Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-14

so brusque and stern, but now, even 70
her, ne was often snappish and cross.
Not only did he fret under the burden of
shame laid on bis shoulders by Strange,
but If maddened him TO think that bis
fortune, enormous as 1t had been, was
fast melting away under TIE constant on
slaughts made on it by the younger man f,
and as the Lucky Shot, mine had for
years been unproduotive, there was a
well-defned limit to the amount of
money Nugent could afford to lose.
Finally Lemuel struck blow which
the other felt even more than the loss of
his beloved dollars. They were sitting
in the private room, which had been the
scene of Lemuel's first attack on MI
gent 5 peace Of mind, and the latter with
a frown was scanning row of figures,
presented by the former for his consid-
GRAFTON more as a matter of form than
anything else.
81 don t understand it, Strange, - he
ENORMOUSLY said, 81 don t understand
1t at all -
s'There is not the least reason that You
should Mr.. Nugent, - said Lemuel :,
whose insoIence was rendered the more
irritating by his retention of his old OBJ
sequious and fawning tone. ''But never
mind that statement. l have something
of more Importance to speak to you
about
600 on, - said Nugent YEARLY.
HsYou may remember that on the day,
when you were kind enough to take me
into partnership, and give other tokens
of your confidence in me, and Lemuel
grinued, 81 ventured to suggest that you
should use your influence with Miss
Grace, and try and convince her that the
dearest wish Of your life is to see me your
sOn-in-law
81 told you what I'd do and have
done it, F" replied Nugent sullenly, 81
have forbid young Houston to visit her
and what more can l do?
"'That 1 leave to you. 1 only know
that unless in three months from to-day,
[ am the husband of your daughter, the
newspapers of this city will have de-
lightful sensation for their readers.
Think of the headlines, Mr.. Nugent,
"A New Jekyll and Hyde, or Million
aire and Murder, and the editorials in
this fashion, Never outside the pages of
romance has a more startling story been
printed than that which we offer our
readers this morning. Oh, can see it
all as If it had actually happened, and
Lemuel rubbed his skinny hands.
Nugent s old manner returned to him
for a space "I'll be id if do it, -
he said, and then relapsed into his sullen
silence.
''Then, - said Strange slowly, "my
principal will take such steps as seems
best to him, and 1 don It think you IL al
together like them. Look here, Mr..
Nugent, be reasonable. We all have
our special weaknesses. Mine is my
Iove-for it is love-for your daughter.
Ii I get her l don t want your money. If
I don't, why [ may as well have the
money. Now on the day of my wedding
to Miss Grace II make you present of
two documents. One is the ante-mortem
statement signed by John Houston, the
other the deed which made me your
partner. With the start I now
have 1 can make a fortune easily
enough for myself, for if l must tell you
the truth, have deliberately thrown
away the firms money during the past
three months in order to bring you to
terms, and I shall go on doing so, know
ing that you dare not stop me until you
do what [ ask. One thing more l may
add, shall do my best to be good hus-
band to your daughter and to crafty her
every wish. Now for your answer, is it
to be yes or no?''
There was a further pause, and then
Eyes, - answered David Nugent.
CHAPTER XI.
JACK ASKS ADVICE.
"Come as soon as you get this,
wrote Grace to Jack, 81 must see you
at once. am heart broken.
YOUR GRACE
IT did not take Jack long to reach the
Nugent house on the receipt of this, and
for the first time since the memorable IN
terview with David Nugent he crossed
the threshold of his house. While wait
ing for Grace to come down he wondered
as he had been wondering ever since he
received the note. what could have hap
pened of sufficient Importance to cause
her to ask him to visit the house in de-
fance of her father wishes. When she
entered the room, pale and with deep
black rings beneath her eyes, he knew
something terrible had happened, and
started forward to fold her in his arms.
emo, Jack she said in weary tone,
emo. Don t kiss me2=, am not worthy
of your kisses. -
"Good God, Grace!.,. What do you
meau?"
"That am false to you Jack. I am
a bad, bad girl.
"Don't talk nonsense like that
Grace, interrupted JaeS, who began
to think that his sweetheart had taken
leave of her senses for the moment.
'tBut am, Jack dear-I have prom
ised dad to-to-tol marry Mr.. Strange. -
and the GOODNESS which she had boosted
to herself she would show disappeared in
q flood of tears.
t'Marry old Strange-Oh come now,
Grace-You re joking.
I'm not i-j-joking. Dad said it
meant B5T-ruin and w-w-worse and he
c-c-cried, and 1 gave way and prom
ised -
''And do you mean to say that because
your father imaSifes that that beast of a
Strange can help him out of his difficult
les, whatever they may be, you are to be
sacrifced?'
''C-c-ca1ling Mr.. Strange b-b-beast
will do no good. have to marry him,
and that is what is breaking my heart.
',But, my dear Grace, don't you
think that have something to say in the
matter, 1 have, at any rate, and L say
that you are not going to marry this mis-
cradle fellow.
''Oh, Jack, don't you understand?
It IS to save poor old Dad. -