Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-01-24


Madeline" said, "did you speak to
anyone In the garden last nightSn
"1es, 10 Fordyce Greenough; | gave
MIN q letter and package from your
aunt she replied, without hesitation.
What was In the packet?r
81 don't know. She said IL was some
thing. OF his, which he had LETT behind
him.
] took the sapphire from my pocket and
told her where | found IL. She turned
pale and looked me in the face. "Thcn
you have suspected 1t, too?n she said In a
low voice.
suspected whatgn
"what else could there be to suspect.
She took them.r
Scarcely had she uttered these words
when carriage drove to the door, and
Fordyce Greenough got out and assisted
an elderly lady to alight. IL was my aunt,
Mrs. Euphraria Champion.
The story was soon told, but, for brev-
ity's sake, will give It In my words in
stead OF Fordyce's,
/ My aunt was an opium cater, and the
I drug no doubt affected her brain, and
! disordered her moral perceptions. She
had actually accepted Fordyce's atten.
I ton sin earncstnnd had fallen IN love with
him. After he went away, she had made
up her mind TO olope with him--nover
/ doubling that reciprocated her passion
10 make things more comfortable, she
had possessed herself Of my sapphlres--
I perhaps with some obscure notion that
they were part of the property which
intended to make over 10 her. She had
then sent word TO Fordyce that she had
\ an important communication to make 10
I him, aud that he was TO be in the garden,
secretly, at certain hour. She had the
sapphires ready in q packet, with note
saying that she would meet him an hour
later at the railway station Fordyce
was utterly perpleNed by this communion
! ton (Which he did not read until after he
had left the garden, but he went 10 the
station, as the quickest means of reach.
ing an explanations Mrs. Champion bade
I him accompany her In the train, and II
was not until they were of that she re-
yealed to him her past deeds and present
/ purposes. The poor young mans horror
and alarm may be imaglned here he was
involved with an elderly female maniac
and $4,000 worth of stolen Jewels. He
4 succeeded in prevailing on her to alighi
at the next station, but there was no train
back until morning, and they had to spcnt
the night there. My aunt by this time
seemed to have forgotten the elopemen
scheme, and was at loss to know wher,
she was and how she got there. II WA
with devout thankfulness tina
Fordyce at length delivered her safe ant
sound at her own door, together with tn,
sapphires, As he remarked TO me. g!
was bad enough, but 1t might have beel
worse"
My aunt never afterwards referred I,
this episode--whether because she ha,
forgotten it or for some other reason
could not be known. But il led TO a fur
Their acquaintance between Fordyce ant
myself, and had occasion materially 4
modify my opinion of his character, an,
: was afterwards able to put him In posi-
: ton TO make his way IN the world, which
he did to the satisfaction of all concerned
J He finally married wealthy girl
and is now very happy; but not, thiuk
so happy as are Madeline and |. Afte
/ my aunt's death told my wife Of tn
/ thoughts that had, during those thre
fearful days, tormented my soul. "Tha
never occurred 10 me-" she said smiling
, "perhaps because ] foresaw that shonl,
7 wear the sapphires any way!"
Aud well do they become her.