Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-11
LIVING OR DEAD.
pOsTHUDIOUs PUBLICATION.
By HUGH CONWAY.
Tcopyr,shtcd lsss.l

dispensable TO his business, the house
agent had not treated me unfairly.
Although the back room of the house
was the pleasantest looking out over
green fields, and commanding a view OF
the line old cathedral towers, II was the
front room | decided, upon making my
dwelling-place. | rcarIanged the furni-
ture, placed large table close to the
window; | bought blind which could
see through without being seen. | coy
cred my table with books and papers, so
that J should be able to sit, 10 all APP
pearance, hard at work, but the while
Keeping strict watch on the opposite
house.
had not formed the slightest plan Of
action. To tell the truth, | was certain
In my own mind that whatever success
met with would be the result OF accident.
Accident had revealed to me the exist
ence of Mrs Merton and her connection
with Chesham. Accident, j knew, would
at last show me the way to learn what
wanted to learn. Sooner or later, the
opportunity would come. AS Rothwell
said, the hand of fate was ct work. Still,
trusted that / should not be compelled
to remain many months in Surbury.
Understanding the necessity OF giving
taking house and living In 1T in solitary
grandeur In such an unattfactiVe place,
endeavored to forestall the gossip Of my
neighbors by telling my servant that /
was to be kept entirely free from Interrupt
ton, as was engaged in writing book.
To carry out this operation successfully,
told her that quiet was Indispensable !;
| 1t was for this reason had come to re-
side for few months at Surbury. |
have not the least doubt but the next day
my next door neighbours servants and my
opposite neighbours servants knew all
about my business, and were reconciled
10 such phenomenon as a young man
taking house in the quiet shade OF
North road
Now, am pleased to think that Il man
bwho is known to be writing book is All
object of some veneTatIon and awe TO q
certain number Of his fellow.creatures
The amount Of steady manual labor such
an effort entails, the labor of writing such
thousands of consecutive words, Is
enough to command certain amount oil
respect for the authors perseverance,
leaving the intellectual value, il any, OF
the work ont of the question. Whether
the subject be historical or philosophical,
tragic or comic; whether the author is
engaged on novel or guide book--even
cookery, his pursuit surrounds him with
a little glamour and permits him to
be eccentric in his actions Although
most literary men VINO do any good work
as regularly and methodically as clocks
or thermometers, the public Is pleased tC
think otherwise and to credit them with
peculiar and unbusiness-like habits.
So could not have given better
reason for my appearance in Surbury. II
left me free TO follow my own devices
choose my honrs for going out and com
! ing in; and moreover, TO tell the truth, i
was not altogether false statement.
had for a long time been meditatine
throwing my thoughts and imaginative
faculties on to foolscap, but as | com
menced this history by saying, | little
guessed that the first work Of mine which
would see the light would be the story o.
my own life.
! Let my reason for occupying that seal
at the table in the window be false OF
sham, the morning after my arrival was
there, and commenced my inspection oil
. the opposite house. My breakfast things
were cleared away, and by the aid OF {
!, good cigar ! settled down patiently to m,
self-imposed task. 0fcourse, at present
! this was simply to ascertain who the in
mates of the house were and what the.
were like
: The nrst person saw emerge was
,, boy Of about fifteen. He came out will
: a cricket bat on his shoulder and wen
down the road whistling gaily. Hall al
, hour afterward tall, slim girl, QUIET.
, dressed, came out. She carried roll o.
:, music, and as she was scarcely oil
= enough to be teacher, presumed shl
was on her way to receive lesson, Al
;. ter her departure the door opened man
=, times, but only responsive TO the SUN
. mons OF peripatetic vendors OF fruit an
= vegetables, or of butchers, bakers
! and other tradesmcn's boys. At las
= when grew almost tired OF watching,
woman came to the window just oppc
!. site me, and stood there for some mir
! utes. j felt ccItain that | was looking q
i the mysterious Mra. Merton herself.
4 She threw open theN&indow and bega
r watering box Of plants Which stood o
the ledge, so there was nothing 20 OF
d l,struct my view of her, and by the->ala
4 IN oners.glass was enabled to mars
4 thorough study of her personal appeal
apce.
!. She was between forty and Atty year
. of age; dark-eyed, dark-haired, and {
q medium height. Her face was pale an
q wan, but felt sure that at one time SD
y had possessed considerable share
4 good looks, although her face now wa
n not pleasant one 70 look at. ohe wa
! quietly and respectfully dressed In pial
d black, and from her exterior there VIZ W,
q nothing to determine what stailon III III
y she filed. Anyway, felt sure sne wa
q Mrs. Merton, and therefore watcheu ~
1t attentiyely.
Presently she leaned out of the windo
). and looked down The road, and sudde
I Transformation seemed TO take place J
70 her features. She became posltiYel
d aood-lookiug. a smile lit her face an
= frightened her dark eyes. followed u
! direction OF her eyes, aud saw that u
~ nov and Girl were returning, walking SO
3 by side. As they ran hastily up the nv
"A strip OF garden, Mrs. Merton leiL u
Il window and opened the door to thel
!. The caresses she layished on them 10
a. no doubt ia my mind as to their J
4 llationship being that OF mother ~
W children.
/, Now, having seen Mrs. Merton, 40
Il VIII II manner OF woman she VAS ~ y
heoye,l me 10 fad out something APO
u bor history; aud the only person cou
4 question about this with safety was .
" servant had engaged.
Ie Fortunately She was no stranger 70
y little towp--no stranger even TO NOT
!. road. She had lived with family clio
~ nv. SO had all the gossip OF the place
I lher an.ser-ends. There was nothing ?
~ euliar ID a newcomer like myself wisnli
to know something about his nelghpoi
Of aud nv servant was only too eager
re obiIge me with all the Information