Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-22

Jun hetiCiA EHf!StIS- Oh nl. IIlnSU6W
and Of Dr. Biundcn, who mad known him
for Yehfs, rendered tass p iinful aud anti
qu.ted Ceremony the work Of az AFTER
noon.
Days passed on now SIS usual, but Ne
l4nie had still curious sense Of unreal
ity-ot having awasened from dream,
or etill being in one from which she
might awake to fad perhaps that what
| seemed the event O. the day hsIp?ued
weeks ago. She was young, AID il was
| impossible for her not to think that
smoug the hidden possibilities OF the
yesrs to ccme something of grace, ot
| tenderness sid tranquility, might await
! her.
CATER su, you are married." Sid
Uncle Grimshaw. "When woman is sc
her destiny is accomplished, if the settle
m6nts are sll right, az in this case they
| fortuastely are. So Whist does the rest
| signny?"
And hs gave one Of his old chuckles as
ne spoke.
! The title and estates went to d remote
branch Of the Braybrookes. Among other
cequests in his will, Sir Brisco left good
round sum TO his nephew, Horace Mus
grave, and his wife, Amy Brendon.
! Melgnie had the Dover Hsuse to reside
| in when she chose, and WAS left in ease
end luxury, which, however, would be
CO.'S derably c0rtailed il she married
again; but now, free from the tyranny,
| he meanne ss, ind the daily degradation
| IF Mr.. GrimshaW'5 household aud her
sunt's imperious interference, the per-
petusl irritation Of her former life had
given place to sense of Independence,
safety and tranquility that but for the
memory Of Lonsdale, would have been
very delightful; and her first thought On
sWaking each morning was that she Was
low her own mistress, and could never
more be tainted that her daily food WAS
the price Of submission and obedience.
After that time of excitement how the
! days seemed TO liEger with Melanie-
days alike slow and swift, for they were
full of aimless and dresry emptiness, and
passed without marx, though every hour
was one Of suppressed thought and gloom.
Neither Uacle Grimshaw nor Mrs. Chill
! lington said word Of what the neWspG-
pers contained On that eventful morning
of the marriage; and Melanie still seclud-
ed herself go much that not even DR..
| Brendou, and one or two others who
knew the story of ner engagement to
Lonsdele, felt themselves at liberty yet to
enlighten her On the subject of his safety
ct Rsngoon.
Was she to wear willows odious cap?
was one Of the first important subjects
broached by Mrs. Chillington.
1t was, under all the circumstances,
deemed unnecessary, eventually; and she
appeared in the deepest mourning Regent
street could furnish, without that obnox-
| ious head dress to conceal her be&CtiIul
brown hair; but her attire, like her black
edged letter paper, bore the impress Of
| that "unut!erable woe" which is essen
tally badge of English grief, and is e.
sentially absurd aud grotesQu3. The r0u-
| tine Of life began 20 go on, but not a.
before; for Melsuie was too young and
too full of life, for her youth, crushed
though it had been By many adverse ele-
ment~, not TO revive within her.
To the mono!ony into which she Wss
sinking, g startling fillip WAS given one
day when her brother Dick, with Bingo
barking at HIS heels, came rushing into
the room, brandishing newspaper, and
! Shouting:
"Oh, Mtlanie- Melanie! Thank God!
Thank GOO! Hurreh-buTrah! Ions
dale is not dead at Ill. Why, he landed
st Portsmouth yesterday, with ever so
msny sick soldiers from Burmsa, for
! Natley. Resd Tor yourself"
Il WAS some minutes before she could
| do so, and longer time elapsed before
SIZE could realise it all and know every
| thing that had been 50 srtfully concealed
from her on her marriage morning ~
Uncle Grimshsw; and that knowledge did
not raise him higher in her estimation.
The whole episode showed the deep
| - iaA hn
capable.
"Alive and well-alive and WELL" she
whispered to herself. II seemed incredt-
BILE, after the detsils-mesgre though
they were-which she had read, so long
ago, it seemed now, after all her sorrow
and tears. "Well-and in England, too!
Oh, what must he think of me when
be hears I'll from other lips, at first? The
truth, the entire bitter truth, he may
never, never knoW!n
She laid her head upon the mantel-
board, as if too much thought oppressed
her, and rested her cheek upon the daIk
velvet fringe, with which its pallor con-
trasted; and thus she remained tor q long
time, gazing into the fire as though she
could find clue to the future amid the
ever changing and red glowing embers,
| ZIG IiSAt "a Wu1SA PiSJGA oPOh ACl Eau
sweet face.
Days passed on, and save wnat the
newspaper reported, she heard no more
of Lonsdale. But she knew that he was
now in England, and within reach OF ell
that skill, care and science could do for
him.
To rouse Melsnie, and for the further
ance of some more ambitious schemes Of
her own, Mrs. Chillington, who had be-
come efdsivelY and elsborately affection
ate, left her stately residence in the
environs and took handsome rooms in
Piccadilly, opposite the Green Park.
whittier she prevailed upon M LAME TO
accompany her; and after S time con-
trived to absorb her In whirl OF flower
shows, luncheon and dinner parties,
theatre going, dresses and flying visits to
al whom she cared to know; and under
this system, which was knew to her,
Melanie's spirits certsinly rose.
"I thought you would like this, dear"
said the gay little widow. "There is
ne quietude so soothing that 1t does not
become utter boredom at last"
"God alone knows what Day may
bring forth-for good or for evil" was
the silent response OF Melanie in her
heart, in which, with p:que and bitter
Disappointment, misty kind Of hope and
fear grew side by side.
"Why does Montague make no sign or
seek to End me OUT, after sll that has
happened to Us both, to me, perhaps, es-
pecially, of late? l cannot take the mi
tistive and write to him. Time msy have
some solution for this" she pondered.