Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-10-05


my bonnet c f sffer my rlte with Mre
Tom Johnston, who wss ali fer NE nc
ssking her one liviA' question about il
IN zee, with goodwill m peace On cart
a-bubblin' ever TIL sides o. my soul,
you might say, ~ COMM, quiet Ike
bein' s ligh:-stepper sl'sys. f. one G. N
wsight,-ou to tn porch O. your house
what sh'd see but him on his bent knee
to her ~ the psrlor, through the wilder
-f' ell tue world like chronic out OF
tes store. An while l stood there, fairl
trkiH' root inter the floor, beiu' tbs
Mortified lIke-I beheld with these yer,
eyes, her a-put her two arms 'roun' hi
neck, m kiss him, - they two ali alon
m the psrler, close by the planaer-'
help me, God!"
az do rol believe oIe word OF i.'
came low aud roughly from the lips @
the man opposite her.
His face WAS gray as ashes. The blut
eyes, ususIy go warm and lucent, Tart
as opaque as lead Had the vlraso eve
heard the saying, Beware the wrath Ct
patient mani" she must have recalled
it, and quailed.
"Not one syllable CT the foul storyn
he repeated, the dogged, desperate set q
|
outrageous rudeness Of the words. "As
! you are woman, can only thrust the
lie back upon you, and warn you thst il
ever hesr CT your repeating ii, l will
prosecute you for SANDER TO the fulles!
ever to take my wife's name upon your
lips agnia in any connection whatever,
and decline to continue the conversation
now, Or a. any time" =
Sac arrested his motion to rise BY clap
ping him on the knee and bending to-
ward lin. the ugly snesr yet On her
mouth.
"You needn't make time here, m Sc.
everybody to stsrin' n talkin' in pub
lie cari l say! there's g. easy wsy to
settle the question. Ask madsm When
you get home if hsve tole the truth, or
d lie. STINT sccustom' to bsin' give the
lie direc' m p'int.blank. Put your r1sch.
erlet wife o1tsr the witness-stsn', sn' call
me in . hear her evidence. l aia'i
skeered IS T. Whist she'll esy. Ask her,
agin, bout the walks m tSlks on to-
piszzl M the moonlight siEc9 you've
been away, n, goin' bsck farther yet,
who rid up street with her the day you m
her bosom frien', what never GENE home
alive, went of together . Abby. You
might a. traded eff, ell round, il you'd a.
knowd how tn lsr' lay behind you" ~
He shook of the losthIy touch, wnigled d.
his Chair about, fss down wish his hEcE
20 her and vGuchssfed rot another glapcE
or word for the rest Of the journey. ~
OysEmastering e2gef egalnst the crSk=
lure, Ccarse-gtAineQ and Dad tsnpsre3s
who had dared trsduce his wife, rulSa b 8
thoughts for the first silent hsas8sSz.s
He d!scredi:ed the tale wholly. .Fps gfhsSS
ton summoled to face the Iurid eyed,
vulgsr-tongued termsgapt the mute Wis
sge Of tie pure, noble mother OF lis
children, rehoed in every instinct and
motion, chsste CT impulse, elevated OF
thought: the. woman who had not hid
sentiment or action from him IN over q
score OF years, sdd in all thst time had
never come short OF his expectations!
He ground his teeth in impotence of re-
greet that his sCcuser vas not another
man that he nigh: choke him With the
vile falsehood.
Once he had nearly Dut cut his arms
bsf5re he WAS conscious Of the sction-so
real did his wiie's presence seem to him,
and his lips stirred with her name.
"Madeliue! Madeline! Crest heavens,
do not snoW whst dtviltsh Islander
this is? You never had 6 thought OF ioYe
foT any other man than myself. AS for
that shy, hu!king boy"
He did net put the next thought into
words even TO himself, but clenc1ed fist
and JAWS were not indices of abatement
CT fury. Working, rather thGn settling,
down into cG.muess, in tie reXt hour, ne
arrived ct definite conclusion. He
Vould not insult his wife by retailing
the unclesn trash the Thing behind him
had told ain. But nc had never liked |
Rex LuptoD, sGd he knew that Msde- |
line, ST hegrt, held him in affec.iUpate es- !
.eam. On this variation OF tastes they |
had generally preserveda discreet silence. |
She met hie infrequent siuTS upon tee |
young mill owner with tranquility, and !
never praised him in words. As rule, !
IL respected her fanciee, INDUCED her |
lrejuQices whenever ne OWNED them, |
2Rd since i. pleased her to dignity into g |
zero the most common place man he knew, |
L some respects tie most obnoxious, ne |
efrsined from criticising Rex in ber |
fearing, and treSted him with marked
I soUll9ss-cDGrtesy whenever he was
obliged to meet the sen CT his old friend.
Richard Phelps Was se thin skinned as
/ blooded horse where his personal p0pu-
sEity wss-, involved. He chsfed and !
grithe1 in torturs under me thought that
n the community where he believed him
ieif 10 be sveryb 0dy's iavorite and pride,
lie was pitied and m6cked behind his 4
,scS. The picture Of his SELF complacensl
!rogress through the streets. wrapped /
1uglY in the consciousness that an
atmosphere Of sffectionate appreciation
nveloped him, as the breeze from his IA
I've bills-hsd been sketched in few but
road daahes OF the Widows charcoal.
n reviewing his life Of the past three
months his vanity Was rubbed raw by
bis nsw adjustment OF relative positions.
L. saw the covert sneer, heard the hiss
4 scorn, the sly laugh when he had
ssseo, the compassionate patronage OF
he "poor fellow in whom there was no
asn," that CALLED most cruelty Of all.
What had this whelp done 10 coDpro-
lice the Phelps name, and draw public
ttention TO his-R!chard Plelps'-fsmily
elstions. There should be an end,at once
nd forever for his sentimental hanging :
bout the premises; the unconventional
ropping in at irregular hours, the drive,
'xlks and rides with Salome and Paul, {
lat had been permitted to the friend OF
ing standing and sedste department.
he fellow had formed the habit Of COM
lg ACROSS the lawn to spend mis- evenings, {
nd the few spare afternoon hours that
II into his lot, when he was counting !
[srion Bsysrd, and now kept going
trough the motions through sheer want
en.erprise-.he long bscked fool! Had
lis abo minsble rumor, joining his name
18th the woman who was immsasurably Y
in snnerior evar raachad hIa ears2 IF