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

girl. tried 20 forget her origin, but
| you can't make a silk purse out OF a
sow's ear. which homelY adage at
forded much comfort to her aristocratlc
soul
Jack sulked awhile in his rooms, and
then when he could endure his loneliness
no longer he jumped on a University
Place car and went down town to Broad
street to talk over his troubles once more
with the oracular Proudfoot. He found
that worthy smoking a pipe in the dusk,
with his feet gracefully disposed on the
window sill Of his sky parlor.
Ibid you ask Miss NugenJ what form
the impending ruin her venerable parent
feared, was TO take?'i he asked when
Jack had growled out recital of his woes
and given sketch, in gloomy colors, of
the scene between Grace and himself.
"No. What good would it have done
me to know? l suppose the old scoun
drel has been specializing, and the mar
ket has gone the wrong way.
Gwen, Jack, always thought you
were an ass. was the consolatory re-
Spouse, ''and now l would gamble my
last week s salary on it,
''That's like you, Harold. A fellow
comes to you for serious advice and you
sit there chucking ont abusive remarks,
which are in very bad taste, let me tell
you. -
''Tut, tut, Jack. Don't get on the
high horse. ! was merely stating a self
evident proposition. and if you II only
keep your temper III think what we can
do to help matters - And he took his
feet down from the window sill and re-
placing them with his elbows, leaned his
chin on his two hands and stared out
through the dusk, which was rapidly be-
coming darkness, ut the tall, ghostly
looking building over the way. ''Shall
l light the gas?'' asked Jack, after a
pause. ''You re .deuced cheerful COM
pauy, of course, but I'm bound to
say little light would emphasize the
uproarous merriment of your converse
ton.
"Jack - said Proudfoot abruptly,
''don It you hurt yourself in trying to be
funny, but tell me something. Do you
know any friend of Mr. Nugent s who is
tall, thin, with gray moustache and
long gray HAIR, and who wears bread
brimmed sombrero?'
ono, don 't-stay, though; I remem-
Der seeing just such man walking with
Strange night or two ago?''
con- grunted Proudfoot, as he still
stared into the darkness, "but you don It
know whether this man has anything to
do in business way with Mr.. Nugent?
emo. How on earth should I? 1 saw
him for the first time, as l tell you,
walking with Strange the other night.
''Oh, said Proudfoot again. FWell,
have a sort of idea that the man in the
sombrero is in some way connected with
the sudden change in Mr.. Nugent' s
bearing towards you. -
"What makes you think that?''
"It's merely an idea Some day 1
may tell you what has led me to this con-
clusion. In the meantime but here
Proudfoot suddenly sprang from his
lounging position at the window. "By
God!' he exclaimed. CHEFS numbering
him! Follow me, Jack-there s not a
moment to lose!'' ana he dashed out of
the room, followed by his bewildered
friend, who began to think that all the
world was losing It's wits.
CHAPTER XII.
LEMUEL ENTERTAINS A VISITOR.
short time before Jack climbed up
the winding stair of the office building in
Broad street, to make the call on Proud
foot, which ended so unceremoniously
two men took the elevator, which was
then making It's last trip, and were car
ried up 10 the floor On which were David
Nugent s Offices. The clerks had all
gone home, and the only person in the
Office was dingy looking scrub-woman,
who was making prodigIous dust in her
endeavors to sweep up the accumulated
CRIME of the dav.
H'That will do for this evening.
Mary said the shorter and younger of
the two men, 81 have business to trans
act with this gentleman, and you had
better go home.'
"All roight, Mr.. Strange was the
answer and the poor soul, glad Of the un-
looked for half hours holiday, soon be-
took herself off, leaving Lemuel and his
companion, whom ne addressed as Mr..
Smith, - alone in the office.
''Well, - said Lemuel in a grumbling
tone, ''I've done what you wanted, and
brought you up here, SO l hope you re
satisfied. Though why on earth you
should want to come up and see old NJ
gent IS office, can t make out. -
''There are plenty of other things about |
me you won It be able to make out, my |
friend, when you have known me little |
longer. In this case, though, III tell |
you. It was a mere within which brought |
me here. 1 want to sit in Nugent S Of
flee and try to imagine how he feels as |
he sees his whole fortune slipping away |
and recognizes that he is under the |
thumb of creature like you. -
ga creature indeed. You are mighty |
complimentary.
"Well, Master Lemuel, 1 am. bound |
to say, that though in long and useless |
life time 1 have come across a good many |
specimens of mean rascality, I never yet |
met any one who for meanness and ras- |
cality could hold candle to you,
- Bah!p snarled Lemuel. 'FWho is |
it that's at the bottom of this piece of |
if you choose to call it so? |
Who has furnished me with thess means !
whereby have got my foot on the neck |
of the man who wanted TO turn me out |
to starve like dog?'
''Let us light the gas, and then we |
will discuss the matter, said the other |
calmly; ana soon the twilight of the |
room was exchanged for brilliant illu- |
mination. t'Had you not better pull /
the window shades down, Lemuel?"
continued the elder man. ''Well, never !
mind then; as you say there's no one |
across the way, so it doesn t much mat
ter. And now ii tell you why / have |
given you this information, and |
through you have levied what you /