Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-10-07

: bosom. He inhaled the perfume as
:, stopped over her. TIE armchair OF wi
9 colored velvet framed the picture, ea
a harmonious detail of which he. rehesrs,
G to himself in passing along the gray
: walks and through the dripping hedge.
/ "Whet rank idiot I WAS to let tn
infamous TRADE cling to my mind for OF
{ ninute!" ne reflected, shutting up h
;, umbrella in the shelter Of the Lupto
= porch before ringing the bell, "E
s GeorgeI that fiery faced scandal mongt
G ought to be fogged through the town ,
{ the carts tail for dsIing TO take her nam
: upon her bIistering tonguei
{ CHAPTER XVI.
t Mrs. Eupton awaited ner visitor in he
5 library. 1t was 8 smaller apartment tina
the back parlor, from which 1t Wa
tonight divided by closed portiere @
, amber plush, "powdeEed" with purpl
J Clematis. She, too, had her open fire
plEce-s crate filed with ignited canine
coal. Her robe, which would now b
called "tea-goWn," WAS silver-grs.
silk, trimmed with black lace. 1t trained
st the back IN Vatican fold, and fowet
loose in front from neck to feet, yet de-
fined, in some mysterious way, the plan
slenderness CT the form itfeigned to hide
In q tiny vase On the stand nearest heI
1mber satin chair were few stars C
white jasmine, and spIig OF chronicles
A screen CT Iesf-bToWn sstin, with silver
swallows sailing across il, was at the
lady's right hand, to break the draugh'
from an oriel-window.
Richards quick eye took in escf
feature of the artistic interior; his smile
| pvnrpl6pd in !, Y m a.
II which the central figure chose to ap-
pear.
Gas addressing twas
his thought. Gan the same, 1t Is q
stage!"
1t was nevertheless fstterilg to d man OF
! his temperament to reflect that she he'd
dressed herself and her platform for him
alone, the appointment OF the inteTvie "
establishing the fact beyond cavil. He
| liked to be made much cf-best of oil,
when the spoiler-or devotee-Was VIC
man, and attractive to the aesthetic eye.
He uttered graceful thing or two, COM
| Pulmonary to the scene as contrasted
with the rainy darkness he had left, IL
accepting the chair to which she pointed.
Il faced her, and cast up her neck snd
bust effectively against the screen,-a
circumstance he was net slow TO perceive.
"We will not waste Cur little half-hcur
in pretty speeches." she ssid, the mellow
trainsnte accents robbing the remark of
brusqueness, but not OF directness. "Haye
you been told st home of the provisional
| engagement OF marriage between your
daughter and my step-son?"
"Whstl" He was on his feet as If
struck by q bullet.
"Be seated-plesse! We have 70 time
for hero!cs-psterlsl or step psternsl.
The provisional betrothsl is ten days old.
do not think the parties waited for yonr
going before entering into the contract.
Their delsy in announcing the betrothel
is undoubtedly the result Of proper re-
luct2nce to speak Of it before they have
received your sanction. My step-son's
only religion is belief in the Gospel Of
Conventionality. l sent for yen to say
thEt the marriage would be such q de-
clGed inconvenience to me that it must
mol take place. l depend upon you &c
forbid The bsnns.
"YC7 have not recovered your breath
yet, see," the slow, fluent enunciation
dropping the words into his esrg. "Ot
course, your second thought-When you
find your thoughts-Will be TO consult
your wife. However 6istasieful the alli-
Ance msy be to you PERSONAL---VERY. Il
cannot he anything else-Eou will refer
the final decision 20 her, when you have
tuned your fill. Now this is just what
you must not Go. To save time ana
trouble, 1 will tell you inst the match
isl-ii not Of her making entirely
agreeable to her. In fact, more than
surmise that she IL piously grateful for
the chance OF making restitution il some
sort to thu bereaved swain for the unklnd
turn done him BY Providence SO long ago
tina. anybody but . springless machine
would have forgiven and forgotten it by
now.
"Let that pass. Here stands our case:
Rex Luptop, as my cbildren's guardian
and their fathers executor, Cannot do
justice to his charge IL he has family of
mis- OWL. mean to keep this house, and
maintain s certsin decent state in She
world. Rex, celibate, and, If possible,
empty hearted, is.s means to tbs. END. L
have showed you my hand. Tue e1igeucy
admits OF no fencing with truth, You
have dutiful daughter, and super -du-
tiful wife. count upon your influence
with both"
She had given him minute too long
for reflection; time for the first fierce
burst Of Indignant establishment to re-
cede, and emotion, upon which she had
not reckoned, to assert itself. He dis
liked Rex Lupton, but unexpected relief
succeeded upon the revolt Of
hesrt and prejudice against the suggested
union. He loved his only daughter
fondly, but somewhat less than he did the |
wife who had become necessity OF his |
existence by reason of his absolute de-
pendence upon her during his invalidism |
and many degrees less than he loved |
Richard Phelps. The publication of this
engagement would stamp the lie upon
the scurrilous reports retailed By the |
His wlfs's fame would be vim.
dictated; himself be no longer the song OF
the drunkard in the pot-houses Of his ma
tive town, nor the pity Of the pious. The
other widow may have seen
was such IS mother might bes:ow
upon son. In the rexction
that showed him how heavily
The knowledge of the bruited
scandal had weighed upon him, he took
16enEe at the calm imperiousness that
.eslt with him and his household as with
he marionettes. "You must" "you
shall" "I will have 1t SO !" were novel
erms when spilled to himself. What
had what he mentally styled
shat uncommonly cool hand" to dispose
lis private affairs as she willed, whether
lis inclination jumped with hers or moi?
lis daughters choice WAS highly ebjsc-
iorsb,e 70 him. Thstyss incontestsole.
lie Vastly NO means sure thsssAe would
ot "forbid the banns," but he had
layed the master too long and loftily TO
O dictated to by anvbody. were she ,