Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-04
THE wEEKLY GAZETTE: FORT TExAs THURSDAY

bachelor establishment and studio il
Washington Square. Even in this she
found extenuating circumstances, fol
her own house was in the lower part Of
the avenue and he might, she said, have
gone up near the park, or to some
''horrid place like Harlem, which
to her was as far off as another
city 1t was while he was an inmate
of the old-fashioned house near Clin-
ton Place that Jack had first known
Grace, who, a straggly gawky sort of a
| girl, used to be invited to 'fspend the
day. by Mrs. VanDeveer out of eompli-
ment TO her father, to whose bluff pie
beianism the old lady had taken curious
fancy. 1t was indeed through her that
the old millionaire hoped TO effect an en-
trance to that society, which he onlv
! wished to become a part of for his daugh-
! ter's sake. The good woman soon took
an interest in the motherless girl for her
own sake, and it was under her protect
ing wing that Grace was making her de-
but this evening in the fashionable
world.
"Aunt Jane, - said Jack with as near
! an approach 90 blush as he ever allowed
| himself, Fyou We got niece now as well
| as nephew
'Well upon my word, - said Aunt
Jane, trying in vain to hide her delight
under an aspect of sternness, fyou
| young people seem to have matters all
your own way nowadays. The idea of
two children like you talking marriage.
| / III send you both back TO the nursery if
you aren't careful-besides- will
Mr.. Nugent say?"
CHAPTER Iv-LEMUEL TAKES WALK.
Sundry discreet coughs and a mildly
persistent whisking of a napkin on the
part of the waiter recalled Lemuel
Strange to himself, and reminded him
that he could not sit all night IN Del
monico s cafe staring in front of him, so
he followed Mr.. Nugent's example. and
buttoning his overcoat tightly up to his
throat, he put on his hat and passed out
into the night.
1t had been showing earlier in the even
ing, and though the fall had not been
heavy, it had spread white mantle on
the street, which was not yet deserted by
the daily traffic of a great city, and
which served to deaden the sounds of the
few passing vehicles. A couple of han
SONS were standing on the further side Of
Broadway as Strange emerged from the
restaurant door, carefully closed and
bolted after him by the attendant, and
as soon as the drivers saw him they whip
ped up their horses and raced across with
shrill rivaling cries of "Keb, Keb!
Want a keb, sr?'' but their expected
fare only shook his head. and turning the
corner sharply, struck down Twenty
sixth street to the avenue.
He was in state of nervous excite
ment and thought that brisk walk, al
belt he was not man given to over
much exercise, might help to clear his
brain and allow him to formulate a plan
of action. Lemuel Strange had skated
over some mighty thin ice during his
business career, but never before had ne
seen such stretch of dark and icy water
as had without warning opened up be-
fore him this evening and lay there wait
ing to engulf him. He had speculated
with his employers money, at first in
small sums, and then, as he found how
easily and apparently safe theft was with
larger amounts, until now his speculations
amounted to many thousands of dollars.
Not that all had been squandered; far
from it, had he only time to let his ven
lures mature. Could he but put up few
more comparatively trifing amounts with
his brokers, he would be able to pay back
what he had "borrowed, as he euphe-
mistically termed it, and have in addi-
ton quite O little fortune of his own to
fall back upon.
All this he could do had he only time,
but now he had to render an immediate
account of his stewardship, and the re-
suit would be exposure, ruin, beggary or
even worse. He strobe up the avenue
muttering to himself and indulging in
the widest of fancies. elf Providence
should be kind to him and Nugent
were to die that night, or be
stricken with some fatal illness;
if he should be assaulted on the
street-there had been scare only re-
Gently as TO highwaymen who had as
saulted and robbed respectable citizens
within sight of their own homes. He
himself like many another timid man had
purchased a slung-shot, which he now
fingered as it lay in his overcoat pocket,
for he knew nothing of firearms and was
afraid to carry a pistol. Suppose Nugent
should be struck down? But pshaw!
what the use of supposing nonsense of
this sort? In half an hour at the fur
thesr Nugent would have finished his
constitutional, and would be at Delmon-
ico's prepared to take his daughter
home. His daughter! The only being
in the world who had ever caused Strange
to feel he had heart-the indirect cause
of all his misfortunes. Curse her!-no,
bless her-bless-''
'fConfound it, sir. Can't you look
where you re going?' He had Numbered
into stranger as he was thus commun-
ing with himself, and the force OF the
impact had nearly sent them both into
the gutter. Strange looked at the man
whose breath he had nearly driven from
his body, and saw that he was about fifty |
Fe%Rs of age, tall and thin, with an en-
orulaus gray moustache. His clothes |
weEe rough and evidently of country
lstSe. and yet there was the undoubted |
of a gessfeman in his beaElhe |
and in thesssekof his voice as he ceAs
ued rain more mildly, Exaas my |
abrupfness, sir, but you mussknowI- |
edge that it ism t pleasant = saonbled |
up in that fashion.
''I'm sure L beg your pardon -
Lemuel suayely, 81 was deep in thought |
and did not see you.
''Well, there rs no damage done. Baesk
suppose you make amends by giving
a light for my cigar. The one 1 US
smoking has DISAPPEARED in the snow and