Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-03
tragic happens now a days, eh, Captain

ian, scent D0GIleS, ner knlLtlngJ ana PEI
cur in q mother-of-p basket, and ther
withdrew to plunge into her raciest lola
Indeed, no one who looked on Mrs
Chillington and saw the suave expression
on her lineless old face, her features
delicate and regular, her sweet company
smile and careful costume, with the
graceful cap of richest lace upon the
coils Of her snoW-white hair, could have
deemed what q hArd-heerted woman Of
the world she was.
"And Lady Brsybrooke is well,
hopper" said Lonsdele, as If IN casua
way.
"Oh yes, thanks, wonderfully so, under
the circumstances. An, hers was tragic
story, if you choose; poor dear Sir Bris
CO! You have heard all about his sudder
death, of course sad fate-a dreadful
shock to US all, dear Captain Lonsda!e
Bu1 hope-nay, 1 am certain" she
added, with wsggish little smile, "that
my niece has got over 1t all now. And
the ruby mines, Captain Lonsdale," she
resumed, after little pause, 81 long sc
much to hear about them. Don't you
wish that you had gone with the troops
to the ruby mines?"
"They were scarcely thought Of wher
we we're before AYa," replied Lonsdsle,
coldly, for her manner irritated him.
"Ah, indeed! Then@you have been in
town for some timer"
ga little over fortnight since landed
ct Portsmouth"
"At your club7"
eyes"
"Good," thought Mrs. ChilIiugton.
GAS the club his cards show is only few
doors off, a fortnight without masking
any move to see Melanie infers that q
change has come over the spirit CT his
dream"
And t2is thought gave her such intense
satisfaction that her smile became rsdi-
ant indeed.
81 thought Lady Braybrooke looked
pale" said he, after an awkward pause.
"You have seen herr"
"Only driving along the street few
minutes ago."
"Ah," said Mrs. Chillington, greatly re-
lieved, "London in summer is scarcely
the place for rose-c oloured compilations,
fear. 1t is becoming dreadfully over
grown place, and though delightful, who
is it that says, if we take out of London
everyone and everything that is not Eng
lish little will be left behind?"
"You will, 1 trust, give Lady Bray
brooke my kindest regards-my best
Wishes" said LoLsdale, oblivious Of her
remark, and with break in his voice.
Mrs. Chillington was not slow to remark
the latter. She made an impatient ges-
ture, with small and still very beautiful
hand, and thought it would be as well to
crush out any nonsense" that might yet
be lingering in the memory Of this tire
some lover.
"Your best wishes, as an old friend,
dear Captain LonsdaIe-you have heard
then. l shall of course" said she, and
added in confidential manner, and with
her sweetest smile, "Her peculiar posi-
ton, her strange story, and her great at
fractions have made her an object of deep
interest to many in her new circle; but
perhaps to none more than her present
escort, Lord D'Oyley, who is OF very
romantic nature"
"Romsntici" thought Lonsdale, almost
laughing in the old woman's face, while
thinking her remark to him was in exc
cradle taste-knowing all she did and all
she SO cruelty ignored-the present and
the past relations of himself and Melanie.
Certainly, he had never spoken with her
on that subject; thus, perhaps with all her
aplomb and perfect self possession, she
felt that she was at liberty to talk of Lord
D'Oyley with an ease that was cuttingly
cruel and suavely malicious.
Irritated almost beyond good breeding
by the style she adopted, and the tenor of
such hints as she would have made to no
other man, he felt that he had right to
say something in the way of protestation;
and she knew and felt it, too, while inclin-
ed to ignore any right or interest he had
in Melanie or her movements. Thus he
began, with smile and manner as suaYe
as her own:
"But are you aware, Mrs. Chillington,
that Lord D'Oyley is man whose ante
cedents-"
"Oh, know all you would urge, as
friend, Captain Lonsdsle," said she, with
smiling precipitation; "but, believe me,
his lordship is better than many other
men, and certainly, believe, not worse.
Every woman Of the world knows what
your sex is generally"
Lonsdale's face wore an expression of
dissent and disgust mingled; but he held
his peace. Could it be possible that
from underhanded Influences such as
these, Melanie, so pure, so good and
simple, could tolerate man with repu-
tation so unsAvory as that of D'Oyley,
whose name wss q by-word from the
Curragh to Chowringher. OF course she
could know nothing about it, or If she
did, there must have come to pass mys-
teriously some lsmentable deterioration
on her part and in her views of mep.
Fearing 20 hear more, and loathing
what he had heard, Lonsdale, after a
mauvais quart d'heure, rose to retire,
and his hostess rose too, hint that their
interview WAS over, as she rang the bell.
Tomorrow is the day of the great b.
tanic Fete," said she, bowling and smil-
ing; "you will be there, of course, Cap
tain Lonsdale-ali the world will be; oh
good morning."
"Good morning"
HHeaven aid me to keep these two fools
apart for everl" was the old lady's
PRAYER. She said nothing Of Lensdale's
cali to Melanie when the latter returned
from the Row, and took care to destroy
his cards; thus, as days had already
passed, Melsnie began to feel more than
ever Justly piqued.
Lonsdale gladly quilted the oppressive
atmosphere of Mrs. Chillington's resi-
dence, and found himself once more alone
in the sunshine of Plccadilly; but he
knew that Melsnie was alone with "that
man." and in the face of society, and
looking the while so proVokingiy bright,
smiling and happy. Was this the result
of her "new CIRCLE" as her aunt called it
the new life she was leading.
1t might be so.
'If this abominsble old woman is to be