Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-10-14

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much occupied in watching the figure that
went back and forth between them and
the end Of the apartment, to keep up s
pretencs Of conversation. Mrs. Lupson,
pals and distracted, with dark rings IN
der her eyes, lay back In an easy chair
with folded hands and helf-closed eyelids
She wac, in truth, fearfuily snXious and
keenly alive to the importance OF the I'm
periied life TO the stability Of her schemes
"n had but insisted upon havirg a
written protest sgainss the marriage, be :
fore he left me that night" WAS the bur.
d>n Of her present medi.ations; at would
nave the farce OF Q death-bed iBjunc.
ton"
She wac not prone to blunder, but she
had made several greivous mistakes In
the conduct Of this intrigue. Sle SAW
them clearly, snd belabored herself more
severely for them than any other critic
could have hsd the heart to do, had he
seen her, now, - lsnguid, colorless, 8
prey to such sympathy 10 her friends dis
5ress, as weeis upon the spirit with the
! weight ct personal grief.
To begin very far back-she was short
sighted not TO keep the originsl of the
pied epistle, instead of yielding TO the
w msnish desire Of stsobing to the hesrt
Ger who had made the match between
Msrion BsSaId and Rex Lupton, and who
WAC SO insolentlg-secnre in the con-
sciousness of hef husbands fidelity and
her friends devotion. Had sha plotter
forecast the unlikely complication OF the
second betrotbsl and the circumstances
tbs. made 1t disastrous, while the first
was only dissaeteiul, to herself, she would
never have parted with her best weapon
Of defense. Il YVES stupid blum
der, Furthermore, since the duller-
V7itsed Wits had evidently, with
her high lowry med Gval notions
OF generosity and honor, destroyed
unread, tho eesled envelope deposited in
Mar on's ORA yer. Months Ct keenes.
scrutiny, and tests OF fines. Ingenuity had
brought the diplomatic, with bitter reluc-
tEpce, to sccspt this inference. Wi'hout
the Sigh est desirP, in her cool, critical
soul, to divert his carssses to herself, the
| fsscinati widow never saw Richard
Phelps kiss or pet his wife, and marked
| the answering love in the matronly face,
flushing under his tenderness, that she die
no.,xperience sense Of actualipiury snd
repress with difficulty ths inclination to
proClsim the truth, atraigniDg enc as
nypocrite, the other Is dupe. S1e used
at these simes, TO deepise the wife almost
as much IS sfe did tho husband; to sing
Of the latter in her heart SIS:
Dousiasi Douglas tender and untrue,
she sook whimsical pleasure, when
very much wrough: up, In hummipg tbs
line hali srtcalstelg, in Msdelfne's near
ing. The ways and thoughts Ct these
ls GO, slow natures irked heI unconsci-
onsoly. Soe had told no lie more glibly
to Ricaard Phelps than that Of her fond
nesr Of his wife.
Stili--for she WAS many lesgues short
Of desDondancy-the copy had served her
purpose up to dste reasonably we'll, and
she held the restored peuciled note In
Msrion's handwriting - an undoubted
ofiginal-to substentiate her report OF
the interview IN which the father had
pledged his word that his girl should
not marry Reginald Lupton's son. Should
Mrs. Phelps be left q widow, she W. uld
surely sacrifice her daughters present
(maglnsry) igood for the protection OF
her dead husbands name. Scenes were
inevitable with her-with Salome, and
Witn R91-but let ths n c)me!
ISABEL Was not thinking SO easily and
clearly as wss common with her-she
discovered Just here. Two sleepless
used up more cellular tissue than ene
ready self. To night she would 60 to |
bad ike Q selfish, sensible heather, and |
recuperste her forces By crest, iuli |
draughts Of bona iie slumber, such a.
c.me obediently 81 her call. Rx was
not expect. c home until to-murroG-
Ihenk heeve1!
- The s1srp rsttle and scrspe CT wheels !
on the drive msds the tHo az the window |
leau forward 10 peer out between the cur
iaius, and Auua said inyolu1tsrily:
"It IS Nh. Luptou, SsloDe!"
TIE girl Wss hell way up the room in
her restless promenade IS the words !
rescued her. With low, thrillirg CRY,
she sprsDa forward end met her lover il
the door Of the drawing room Forcelu
Cf lookers-o1-of maldenly reservt-oi
everything sxceps th.t here wss streug
on which her fsintiDg heart could isy
h0lt-.Cve, Comfort, Calm! she c5st her
self upon Ms breast.
"R Y! On, my dsrllJG! Thank Coo
you have come a. lasi!"
He caug Il her iu mis- arms aud bowed
his tail head TO kiss her In mute trans
pert Of fGndsBt compassion.
Win srk thsG Srencbed eff the fast
ening Hollis tore open the TWO -lesved
F.srch windows and dsrted through,
Anna following. Tne boy was livid via
pain and rsge. He threw up his arms &c
Ssrn Ges back, rerressing TO the vine
recessed end Of the colonnsde. AS lotb
TO witness mis- paroxysm Of horror anc
disspp ointment as he WAS to be seep,
ADns ran around the corner Of the house, |
reg aiming the hall trough the back door,
and there met Mrs. Phelps at the foot Of
the Stairs.
rhe lady WAS wsn and hesvV eyed, yet
IS she had been throughout the crucial
period, composed in demesnor.
"I want Salome, my dear; where ig
she7"
Anna rested her futserirg breas.
against the balustTade and .r ed % breathe
reg ularlY.
"Soe is in there, Mrs. Phelps" with
backward wave OF the nand. "Will not
tc?"
en-, thsnk you. The doctors are still
1pstai!s and 1 cannot be spar; long. II
must SPEAK 10 hsr for sn instant
Fne brief dialogue went on in the suo-
1ued KEY lssEn, IN the sick chamber and
Mrs Pae!ps passed fJrWsrd to tae door
4 The drswing-Ioom, where she wss
'rsnsfxed By the sight OF the group
vi hin.
Slime, stlll IN the firm embrace Of
KS LEI. srrn, nsd hidden her eyes on
II. shoulder, trembling HE . wind
ossed Leaf H., drs@n up to his full /.
leight, the msrb.e maok OF its face wear
ng ita coolest sRd haughtiHst expression,
oLfIon'ed his stepmother. S1e too Yves
n her Get, but The languid lines { shape
nd vissge were The same IS when she