The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-11

Crailey had wished to be on the safe
side
Tom sighed rather bitterly. He was
/ convinced that the harlequin would
come home soon, replace the uniform
(Which was probably extremely becom-
ing to him, as they were of a hight
and figure much the same), and after
ward, in his ordinary dress, would sally
forth to spend his last evening with
Fanchon. Tom wondered how Crailey
would feel and what he would think
about himself while he was changing
his clothes; but he remembered his
partners extraordinary powers of men
tai adjustment-and for the first time
in his life Nanrevel made no allowance
for the others temperament; and there
came to him a moment when he felt
( that he could almost dislike Crailey
Gray.
AT all events, he would go out until
Crailey had come and left again; for
ne had no desire to behold the mas
querader's return So he exchanged his
dressing gown for a coat, fastened his
collar, and had begun to arrange his
craVat at the mirror. when, suddenly,
the voice of the old negress seemed to
sound close beside him in the room:
Hes settin' dah-waitin!"
Inc craVat was never tied; Toms
hands dropped to his sides as he start
ed back from the staring face in the
mirror. Robert Carewe was waiting
and Crailey- All at once there was
but one vital necessity in the world for
Tom Vanrevel, that was to find Crailey;
he must go to Crailey-even in Ca
reeves own house-he must go to Graf
ley!
He dashed down the stairs and into
the street. The people were making
great uproar in front of the hotel, ex-
ploding bombs, firing muskets in the
air, sending up rockets; and rapidly
crossing the outskirt of the crowd, he
passed into Carewe street, unnoticed
Here the detonations were not so deaf
ening, though the little steamboat at
the wharf was contributing to the con-
fusion with all in her power, screening
simultaneously approval of the celebra-
ton and her last signals of departure.
At the first corner Tom had no more
than left the sidewalk when he came
within foot of being ridden down by
two horsemen who rode at so desperate
gallop that (the sound of their hoof-
beats being lost in the uproar from
Main street, they were upon him before
he was aware of them.
He leaped back with an angry shout
to know who they were that they rode
so wildly. At the same time a sharp
explosion at the foot of the street sent
red flare over the scene, a flash, gone
with such incredible Swiftness into re-
newed darkness that he saw the flying
horsemen almost as equestrian statues
| illumined by a flicker of lightning, but
he saw them with the same distinctness
that lightning gives, and recognized the
foremost as Robert Carewe. And in the
! instant of that RECOGNITION, Tom knew
what had happened to Crailey Gray, for
he saw the truth in the CHASTITY face of
| his enemy.
/ Carewe rode stiff1y, like man frozen
! upon his horse, and his face was like
! that of a frozen man; his eyes CLASSY
and not fixed upon his course, so that
it was a deathly thing to see. Once
! long ago, Tom had seen man riding
/ for his life, and he wore this same
| look. The animal bounded and swerved
| under VanrevePs enemy in the mad
rush down the street, but he sat rigid,
! bolt upright in the saddle, his face set
| to that look of GOODNESS.
The second rider was old Nelson, who
rode with body crouched forward, his
| eyeballs like shining porcelain set in
! ebonT, and his arm like a fail, cruelty
| lashing his own horse and his master S
with a heavy whip.
DE steamboat" he shouted, hoarse-
| ly, bringing down the lash on one and
! steamboat-fo' Gods sake, honey, de
! steamboat"
They swept into Main street, Nelson
! leaning far across to the others bride,
I and turning both horses toward the
| river, but before they had made the
| corner, Tom NanreVel was running with
| all the speed that was in him toward
! his enemy's house. The one block be-
| tween him and the forbidden ground
| seemed to him miles long, and he felt
| that he was running as a man in a
dream, and, at the highest pitch of
agonized exertion, covering no space,
| but only working the air in one place,
/ Ia fraadr1ill All that in ic
| mind, heart and soul were to reach
| Crailey. He had known by the revela-
! ton of Carewe's face in what case he
! would find his friend; but as he ran he
| put the knowledge from him with a
! shudder and resolved upon incredulity
| in spite of his certainty. All he let
| himself feel was the need to run, to run
until he found Crailey, who was some
! where in the darkness of the trees
| about the long, low house on the COR
! ner. When he reached the bordering
I hedge, he did not. stay for gate or
path, but, with IA loud shout, hurled
! himself half over, half through, the
hedge, like bolt from catapult.
| Lights shone from only one room in
| the house, the library; but as he ran
! toward the porch a candle flickered in
the hall, and there came the sound Of
a voice weeping with terror.
! At that he called more desperately
upon his incredibly to aid him, for the
voice was Mrs. Tanberry's. If it had
been any other than she who sobbed so
hope lessly--she who was always steady
and strong! If he could, he would have
stopped to pray, now, before he faced
her AMI the truth; but his flying feet
carried him on.
who is it?" she gasped brokenly.
from the hall. Mamie? Have you
brought him?"
IT'S l." he cried, as he plunged
through the doorway. IT'S Vanrevel"
Mrs. Tanberry set the iron candle
stick down upon the table with a
crash.
You've come too late!" she sobbed,
Another man has taken your death on
himself"
He reeled back against the wall "Oh,
Cod" he said. "Oh. God, God, God!
Crailey!"
Yes" she answered. ITS the poor
vagabond that you loved so WE'LL
Together they ran through the hall to
the library. Crailey was lying on the
long sofa. his eyes closed, his head like
a piece of carven marble, the gay uni
form, in which he had tricked himself
out so calamity. open at the throat,
and his white linen stained with a
few little splotches of red.
Beside him knet Miss Betty, holding
her lace handkerchief upon his breast
she was as white as he, and as motion
less: so that, as she knelt there, immov-
able beside him; her arm like alabaster
across his breast, they might have been
a sculptor's group. The handkerchief
was stained a little, like the linen, and
like it, too. stained but little. Near