Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-20
the Right of Translation is Reserved.I
CHAPTER Lyu DESPERATION.

81 CHAPTER LVII DESPERATION.
O!,n we have detailed in these two
q ,rsceding chapters MelaDie knew moth
81 inc. and TOO probably would never know.
81 Meanwhile, at r )se Cottage, each day
8 ,ssaed like thai which had gone before
s dull, empty, prohlless; nothing Pleas
.nt seemed ever to happen, nothing st
3 sl: but, now, eg gloomy change, deep
sorrow mad fallen on one, at least.
one thoug.t was ever before her. Mon
t.gue L0nsdAle was gone, IN the bloom
a his strength and msnhood, as she had
see9 briefly end COldlY recorded, without
ceumeDt, in the public prints: and she
bsd Iorg life before her, pernsps-s life
in which be could Gear no part, save as 1
memory.
the d2u5s tbst cones to all when the
loved ere gone, thGt We have in any way
failed them, was sarOng in the heart CT
Nelsnie now; while before b f9ated
the recurriDg memory OF tender words
and csre5ses, Of mADy swee. and grace
ful actions on the part Of her two
brothers N her miSery-scti0ns that knit
me three together IN affection at this
seyrowfUl crisis.
Melsnie knew that Lonsdsle was the
I,st Of his TEce-the last Of the old
Lonsda!es OF Cumberland. She knew
$50 thst ne hat neither father ror
1rotaer, nor other kindred 10 eorroW for
1{m, hence he's own sorreR was a!l the
deeper.
With sll this % her mind she bsd the
asrd pressure u her uucle and stunt to
undergo IL their views regarding her,
Tor, as ihe former phrssed it, "nOw
CT never Wss the time TO put On tic
screw"
Since the day Of Auy's marriage Reg
gle hsd become more helpless ;han ever,
anG his removal somewhere from his
uncle's roof seemed 10 h.ve become in
evt6ble now, unless MelGnie Was ready
10 sacrifice herself
"If life has no better promise than
this, death were preferable! 90 said she.
"Rubbish! B0sh!" muttered. Uncle
Grimshaw.
"It's hard enough" thought the girl,
".O eat the bread Of dependence, without
having il flung in your face, as we three
nave"
and so, and so, terrible conviction
lsgsn 70 press upon aer now, through sIl
her sorrow and uu1yaiiiug Anxiety, that
Aer fsSa .7oula eventually be q marriage
with Sir BrISC0, for the sake Of the two
whose fatuTo seemed to depsn1 upon il;
and in the hush II b ini desperation, 10
save Reggie from humiliation &nd to
prosper DICK, she began to school her.
self u face tie future N any fashion her
U0c.e GrjmshaW and Amt Chilling1on
wished; while N their eyes, voice ead
hearts, there YES neltaer compunc ZION
GoT pity. s. sitter weeks and months
Of dependency on one side, OF taunts and
sneers and bitter gloom on the other,
del.nia, ike hunted creature, at last
consented
she would hesr the LAST appeal Of Sir
Brlsco.
Uncle Grimshew chuckled hideously
and rubbed his hands ever each other in
glee IS he thought OF the settlements,
Whtch he knew would be noble; and also
SIS nc thought ot the feshDots of Ravens
bourne nall. No more rechaufes Of cold
mutton, with rice pudding and cheap Ma
6eira-uGh! And then to think Of Sir
Brisco's rare Old port-rere as to its bou-
luet and after TASTE, ia glasses Of six to
the hottie.
Me!snie only saw the net from which
!aere was no escape closing its meshes
around her.
AZ must go through with i. Ell-sll to
the bitter end" she Shought; "fhere is no
enc csc u cSre for ne now" she added
sloud, uCConscjously.
"A right view," said Uncle Grimsbaw,
sppyovinSly. "WsIl," he added, looking
q mis- watch, Gin Ga hour Sir Brisco will
&c here for your q al decisioa."
Terrified, perplsxed, overwhelmed by
grief and chagrr-grief for Lonsdsle, |
ch6gTiR for tn pitiful games he Wss COM
PEELED 10 play, an emotion OF desper-
alton, We Csil II, stole over her SIS she |
realized the tsc: that he was coming for 6 |
reply In sixty minutes, aud ths:, by the |
enc Of these sixty minutes the future of |
her young life would re decided. Yes or
no!
When Sir BrisCo came, her sspect, as |
che gave him her hand for 9 moment, |
call ed and NORTH "a him, as ne vas gem
erously anxious 20 protect and Defriend |
her.
He noted her plain dark dress with lis |
Jet ornaments, and kaew why it was I
worn; ne noted slso her psllor and lsssi- |
tude, hut never doubted that in time all |
s6at would pass swsy like & summer |
cloud, could he butW her. AlTesdy be |
had said again snd Bgain all that he had |
10 ssy or the su jsct; but now, momep- |
;aTily chagrlned, ne paused.
"Then you VIII not hsve me, MelSnie?"
le asked, doubtfully.
Silent for minute she remsine5, end |
hen, while trembling from head to foot, |
sac EeDIIed IN dry husky voice. wRis-
per, almost;
"Yes-I will marry you"
You will?"
She Bowed her hesd in assent.
Just IS vas beginning 10 lose all |
lope-Oh, Mcdaniel" he exclaimed, with !
10y.
"But say nothing more-more could |
not stand Just now," she added, SIS she
tottered to seat
she had promised, she thought, but the |
worst part wss yet 20 cOme-the future,
sud like one unconscious Of what she did, |
she sat clssping ard unclespiBg little |
let brscelet on her slender wrist.
Satisfied with his progress, sitter lin2er-
ing s little and lowering IN fstucus kind |
of vsy about her, he kissed her hspds |
with old fashioned courtesy and bowed |
himself out, feeling SIS If ne trod on sir IN
his triumph, snd yet he was fsr from be-
ing vain man.
That evening suite OF diamonds
neckIet. earrings snd brscelets-csme TO |
Melsrie, nesting brightly in their blue
velvet csse. "They sre trlhe, when |
compared with the RiveDshourne sdia-
as YOU, my darling, Will see, but
they sre family relics, sud have, fof more |
thsn 200 wears, been handed down from |
father 10 sou, ); said the note that accom-
panied the gift.
nit n