician had imperatively
ordered him to bury himself in some
B quiet spot in the country.
Not a book, not a newspaper, not
n a letter. not a sheet of paper nor
4 pen-nothing but tramps through the
4 woods with rod or gun, fresh air, new
3 milk and sleep" was the order. Or
81 your career will be at an end within
twelvemonth."
And so Gerald Gray became a part
n of the Jordan household for the sum,
Il ner under an assumed name and with
4 the understanding that he was to have
absolute quiet and a bounteous board.
The man had been a revelation to
Frances. His brilliant conversation,
his easy familiarity with all the sub
jscts and men of the day, his wide
4 lnQweldeg Of Merati1rez.sla hts ready wit
breath from the great outside Mnrid
for which she so longed. She hung upon
his words at table While she was serv-
ing, and in the evenings she crawled
INTO an obscure corner on the board
porch and drank in the conversation
II with the thirst of the desert traveller.
One evening her interest betrayed her
INTO asking a question and the next
Instant she found herself engaged in
ar animated conversation with the
guest. She held her own well, too, and
Gray was surprised to find so discFim-
mating listener in the servant girl.
hdt 1t had been her undoing, for Mrs.
jordan had reproved her harshly in
humliating words, and thereafter she
was banished from the evening talk on
the porch and her services in the din
ing room at meal times were very
brief. Mary Ann and Susan were es-
leclaIly offended, and lost no oppor-
tunity to drive her from the presence
Of the visitor
10 1t was that she had lost the little.
Iiu OF light which had struggled
through the sordid clouds about her
ana heard no more of the things she
had so yearned for. So it happened on
t,iS not August day she sought the or
chard and flung herself in despair I'M
DER the apple tree. AS she lay there
Sooolng Gerald Gray came wandering
Trough the orchard, dragging his tired
legs as best he could. He nearly fell
over the girl lying prone on her face.
Eauslng with genuine concern he ex-
claimed:
ter?" 3D. "At's' 10 eiie iii' =
she sprang to sitting position, her
Lace flushing a deep crimson.
81 nothing, sir" she said, moth
Come tell me about it," he respond
gu, throwing himself YEARLY on the
siouhu. Girls don't come into the
o'Ihard and cry about nothing. / am
q lawyer, and 1t is my business to give
"U,lce' Maybe | can help YOU"
III is nothing" she replied. st guess
l am a little blue, that is ALL"
:. ms Keen eyes had noted the condi-
t uon IN the Jordan home, and he more
mn i.lIi half suspected the situation.
lou are unhappy. You are not
tb.eo rlght. Why do you stay with
,, instantly she drew up with that dig
. possessed -'
3. lease, sir, we will not talk about
~ she said. simply, and then. with
ons tact of a trained diplomat. albeit
t - she turned the conversation
e, 'le topics concerning the world. In
IL. MINUTES they were chatting. away
49, VlN friends. Her tears were dried
eet -l,l eyes were afiame with inter-
g.. SNu excitement. Gray was inter
81 The girl was so untaught. so
sea aolaht Of life, and yet her mind
rtleo to move with the precision of
IN. w, atics. He had never seen any-
in,.ii iAe her. Her interest in all things