The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-27
By MAPYR. ?. HATCH.
Author of
''The Bank Tragedy"

he have left her as Vane did with
those mysterious journeys all unex-
planned? Ali but to doubt her hus-
oand now with the clods of suspicion
weighting him down, with speculation
cioudins his sainte0 memory! She,
nus Wife; and to give her thoughts,
any or them, to another man,-she,
constance Hamilton, hitherto proud of
ner own virtue and rectitude, and, like
one of Tennyson's fair women, proud
OF her pride!
Down on her knees went Constance
at the thought, and she prayed fer
sehtly TO be set right, Ito have taken
from her all that interfered with her
husbands memory! But even while
she prayed sweet strains seemed to
iInportune her to listen, and the sad,
haunting eyes of Primus Edes to be
looking into her very soul.
30 matters progressed; but no word
was spoken between them that the
world might not have heard, though
the undercurrent of intense feeling
ran as wildly as ever beneath the gem
tie manner of Constance and the re-
serve of Mrs. Fry's boarder. who went
daily to the mill and fulfilled his al
lotted task of manual labor with scrup-
ulous fidelity.
The facts of Mrs. Hamiltons pres
ents to him had just become known
III the nefghborhood, and even reach
ed to the ears of the Rev. Arthur
Hammerly, who had lately been VEN
turing to speculate how soon he might
approach Mrs. Hamilton with some
little attention whose gentle office 1t
might be to fix her regard upon him
self
From his window he could look into
the marble yard where a monument
was being finished; and once, with a
satisfaction of which he was ashan-
ed, he had taken a field-glass and read
the inscription growing on the marble
under the workman's chisel Nane
lIa-. So far it had progressed.
The wife believed him dead. Why,
then, might not he indulge hope? ?
And that day the minister plunged
into study with a vigor that surpris-
ed himself. His sermon next Sab
bath must be of exceptional fervor
and deuth She should feel this new
hope in his breast, lifting it to new
heights and aspirations of heavenly
bliss. Those uplifted orbs of hers were
ever before him that day.
But the next day he heard of the
strange infatuation said to exist in
the mind of Mrs. Hamilton for a hum
BILE workman at her uncle's mill. Mr..
Hammerly remembered him. A dark,
sallow-faced man with brown hair and
beard of reddish brown, but with eyes
Of a strange brilliance and beauty.
Evidently a man of downcast. brood
ing habit, quiet and orderly of demean-
or, but with nothing, it would seem.
tc attract the regard of a woman like
Constance Hamilton
Stay! Did he not resemble her hus-
band slightly? Certainly he did. Mr.. +.
Hammerly could see it if nobody else
did. There was certainly a resem-
tlance in this dark-haired, stooping,
sallow-faced workman to the hand
some, upright, light-haired mill-owner
and cashier. Striking, though slight!
If Mrs. Hamilton noticed him in any
way it was because of this.
Mr.. Hammerly called to see her that
day, and left her with warmer pres
sure of the hand than usual. Rut hel
thoughts were otherwise occupied and
she did not notice it.
In another part of the country Bruce
was struggling with a disease which
had lately crossed the ocean, and
Swan, coaxed into an alliance with
Bruce's plans and theories, was in his
turn struggling with certain written
disclosures and directions far from
plain or reasonable, because set down
when Bruce was ill and his mind un-
settled by the vagaries of illness. These
causes combined to prolong matter
which but for this might have earlier
found the light, perhaps. At all events,
Bruce was sure that he was on the
right track now, and sought to make
it known to Swan, who, however, was
doubtful.
Thus matters stood. Constance
swayed by a strong emotion; two men,
by dreams of love and it's fulfillment;