Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-23

see you. i was only 100 Wiling 10 80
cept the invitation in my hand, necdi..
none of dear Geofrey's urging, and SAID
so very frankly. / knew nothing of ms
brothers betrothed wife, Gertrude Fan,
ming, excepting that she was Il widow o,
"a or 20, and owned splendid estat,
upon the Hudson, called Fernslade
Geoffrey had been friend of Mr. la &C.
mersley, Mrs. Fanning'S uncle, and ba.i
met and loved Gertrude The wedding
was to be in June, and my invitation wEs
for the month of May. was free to -
and come as / pleased, Geoffrey and J
boarding in New York, with sufficient
worldly wealth to live without work. al.
though my brother practlced his proie~-
sion-the law-rather than lead an cr.
tirely idle life.
lie escorted me to Fernglade, and, in
PRODUCING me, left me to the care of Ger
trude Tanning and her companion, an
elderly widow named Clarke.
How can l describe Gertrude Tanning
She was tall, nobly formed, carrying her
self with dignity, and yet she gave you
only the impression of great sweetness
of disposition. Her blond hair, heavy ana
silky, she wore in simple coils, tho eh
over her forehead it waved in natural
curls. Her great beauty was in an cA-
quisitely moulded mouth, with rows OF
pearly white teeth, making her smir' q
loveliness indescribable. But with hel
blond hair, her rale, clear compl"xion
and delicate features, she had black eya'-
shaded by dark Ernws and lLshes. max
ing her face singular as well as bragli
full.
Her dress was of rich black silk, with
out trimming or ornament, relieved a. y
by ruliles of finest white lace.
She greeted me cordially, and ina ia
days we were fast friends, aTbuu2a |
was many years older than herself b.:
while we talked of everything eso. -h.,
was srgularly reticent about her OWL
life, giving me none of the confidence i
half expected. once, only, she men
toned her husband when had asked tG
see his picture.
II have no picture Of him." she said.
and her lips were white and shaking ~ 70
she spoke. 81 keep nothing to ,emit.d
me of him, because hopr t. forget ,,in.
Jessie Jessie? | hope to forget him. nr-
cause when I think Of him | forge my
Christianity, my womanhood, and can
only curse his memory"
She tremble like leaf, and her voice.
rose In Il passionate cry:
81 was Harold Fauning5 wife six
months, and il | had been Il criminal
for forty years that six mon hs was ,u,-
ture enough to punish me for al fcG
away from him, and HferwarG. I.
died"
1 took her cold, trembling hand II
mine, and begged her to say no morc,
but she said:
"My uncle warned me, but was
young, ocly II, and Harold persuaded ne
TO elope with him. When my uncle re-
fused TO forgive us, Harold showed E:r
his true nature, and made me suffer f.I
his disappointment that / had lost my
probable inheritance of Fernglad".
When | left him and came back, uncle
forgave me, but he died, leaving a condi-
tion in his will by which | would forfei.
my inhelr nee if ever again l lived
with Harold Tanning, or he came here.
Only two months after Harold died.
L was sorry she had spoken, for she
was terribly shaken; but Geoffrey came
up from the city soon after and melan.
choiy cannot live where Godfrey is. We
call him an Irishman, because he is So
tall and strong, with tlorid face, curl
ing brown hair blue eyes, milk-white
teeth, and voice and laugh clear and
ringing as boys. Never have l seen
Geoffrey depressed or dull since we were
left orphaned thirty years ago, to low.
and pet each other. He was rather shy
and remorseful when he gave away 50
large share of his big, true heart to
Gertrude; but when he found ! was not
jealous, only truly and entirely happy in
his happiness, all his bright self came
back again.
1t must have been BY the rule of con.
traries that he and Gertrude loved each
other, for her natural disposition was
rnorbidly sensitive and inclined to mclan-
choly, though she would grow cherrrai
with Godfrey as who would not?
May was gone, June half over, aud
the wedding-day only one week away,
when one evening, just "in the gloam-
ing" l walked down to the summer
house by the river side, alone. l knrx
that Gertrude was somewhere in III.
garden, for the heat was oppressive in-
doors. Godfrey was coming, as usual t
the evening, and for the first time Ger
trude wore white-a thin muslin dres-.
with soft pink trimming In her hair | !
had twisted some half-bIown roses OF |
palest pink, and never had seen her 40
lovely.
| sauntered slowly towards the sum- |
mer house, and was nearly there, when |
saw Gertrude seated upon the rustic
bench alone,
'She is waiting for Geoffley," ] |
thought, and was stealing away, when
boat shot up to the landing steps l"adin. |
to the summer house, and man stepped |
out. Not Geoffrey-a man shorter and
slighter. ] was afraid he came with some
evil intent, and stood waiting, ready to
call for assistance, il it was needed.
Gertrude saw him only when he stood
in the door OF the summer house on the
river side. Never shall forget her look
Of horror, az, white as snow, she cried
Harold !"
Igrasped tree to keep from falling.
Harold !-Gertrude's husband
"Hareld y he sneered, mocking her
tone. "You scarcely expected TO see
me ] forgive your surprise. my love"
Not dead !" she gasped mot dead"
''There was trifling errpr in the names
Of the parties concerned In the bar FooHi
nght you probably alude to. Both FaR-
ming and Emory were strangers In the
western city where they were engaged
In their usual occupations OF gambling