The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-27

I've been waiting for you"
There was a pause before Tom
answered from the hall:
I'm very tired, Crailey. l think I'll
go up to bed"
mo" said Crailey: come in"
The door was already open, but Tom
turned toward it reluctantly. He stop
ped at the threshold and the two look
ed at each other.
Il thought you wouldn't come as long
as you believed 1 was up" said Crailey,
so | blew out the light. I'm sorry l
kept you outside so long"
"Crailey. I'm going away tomorrow,
the other began. Il am to go over and
see the Governor and offer him this
company, and tonight need sleep, so
please
mo" interrupted Crailey, quietly, "I
want to know what you're going to
do"
ITO do about what?"
about me-"
"Ohr' Toms eyes fell at once from
his friends face and rested upon the
floor. Slowly he walked to the desk and
stood in embarrassed contemplation of
the Uttered books and papers, while the
other waited.
II think it's best for you to tell me"
said Crailey.
You think so?" Toms embarrass-
ment increased visibly, and there was
mingled with it an odd appearance of
apprehension, probably to relieve which
he very deliberately took two long che
roots from his pocket, laid one on the
desk for Crailey and lit the other for
himself, with extreme carefulnesS, at
the candle. After this ceremonial he
dragged chair to the window, tilted
back in it with his feet on the low SILL
his back to the thin light and his
friat11 and said in a slow. gentle tone.
"Well, Crailey?"
Il suppose you mean that I ought to
offer my explanation first" said the
other still standing. well, there isn't
any," He did not speak doggedly or
sullenly, as one in fault, but more with
the air of a man curiously ready to
throw all possible light upon a cloudy
that know about it. l went there first
on the evening of the MadrillOn mas
querade and played a little comedy to
| her, so that some of my theatrical al
lusions-they weren't very illuminat-
ing!-to my engagement to Fanchon,
made her believe l was Vanrevel when
her father told her about the pair of us.
| discovered that the night his ware
houses burned-and l saw something
more, because / can't help seeing such
things: that yours was just the charac-
ter to appeal to a young girl fresh from
the convent and full of honesty and
fine dreams and fire. Nobody could ar
range a more fatal fascination for girl
of 10 than to have a deadly quarrel
with her father. And that's especial
ly true when the fathers like that mad
brute of a Bob Carewe! Then, too,
you're more or less the town model OF
virtue and popular hero, in spite of the
abolitionism, just as l am the town
scamp. So let it go on, and played a
little at being you, saying the things
| that YOU only think-that was all. II
isn't strange that it's lasted until now
| not more than three weeks, after all
She's only seen you four or five times
| and me not much oftener. No one
| speaks of YOU to her, and I've kept out
/ of sight when others were about, Mrs
| Tanberry is her only close friend, and
naturally, wouldn't be apt to mention
| that you are dark and l am fair, or tC
describe us personally, any more thar
YOU and l would mention the genera
| appearance of people we both NEE
about town. But you needn't tell me
that it can't last much longer. Some
| petty, unexpected trifle will turn up, O
course. All that 1 want to know II
what you mean to do"
"To, do?" repeated Tom, softly, anC
blew long scarf of smoke out of thu
window.
"Ah!' Crailey's voice grew sharp an(
loud. '"There are many things yol
needn't tell me! You need not tell p,
what I've done to you-nor what yol
think of me! You need not tell me tina
YOU have others to consider; that yol
have Miss Carewe to think of. Don
YOU suppose 1 know that? And yol
need not tell me that you have dut!
to Fanchon-
Yes" Tom broke in, his tone no
quite steady. Yes, i've thought o
that"
"Wen?"
Have you-did you" he hesitated
but Crailey understood Immediately.
mo; l haven't seen her again"
but vou----"
"Yes-I wrote 1 answered the let
ter"
As"
yes; 1 signed your name. 1 told yo
that l had just let things go on,
Crailey answered, with an impatien
movement of his hands. what are 20
going to do?"
.'Tm going over to see the Governo
in the morning. I'll be away two o
three days, imagine"
''Vanrevell" exclaimed Crailey hotlJ
will you give me an answer and no
beat about the bush any longer? Or d
YOU mean you refuse to answer"
Tom dropped his cigar upon tn
brick window ledge with an abysma
sigh. "Oh, no, II isn't that, he an
swered mildly. I've been thinking
all over for three days in the countr,
and when l got back tonight l foun
/ that l had come to a decision withou
knowing il, and that had come 70
even before l started; my leaving tn
letter for you proved II. It's littl
like this Mexican war a mixed-up prob
lem and only one thing clear. A fe'
schemers have led the country into IL {
increase the slave power and make u
forget that we threatened Englan
when we couldn't carry out the threa
And yet. II you look at IL broadly, thes
are the smaller things and they do NJ
last The means by which the countr
grows may he wrong, but It's growth
right: IL Is only destiny. working OF
through lies and blood, but the end wi
be good. IL is bound 20 happen and 20
can't stop IL. ! believe the men VII
make this war for their own uses wi
suffer IN he'll fire for H.. but u IL mad
and there's only one thing ] can see d
the thing Tor me 90 DO. They've Gale
me every name on earth-and the san
with you. too. craliey-becauee I'm q
aboiIroniat but now, whether ~
country has Einned or not a good man
thousand men have E0i % DO the bleed
! ing f0r her, end ! want 40 BE- o1e