The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-27

a towering monument sometimes glis-
tening meath the grudging winter sun
light, but oftener merely cleaning
purely frostily white, with its full in
scription now, VANE HAMILTON, and.
ready for the cemetery when spring
should open; carping, prosaic village,
with buying and selling and eating and
sleeping going on as it will to the end,
while just outside its limits and that
OF the present an astounding event was
walking straight toward 1t in the per-
son of a tall, handsome, light-haired
man who alighted, unnoticed, from the
train one afternoon in February.
He was passing by the marble estab-
lishment of Lisle 4 Allen, when Mr..
Allen was in the act of courteously
opening the door for a lady to pass
out, and saying:
II am glad it pleases you, Mrs. Ham
ilton."
"Yes, it pleases me very WE'LL" said
the lady, I'm sweetly modulated voice.
The gentleman In the street had
stopped and was staring past them
both at the cleaning marble at which
they were looking. A curious, slightly
humorous glance, followed by a graver
one, came into his face as he noticed
the black-clad woman. A slight hesi-
tation was manifest in his manner.
He took a step forward and then halt
ed. The marble cutter was looking at
him now curiously, and the lady's
glance followed his for an instant.
Then a Shrek was wrung from her
white lips and her voice rang out in
the wild cry, "Vane Hamilton, my hus-
band!" and she fell, or would have
done so if Mr.. Allen had not caught
her and placed her in a large arm
chair. And still he stood there, though
terribly moved, as could be plainly
seen, until Mr.. Allen, whose mind
grasped the situation, said as quietly
as he could, "Your wife has tainted,
Mr.. Hamilton, for / presume you are
that gentleman"
Il am;" but his eyes turned toward
the name on the monument rather than
to his wife's face.
Your wife thought by your long abb
sence that you were dead, and this
was to have been erected in the
spring" explained Mr.. Allen.
Yes, l supposed so. My absence
was unavoidable, replied Mr.. Hamil-
ton, briefly, and then he looked fully
at his wife for the first time since
entering. But he did not now approach
her. Instead. he suffered his gaze to
rest on the beautifully chiselled face
as white as his form, the white hand
fallen to the floor until it travelled
the whole distance of womenly charms.
1t was an intent, intense, adoring
gaze, like that of a lover rather than
the masterful one of husband.
The man looking at him wondered;
but he did not know Mr.. Hamilton,
so he wondered less. Presently, how
ever, as a quiver went through her
eyelids, her husband dropped on his
knees beside her and clasped her hand
in one of his but timidly, the watcher
thought, and said in a low, hesitating
voice:
Constance, my wife!"
And she opened her eyes and looked
at him vaguely, at first, then with
a questioning half-frightened manner.
The man gazed into her face as If
he would dring his fill of its sweet
lneaments. There was no doubt OF
his feelings for her, thought the man
who stood watching him, and yet, he
recollected, he had thought the hus-
bands maner colder at the outset than
the wlfe's. Now it was the reverse.
The eager gaze did not seem to please
her, and she drew away her hand.
There is much to explain, she said
gravely, for she was now quite re-
covered.
You are right, Constance, and this
is not the place for you now" and
he glanced at the monument.
Casual as was the look, it brought
the color to her face, and she arose
and drew down her veil.
my wife was premature" he said to
Mr.. Allen. We will make 1t right
with you" s@s'
-"Oh, yes, certainly. Glad to know
there is no use for it,
Mr. Hamilton and his wife passed
out together and up the street to their
house, both silent, both evidently con-
strained by deep emotions of which
they did not speak the one to the
other till they reached the Hamilton
grounds.
Mr.. Hamilton held open the gate for
his wife to enter, and it reacted with
a bang that made her start nervously.
You are not WE'LL" said her hus-
band, "and no wonder"
mo, am not well, and, as you say
it is no wonder"
They were soon at the door, and they
entered the house together, but Con-