Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-20


SIN ore short sentence I can embo6y
all have 20 say" he urged. stroking his
snow white nIoustsche; al love you, Me
lGpie"
"Aud czl make Won no return"
"Hsve you iried?;' ne asked, bending
over her as closely as he dared yet.
"N1.n
"But why?"
She was misunderstanding the fatal
promise of yesterday should content him.
81 do not ask-I csnnot expect, for a
time Ct least. g girl as yourg and beauti-
full as you TO return my passion, but YOU
have promised TO be my Wife-my dsr-
ling wife; friendship will grow dsy by
daY till IL rtpers into love, Melanie, If
not OF profound depth with you, at least
such wifcly affection as you can bestow,
sud with that may well content me. /
do not look for that wild love enthusi-
ssts dram OF, or romsnceFs set TO de-
pict," be uec, cGressing the nous
tscbe which Was, unfortuuately,so white.
"But it msy-nsy, must-Console you
and record my worship Of you, that
can bsfriend those you love so much, and
thus smooth away the anxieties of your
life"
She knew what he referred TO, snd,
though her breast heayed painfully, she
could only h2rg her head III assent; then
! she said:
'You mesn TO be kicd, Sir Brisco, yet
! yOur words are repugua1t 70 me.n
Representative"
"They seam 10 bride me-"
"You won't telI me tomorrow that
YOU have changed your mind?" be asked
in alarm.
"No-why should I change 1t ROW
sad for whEi?" she asked IN turn with q
bitter smile ADO leave me- to my own
thoughts" she urged.
"Be mercitnl, my sweet ore" said Sir
Brisco. who certainly fels thst all this
kind of wOoing was strange; "givs me
your hand in mine ere go"
Frankly enough she gave him q slim and
Tingle s hand; then he suddenly Ore ~ her
towards HIM and tendeTly klssed-nct her
IipS-hut her cold and tear-wetted cheek.
"Now do leave me, Sir Brieco!" she
impIored, shrinking
GAS my pIighted wife, Melanie-yes."
And he retired. fea7ful shat he might
hear some fatal response. But confidence
came 10 him fsst now, and when he came
agsin ne brought their BRIDAL On the tepis,
and said, as be drew her head Csressirgly
on bis breast,
"One kiss, Melsnie, dearest-permit
me-to show that We are something more
thsD friends nov"
0A-pG-no!" said ahe in low voice,
as she shrunk from lis arms with out
spread hands.
The lsst kiss she had given vas sccord-
ed to the only msn who had ever ssluted
her-M0ntsgue L2usdalR-aui She fels
hat T. would be g species Of sacrilege TO
allow the lips of another TO take away the
charm OF his lsst-his final farewell.
The bsrOnet suspected as much, but
ONLY though 20 himself
"StuT! How long viii this romantic
folly Isst?"
While Melsnia thought, slso, she wss
TO be married now, and this sad supeTsti-
tion Cf the heart could not so en- for life.
The bsronet began to urge about the
marriage now, but Melanie colby, with
out blush, but growing II possible psler
than ever, would not hear IF its taking
place sooner thsn April.
fIt seems an agc till April" said he.
"But SIR Brisco-"
"Do drop that formal Sir dearest
Melanie."
She remained silent.
"LoDg before that time had hoped TO
see you enshrined st Ravenshourne Hsll,"
said he. bOwing over her hands in his
stiff, old-faShioned way; Snd yet, withsl,
it ~es not without its tenderness and
grace
CHAPTER LyII,-HUNTED.
Melanie still m0prned for Lousdsle
as for one who was no longer in this
world.
& few months ago-only few months
ego, was the ever recurring thought, sud
he WAS living; but now he was with she
dead of ages, passed aw.y into his orig
insl nothing SIS if he hsd never been; and
che WAS on the point OF marriage with
smother. Well, TO her that seemed only
another mode Of death, too; and times
there were when she actually thought to
escape It by running sway the moment
the ceremony was over, despite the
scandal thst would be certain to ersue.
Often had she narrowed her heart by
visiting the old trystipg plsce, watching
the silent flow OF the majestic river, as
the sunset csst the shadows Of the old
elms into it-shedows repeated downward |
90 Clearly that the eye could scarcely de- |
tect where earth and water met IL that |
CLASSY mirror. The sky was blue as OF
old, the clouds as heecy and white; but |
the wind seemed 30 sigh sadly through |
the lesfess hue budding branches OF the |
trees overhead.
Then all the spell Of the past would |
come upon her powerfully, aud tears sui
fuse her eFes-bitter tears indeed-when |
feeling tbat she must lay by the old time, |
with ell its memories and empty hopes, |
It's tenderness and love, and think only |
with q firm, or rather cSllous and indiffer-
ent heart, OF the life that was before her.
"Do those VINO have left us know Whist |
pa sses on this earth?" she asked herself |
Surely not; for il so they could never |
attain TO happiness snd peace; but il it |
DE otherwise, she thought, then Lonsdsle |
must know that the sacrifice she was !
making was for others, aud not herself.
She had to endure, slmost daily, the |
visits of Sir Briscos during which she !
seldom could sit still, but psced up and |
down the room like hunted creature, |
with throbhing heart and brow; she Yves !
when, after time, be had to go |
to London for space TO make some !
necessary arrangements a0odh their msr- |
risge, and for that space she was left to |
herself.
No MISTER how oppressive his pres |
epce proved to be, she felt that she had |
no right to drive the poor msn away from
the neighbonrhood by GOODNESS that all |
would deem most misplaced now.
She would get used TO him in time, she |
and to her state of existence
he able, st lesst, 10 sleep without dreams |
that hsrrsEsad and hauated her Resides