Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-03

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circle; and thence to the Royal Botanic
Gardens, where q scene was presented
of which old Mernock, the designer Of
them, could not have dreamed.
The season was summer. The soft
warm air was apt to fill one with dreams
and sensations of pleasure, when blue
sunny haze partly obscured the distant
landscape, the haze of heat and moisture
though violets yet fingered in the shsdieI
woods; but the time we refer to now was
night.
June is pre- eminently the month fol
those privileged follies called flower
shows, when the woods begin to wear 6
Uniform tint OF sreenerY. But the fioW-
ers, in oil their beauty. were secondary
to the wonderful effects of the fete at the
Bntanic, which presented coup
d'Hl unthought of, we say, by
the worthy Robert Marnock-s
North Tweeder, we presume-as the mid
night iunketing, amid myrisds OF Chinese
lanterns, Roman candles and colored
fires, in his old nursery grounds; while
the beauty and fashion Of London gather,
ed there in thousands to promenade, to
firt, and listen to the music discoursed
by the bands of the Blues and Life
! Gusrds; and smiles and loneliness, and
much real or ircipient love-making
abouuds on every side; the latter more
! thsn all in the quiet hooks and shady
places offered and afforded by the mode
in which these gardens are laid out.
So skllltully has this been done that the
| spectator, standing on any spot or emf
nence, cannot possibly guess how far the
grounds extends, for the ring OF land has
| become TO the eye an epitome OF q
bouudless and varied expanse Of open
scenery.
II in the clear sunshine Of day this is
the optical result, how much more must
it seem so by night, when, added to 81
the skillful effects of artificial lights and
colored fires, the beautiful conservatory
becomes temple of frosted silver, and
the long rhodod=ndron marques turn to
flow ering valleys that seem the abode OF
| fairies.
At the sudden explosion Of maroon or
signal light at 10 p. m. the grounds be-
came flooded with coloured fires that
brought out the foliage and peculisrities
Of plants and trees, from the lowly weep
ing willow to the tall and stately elm,
while the bands Of the Household Troops,
by the National Anthem, proclaimed that
Royalty had come. But it was neither to
see the latter nor watch scenic effects that
Montague Lonsdale sought that brilliant
fete. He came to seek but one sweet face
that had haunted him for months and
months in places far away beyond the sea;
and among alI the thousands Of lovely
girls around him he saw nothing of it yet.
The utter solitude of being alone in q
vast and changing crowd composed Of
groups and parties of mutual friends, be-
gan to Cypress him after time, and he
WAS on the point of turning irresolutelY
away, when q familiar voice said,
"You here, Captain Lonsdale? Mon
tsgue-Whst delightful surprised"
Then he suddenly found himself con-
fronted by the bright, smiling
face, and the lsnguishing hszei
eyes OF the coquettish Mrs.
Masgrave, nee Hilda Tremayne, who was
promensding with Mrs. ChilliDgton and
gentleman. The latter bowed, and
moved on little wsy, when she at once
Joined Lonsdale.
"This is Fortunate" she resumed,
beaming upon him; al am so longing
for special India news. Did you see psps
before you left for Europe? Are you
direct from Calcutta?"
"No-Burmah."
"Oi course You must tell me all
about the w8r-it seems an age since we
parted at Suez!" continued the ELUSIVE
Hllda, as she took Lonsaale's arm, snd
looked up into his eyes with the old
smile, which he knew so well, and many
others, too; but 1t was light and
winning one, nevertheless. "And now
tell me, you have seen Mechanically
Braybrooke, Of course2"
sis she here?" he asked evasively.
"Oh yes-every one is. She is here
with her new (perhaps 1 should say old
admirer. Your old fsme-you laugh at
the idea now, no doubts one of the
sensations of the season; but she will not
long ornament the rooms of the polite
aunt, If rumors prove true"
To all this prsttle Lonsdsle made no
reply. He knew Hilda of old, and how
capable she was of exercising all her
powers OF mischief and fascination, mar
ried though she was. Thinking OF this,
he enquired for Mr.. Musgrave, fearing he
was forgotten, "in the way of the half
conscienced world in which they lived"
"Oh, he is well, thanks, and at Bright
on, fortunately" she added in q low
voice, with one Of her old elllades shot
from her white-lidded eyes; "but the
other Horace's little Amy is here, l be-
lieve; and-do you know-she is most
amazingly in love with her own husband;
though it is said that people nowadays
never do marry the right people. What
funny old air is that which the Cold
stream band is playing2" she asked, after
d brief pause.
"iLove not"
t.Ah, very sensible title, too"
"How?"
"Because 'the thing you love may
change Does not the song ssy so?" re-
piled Hilde, with one of her silly but
certainly silvery laughs; while Lonsdale
gave species of start, as he saw, among
many others, the familiar face he had
been in search of pass close by where he
and his companion stood, half hidden
under the long branches of q dropping
willow, near the articfcial lake in which
the colored lights were brilliantly
reflected.
1t was the face of Melanie-that soft,
yet striking face; so full OF sweetness
and power, tenderness and strength,
strangely blended-the face he had last
seen blistered with tears at their parting
plsce-last, but once, when yesterday she
was with the same man who was in
attendance on her now.
AS she passed slowly with D'Oyley he
heard her voice. 1t WAS only uttering
some commonplace; but how it thrilled
through him as it fell on his sensitive
aor EETbara GRO uuoman - SAYS q vUritpr