Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-15

| done so, but such as it was he determined
| to make the most of it. It would in any
| case be worth his time to trace the man
| in blue, if he could. 1t would do his case
no harm, though it did not seem likely TO
| do it much good. To have pockets in
| ones bathing dress is not an indictable
| offense, and there was nothing criminal
| in hesitating TO dive of boat. 1t seemed
after all very thin thread to depend
upon, but as far as Mary was concerned
he resolved to act as if Miss Ennis inno-
cence was beyond question.
''Mary, my dear" he said as he en-
/ tered, IS all right, and III put up
| the bonus just as soon as you are ready.
''Do you mean that Miss Gertrude had
nothing to Go with it?'' cried Mary, her
eyes sparkling with delight.
''She had no more to do with it, be-
lieye, than 1 had, or you, my dear,
said Mr.. Padger, drawing somewhat
| strongly upon his resolution.
FOh, Mr.. Padger, Joshua, can you
! prove 1T"
''Weu, - he said cautiously, 81 don It
know that can prove it just at present,
for there is one little point waiting to be
| cleared up, and no one can do that for
me except Miss Ennis herself. Mary,
my dear, must speak to her.
''Oh, Joshua how can you? It's down
right impossible. -
81 must, possible or not, - he in
| sisted. "Mary you must take me up to
her. -
81 daren It, Exclaimed Mary, in hor-
ror at the proposal.
''WeIl then, you must just shut your
eyes, and let me go by myself.
| ''But what will you do, Joshua, what
will you say?'
Never mind. Trust me TO find that
out when the time comes.
| 1t called for all his powers of persua-
sion to induce Mary to consent to such an
understandable intrusion, but his con-
| tinued assurance that it was essential to
Miss Ennis s safety, and their happiness,
finally overcame her determination.
"She won t remember seeing me, you
NAV be sure, - said he. "And even if
she should, she doesn't know that am
acquainted with you, so whatever hap
pens it can't be brought back to your
| door. -
And Mary very grudgingly gave her
consent to what she regarded as an I'M
precedented breach of social decorum.
There was no one in the drawing room
in which he had expected to find the
! young lady, and he was about to with
draw as silently as he came when he
heard voices in conservatory which
opened from the long room at right
| angles.
He had no scruples as to the propriety
of the act, it was part of his business to
pick up intelligence how and when he
could, and without hesitation he crept a
| little nearer and listened.
One voice, q woman's, was unmistak-
ably Miss Ennis the other equally n
dubitably belonged to the man with
whom she had held the interview IL the
darkness of the avenue. 1t was clear
that her dismissal of him then had not
proved final. He was speaking when
Mr.. Padger noiselessly approached with
in earshot.
stHe's bound to find it out sooner or
later, you know how he said.
con, JACKIE replied Miss Ennis. 81
daren t tell him.
"Wen then, - expostulated the man
''Iet me- l don't believe he'll mind
when he knows. After all we've re-
leved him of burden. -
81 don It think you should speak of il
like that
''Wen, 1 won It, but let me go straight
away and tell him how it all came
about -
ooh, Jackl" cried Miss Ennis, Sup
pose he should never forgive your
s'Oh, he will, never fear. OF course
he was very much under her influence
and will feel it for a time; but he'll ge
over it. | shall tell him and have done
with it. -
"No, no, Jack. Wait a bit,
ssWhat is the use of prelonging the
agony. l want to get 1t off my mind.
shall tell him.
No don't Don t be hasty.
"'Look here. Suppose you were tC
leave it about so that he could come
across it by chance.
'sWhy, Jack! oouldn It. The shocl
might kill him for all you know. -
"'WelI, then, will you tell hlm?'
81 daren t, Jack; indeed l darep t
''Then 1 shall. -
This last announcement was followed
by such evident preparations for NOV
ing that Mr.. PaGger hastily tip toel
back to the door of the room and seemed
to enter for the first time, slamming tn
door behind him as if by accident, jus
as Gertrude Ennis appeared in the en-
trance to the conservatory. She wai
alone.
''Miss Ennis, l believe, said Mr.
Padger courteouslY, with a low bow.
''Who are you?'' she said in umis
taxable astonIshment.
''Padger Miss, Joshua.
She stared haughtily, evidently recol
lecting neither his face nor name.
s'What do you want? she said afte
a pause, during which Mr.. Padger wa
wondering how he could manage to &c
an unsupported peep at the man in tn
conservatory.
"a word with you, if you please,
he replied. ''Your father sent me t
| ask you a question.
| This was, as we know, diplomat
perversion of the truth, but Mr.. Padge
I did not regret it when he perceived tn
ri effect which it produced Miss Enni
! started and turned deadly pale, while
rustle,in the conservatory told him tina
the shot had gone home there also.
I'My-my father?" gasped Mis
Ennis.
:. ''It's quite a simple matter, - con
! .tinued Mr.. Padger Ieassuringly. "TheT
ia m OpcaSjOu for alarm w la