Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-15
CHAPTER XII.
THE STRANGE INITIALS.

ter. which made it necessary for him TO
return TO London as soon as possible on
important business, and he determined
TO travel by the train which left West
cliffe at 9:45 that night.
He was very unwilling to leave the
scene of the mysterious occurrence TO
unravel which had become for the tune
the leading motive of his life, but ne
concluded that he had probably eH-
tracted from the locality of the crime ali
the information that he was nkely 10
Obtain. and he reflected that he would be
able to successfully make certain IN
ouiries in London which would be useless
in q small seaside place like Nestcllne'
About IL 0 clock he made his way TO
NFonnIaisir. and was so far favored by
fortune as to find Mary alone, and unoc-
cupied.
MARY, my dear, - he said, after Ger
tain preliminary endearments, We
come to say goodbye. -
..For-Mr. Padger?" Grid Mary, turn
ing pale.
man tenderly.
sFor-Joshua? hesitated Mary,
rosy blush overcoming her pallor. GU
don't mean to say you are going away!
ooh. I'm coming back again. Don {
YOU be afraid, my dear, - said Mr.. PAD
ger consOlingly. Business calls anu
Psdger obevs, but l shall be around
AGAIN soon.
ssWelI, I declare, that Is sudden, anu
how about Miss GertTude?''
ssKiIss Gertrude?-oh yes said Mr..
Padger awkwardly. 81 can't forget
Miss Gertrude in hurry. But want
Won to come for little walk with me.
Mary at first declared that such thing
was absolutely impossible, next con-
sented TO see if she could manage it, and
finally declared that she would be ready
in jifTy.
They had not gone far before Mr.. Pad
ger paused before small pawnbroker
shopin one of the side streets. The window
was filed with the usual miscellaneous
collection of plate and jewelry, new and
Old, in the center of which in the most
conspicuous positions was velvet Hned
tray fun of wedding rings.
There, Mary my dear, said Mr.
Padger. gently squeezing the arm that
rested lovingly in his, 81 hope If won t
be long before L N measuring your dear
little finger for one of them.
.. For-Mr Padger-Joshua, how you
talk!' cried Mary in pretended lndlgna-
ton.
"wen, I do hope So" persisted Mr..
Padger, stOutly.
mot till you've cleared Miss Ger
trude, - remarked Mary resolutely. $50
it's no use talking.
siAu right. my dear, - he said with
outward cheerfuIness, which contrasted
PAINFULLY with his real sensations. -
can wait. but IN the meantime just to
prevent your forgetting me while m
away
For, Joshua, how can you say 1t!
interposed Mary TepToaehfully.
ssOh. there's nothing like taking pre-
cautions, and just to prevent it | want
YOU to step in here with me and choose
Yourself a brooch or something of that
sort to make you think of me when you
put it on.
Ion. Joshual'' cried the delighted
Mary.
Mr. Padger was hard to please, and
oftpr paany unsuccessful attempts to foist
upon MIN an article that he did not like
ana would not take, the proprietor a
tvpical old Jew, having carefully taken
the measure of Mr.. Padger and the girl,
withdrew upstairs 10 fetch something
very superior, leaving them alone in the
shop, a tribute to the honesty of their
appearauce, which they would doubtless
have appreciated at its full value had
they recognized It.
Mary was not without the inqulsItlve-
ness proper to her sex, and was idly
Iummaging III a box on a table IN one
corner containing ali sorts of worthless
odds and ends when she gave an eXcla-
nation:
Look here, Joshua, here's funny
place to keep q watch. For bless us If 1t
ism missuses'
Sn1 " puGrnp ef16nnnl V
gripping her arm so tightly as to make
her cry out. ~ beg your pardon, Mary
my dear, where?'
''Why, this one here, ," said Mary ,
ruefully rubbing her arm.
Are You sure?' said Mr.. Padger ,
excitedly, but in a carefully lowered
tone
.'Ouite sure. know it by these blue
letters on the back. we seen them there
often. They are A. 6. c. -
"a. G. CT" repeated Mr.. Padger
''But those were not her initials.
II know it - said Mary g that s what
made me notice them.
LET me have a look at.
Further conversation was interrupted
bv the return of the Jew, but Mr.. Pad
ger, with his accustomed promptness
had already settled upon his plan of &C
ton. without looking at the Jew, who
he knew would be watching him closely,
he turned the watch over two or three
times in his hand, shrugged his
shoulders indifferently and laid it down
on the counter Then, To Mary Is eX-
treme surprise, without making
any further reference to it, he
turned his back upon il and devoted
himself 10 the new tray of modest orna-
ments He consulted her about the
brooch she would like, and then turned
in the most natural manner in the world
to bargain with the Jew about the price
to be paid for the one she had chosen
His expectations were not disappointed
The watch had gone. sss
by the way. he remarked ina zoo
Indifferent manner, very different from
his recent intense interest, when he haC
discharged his debt and WAS leaving thu
shop, - almost forgot to ask. What Z
the price of that watch 1 was looking
at?'' "a
ooh yes, nice day, very nice dag,