Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-04

| Strange knew that an examination of his
| stewardship would only end in rum GER
tainlY, and in the penitentiary probably
CHAPTER II-JACK ASKS A QUESTION.
It was long past midnight, and the
floor of the ballroom was SO crowded that
dancing was more of task than pleas
ure, and to be summed by all wise vir-
| gins who thought that new frocks de-
! served kinder fate than to be torn into
ribbons by clumsy partners or reckless
/ "dancing men. - 1t was not, however +,
a distate for or surfeit of Waiting which
had caused the pretty young girl to whom
| Jack Houston is talking to sit out this
| particular dance snugly concealed behind
a tropical looking arrangement of palms
and ferns, which cunnlngly marks a
quiet little nook in one corner. 1t is Miss
| Grace Nugent's first ball, and she has
rocked little of silks or laces as she has
| fioated through each number of her pro-
gramme with succession of partners,
good, bad and indifferent; she has
| danced, in fact, for pure love of dane
ing, and now, with the best dancer IN
the room, the leader of half the germans
during the past half dozen seasons, at
her side, she is sitting idly plucking her
bouquet to pieces. But then Jack Hous-
ton is something more than good
dancer in her eyes; he is her old play
mate and friend. who has romped with
her and bullied her, according to the
pleasant habit of schooIboys, and has
finally, as she well knows, fallen in love
with her and is only waiting an oppor-
tunity to declare that love in words.
Miss Nugent makes a pretty picture as
she sits there beneath the palms A
mere girl in years, her figure is thor
nd
though the beautiful shoulders and bust
which rival her low cut corsage in white
ness are healthily firm enough to avoid
the menace of future embonpoint. Her
face is an attractive one, with liquid
dark eyes, nose full of character and
decision, and a mouth a trifie large,
perhaps, from the standpoint of CLASH
cal beauty, yet tender in its curves,
while its full red lips denote the presence
of passion as well as determination.
Her broad white brow is crowned with a
wealth of dark silky hair C such a nuis-
ance, Miss Nugent is won't to rebel
liously and ungratefully observe; 81
never can get a hat to fit me, and it
always coming down at the wrong
time and this dusky crowned head is
set on neck of such perfect form and
grace of line that, according to old Stat
ford, the painter, it forms her chief
beauty.
Jack Houston, who an hour or two be-
fore was talking to his friend Proudfoot
with fatuous audacity, as though he had
but to toss his handkerchief to this lovely
young creature and she would meekly
fall into his arms, now sits glowerlng at
her as tongue-tied as an nrchin before
his schoolmaster. Finally plucking up
his courage he ventured on an original
observation. cts awfully hot, ism t
it, Miss Grace?'
Now Miss Nugent was noted, young as
she was, for the absolute honesty and
downright sincerity of her speech. She
had horror of small talk and trulsms,
and usually came to the point with de-
lightfuI frankness which caused the
young men of her acquaintance to de-
clare that the "rlch Miss Nugent was
heaps of fun, - while their sisters sighed
over ''poor Grace Nugent's naivete. -
On this occasion, however, she seemed as
embarrassed as her companion and,
without raising her head, she answered
slyly:
eyes it is indeed, Mr.. Houston -
"FMr. Houston! You used to call me
Jack. -
''Did II But then that was when we
ere
81 only wish we were children still 3"
groaned poor Jack in desperation.
''How silly you are ia I mean Mr.. |
Houston. Why on earth should you
wish we were children?''
because then you would call me
Jack
''Well 1 can call you Jack without |
our being-I meant mean" and her |
treatment of the unfortunate bouquet |
became almost savage in her confusion. |
''Do you know though what people |
would say if you were to call me Jack?''
".Why' with a fine affectation of |
wonderment "'what would they say?''
''That-that we were engaged. -
FOf course l can t help people being |
foolish, Mr.. Houston, so, as you say, |
perhaps it Is better that l should not call
you Jack at all. -
ooh, how can you torment me so,
Grace, - said poor Jack, when he found
himself thus adroitly coruered. FDon t
you see what l am trying to say-don It
you know how l love you?''
Miss Nugent stopped picking her flow
ers to pieces, and for moment, which
seemed a month at least to Jack, she did
not reply, then she said, so softly that
none but a lover would have heard her,
hOW Cdi L huON WHICH, you We never
told me?' Insignificant as the answer
was, it was enough for Jack.
"Oh, Grace, my darling,'' he burst
out. ''you must know that I love you
with all my heart and soul. And you?
Can t you love me just little bit?''
Then the womanliness of Grace's nas
ture asserted itself. She looked up witt
the boldness of innocence, and W5th fle
brightness of her dark eyeskdsfia S u
and said simply aSsshe pla6e6
her hand in his:
81 love you great deal, Jae9<S dear,
and l think I always have, - and for the
next ten minutes the two sat there per-
fectly contented, though not an intel
igible word was spoken. Then Jack
was struck by happy thought.
"By Jove, - said he, "'suppose we go
and tell my aunt?'' and together, her
arm laid lightly on his, though he alone
was conscious of the barely perceptible
pressure which seemed to say, 81 am
yours and l am so happy, - the
.wo lovers wandered through
he crowded ball room amid
The simmer of silk, the rustic of
yauzY skirts, the blare of trumpets and
,-1rr IF ,OES ,oH, oJ1 /