Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-15


ling wife; friendship will grow day By
day till it Ttpens into love, Melanie, i:
not OF profound depth with you, at least
such Wiicly affection IS you can bestow,
aud with that may well content me. !
do not look for tbat wild love enthusi-
asts dream Of, Or romsnCers zee to de-
pict," he continued, caressiDg the nous
tacbe which YVES, unfOr,unately,s so white.
"But it may-n&y, must-console you
and record my worship Of you, that
can beiriend those you love so much, and
thus smooth away the epxieties Of your
| life"
She knew what he referred to, and,
| though her breast heeved painfully, she
could only hang her head IN assent; then
| che said:
"You mean to be kird, Sir BrIsco, yet
your words are repugusnt to me-"
"Repugnant-hOW:"
"Tney seem TO bribe me-"
"YOu won't tell me tomorrow that
You nave cnsnged your mind?" ne asked
Ia alarm.
"No-why should I change 1t now
ard for what?" she asked in turn with g
bitter smile. "Do leave me to my own
thoughts" she urged.
"Be merCiiDl, ny sweet one" said Sir
BriscO. who certainly felt that ali this
kind OF woOing was strange; "giye me
your hand in mine ere go"
Frankly enough she gave him q slim and
riDgIe 9 hand; then he suddenly drew her
! towards HIM sud tenderly kIssed-not her
HpE-Aut her cold and taar-Wetted cheek.
Now do leave me, SIR BfieCO!" she
implored, shrinking.
"As my plighted wife, Melsnie-yes. s"
And he retired, fearful that he might
heer some fatal response. But confidence
came 10 him fast now, and when ne came
again he brought their bridal On the tapis,
and said, SIS he drew her head Careesingly
on his breast,
some kiss, MeIanie, dearest-parmit
me-to show that we are something more
than friends now "
OG-nc-no!" said she in low voice,
as she shrunk from his arms with out
spread hands.
The last kiss she had given was accord
ed TO the only man who had ever ssluted
ber-M0ntagUe L0nsdale-Gnd she felt
that II would be species OF sacrilege TO
allow the lips Of another to take away the
charm OF his Isst-his final farewell.
The baronet suspected IS much, bat
only Thought 70 himself
"Stuff! How long will this romantic
iolIV last?"
Waile Melauie thought, slso, she YVES
10 be married now, and this sad supersti-
tiOH f the heart could not go on for life.
The hsrcnet began to urge shout the
marriage now, bat Meianie cOl3lY, with
out hlush, but growing if possible psler
than ever, would not hear Cf It's taking
place sooner than April.
f'It seems an age till Aprily' said he.
"But Sir BrisCO-"
'DO drop that formal Sir dearest
Mels1ie."
She remained silent.
"LOng before inst time l hsd hoped To
see you eDshrined a. R8vensbourne Hail."
said he. bOwiDg over her hands in his
stiff, old-fGshioned way; and yet, withal,
it vas not without its tenderness and
grace.
CHAPTER LVuI.-HUNTED.
Melsnie still m0Brned for Lons6sle
as for one who vas no longer in this
world.
A few months ago-opiy 6 few months
sgn, WAS the ever recurring thought, aud
he was living; but now he was with The
desd Of ages, passed away into bis orig
inal nothing as if he had never been; aDd
she was on the point of marriage with
smother. Well, to her that seemed only
smother mode Of death, too; and times
there were when she actually thought TO
escape it by running away the moment
the ceremony YVES over, despite the
scsndal that would be certain to ensue.
Often had she narrowed her heart by
visiting the old trystiug place, watching
the silent flow Of the msjaStic river, as
the sunset cast the shadows CT the old
elms into it-shRdows repeated downward
so clearlY that the eye could scarcely de-
tect where earth and water met in that
CLASSY mirror. The sky was blue as of
old, the clouds IS f9ecy and white; but
the wind seemed to sign sadly through
the leafess but budding branches Of the
trees overhead.
Then sill the spell of the past would
come upon her powerfully, and tears suf-
fuse her eyes-bitter tears indeed-when
feeling that she must lay by the old time,
with ell its memories and empty hopes,
its tenderness and love, and think only
with a firm, or rather callous and indiEer-
ent heart, OF the life inst WAS before her.
"Do those who have left Us know what
passes on this esrth?n she asked herself.
Surely not; for If so they could never
attain to happiness and peace; but if it
be otherwise, she thought, then Lonsdale
must know that the sacrifice she was
making was for others, and not herself.
She bad TO endure, almost dsily, the
visits of Sir Brisco, during which she
seldom could sit still, but paced up and
down the room like S hunted creature,
with throbbing heart and brow; she was
thspkful when, after time, he had to go
to London for 8 space TO make some
necessary arrangements about their mar
riage, and for that space she was left to
herself.
No mstter how oppressive his pres
ence proved to be, she felt that she had
no right to drive the poor man away from
the neighbourho9d by GOODNESS that all
would deem most misplaced now.
She would get used to him in time, she
supposed, and to her state OF existence
be able, at least, to sleep without dreams
that hsrr8ssed and haunted her. Besides,
to do him justice, Sir Brisco BraYbrooke
was ever so gentle, patient, and good to
her.
Through the girls brain such thoughts
were ever coursing, even when she
seemed to sit, passive and placid, in low
armchair by the fire, watched only By
the sad gaze OF her lame brother, sitter
the curtains were drawn fer the night, the
lamp lighted, and she stared into the
red emoers with wide, aching eyes.
Then. SIS II fever came upon her, she
would start up, when reused, perhaps,
by the stroke Of s clock, throw open the
l.