The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-18

of the veranda pillars stole slowly
across the white floor of the porch in
a lessening slant, and finally lay all in
line, as the tall, clock in a corner of
the library automatically coughed the
hour of noon. In this Earring discord-
ance there was something frightful to
Miss Betty. She rose abruptly, and
| imperiously waving back Mrs. Tan
| berry who would have detained her
for there was in her face and manner
the incipient Wildness of control over
strained to the breaking point-she
went hurriedly out of the room and out
of the house, to the old bench in the
garden. There she sank down, her
face hidden in her arms; there on the
spot where she had first seen Crailey
GRAY.
From there, too, had risen the seren-
ade of the man she had spurned and
insulted; and there she had come to
worship the stars when Crailey bade
her look to them. And now the
strange young teacher was paying the
bitter price for his fooerieS-and who
could doubt that the price was a bitter
one? To have the spirit so suddenly,
cruelty riven from the sprightly body
that was, but a few hours ago, hale
and alert, obedient to every petty wish,
could dance, run and leap; to be
forced with such hideous precipitation
10 leave the WARM DFedlH OIL JuH6 anu
undergo the lonely change, merging
with the shadow; to be flung from the
exquisite and commonplace day of sun
shine into the appalling adventure that
should not have been his for years
and hurled into it by what handl-ah,
bitter, bitter price for a harlequinade
And, alas, alasI for the brave harle-
quin!
A gentle touch fell upon her
shoulder, and Miss Betty sprang to her
feet and screamed. 1t was Nelson who
stood before her, hat in hand, his head
deeply bowed.
lis he with you?" she cried, clutch
ing at the bench for support.
NOM" answered the old man.
humbly. 81 reckon we all ain goin' see
dat man no mo-"
Where is he?"
ION de way. honey, on de way
THE way-to Rouen!" she gasped.
Nom; he goin' cross de big water"
He stretched out his hand and pointed
solemnly to the east. Him an me we
cotch de boat, an you pa mex EN-
taken de bosses on bode. Den we git
rivuh, an yo pa hor de boat whites
rid back alone an git de news, an
what de tale is you all is tole, FUN ole
Mist Chen eth; an Mist Chen'eth, he
rid back wild me an see you pas at
Leeville, an dey talk in de shed by de
landin', an yo' pa tell Mist Chen'eth
what 'rangements he goin make w1d
de property. Den he git on de boat
agin an dey slot her agoin'; an he
ain wave no good-by, ner say no mo-
wuds. Mist Chen'eth rid back whens
de light come; but he res de bosses
an come back slow, case 1 ponduh on
de worF, an 1 mighty sorry fer yo' pa.
Missy. He ain comm back no mo,
honey, an Miz Tanberry an me an
10 orOit1' tal<n Epar VOf
pa gone back dah to de F'enchmun,
whuh he 'uz a young man. He mighty
sick, an he scairt, honey; an he ain
goin' git ovah dat, neider. 'Peah to
me, Missy, like he done had vizhum
err he own soul, when he come an look
down at dat young man layln' on de
grass, las night"
The old fellow bent his back before
her in a solmn bow, as a feudal
retainer in allegiance to the heir, but
more in Difference to the sorrow writ
ten upon her, and respecting its mag
nitude. With no words of comfort, for
he knew she wanted only to be alone,
he moved away, with infirm steps and
shaking head, toward the rear of the
house.
Miss Betty threw herself upon the
bench again face downward in her
arms. And still the house lay in
silence under the sunshine.
An hour had passed, and the
shadows slanted strongly to the east,
when the stiffness was broken by a
sound, low and small at first, then
rising fearfully, a long, quavering
wall of supreme anguish that clutched
and shook the listeners heart. No
one could have recognized the voice as
Fanchon's yet every one who heard it
knew that it was hers; and that the
soul of Crailey Gray had gone out
upon the quest for the Holy Grail.
Miss Betty's hands clenched convul-
sively round the arm of the bench and
a fit of shuddering seized her as if
with the grip of a violent chill, though
her eyes were dry. Then she lay quiet.
/ A long time afterward, she became
aware of a step that paced the garden
path behind her, and turned her face
upon her arm so that she saw, but
made no other motion. 1t was Tom
, Vanrevel, walking slowly up and down,
his hands behind his back and his hat
pulled far down over his eyes. He
had not seen her.
She rose and spoke his name.
He turned and came to her. cal
most at the very last" he said "Crailey
whispered to me that he knew you
thought him a great scamp, but to tell
you to be sure to remember that it
/ was all true about the stars"
CHAPTER Xxx.