Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-18

appearing down the avenue, che had
much better give up all thoughts of the
girl. l tried TO forget her origin, but
you can't make a silk purse out of
SOW IS ear which homely adage af-
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 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.
% Did you ask Miss NugenJ what form
the impending ruin her venerable parent
feared, was to take?'' he asked when
Jack had growled out recital of his woes
and given a 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.
''Wen, Jack, always thought you
were an ass, was the consolatory re-
sponse, 'and now 1 would gamble my
last week 5 salary on it.
'fThat's like you, Harold. A fellow
comes to you for serious advice and you
sit there chucking out abusive remarks,
which are in very bad taste, let me tell
you.
''Tut, tut, Jack. Dom get on the
high horse. l was merely stating a self
evident proposition. and if you II only
keep your temper L IL 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, at the tall, ghostly
looking building over the way. 'Shall
l light the gas?'' asked Jack, after
pause. ''You re deuced cheerful com
pany, of course, but I'm bound to
say little light would emphasize the
uproarous merriment OF your. converse
ton -
Jack" said Proudfoot abruptly,
"don t 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 som brerO?'
ono, don 't-stay, though; remem-
Der seeing just such man walking with
Strange a night or two ago?''
"Oh, - grunted Proudfoot, as he still
stared into the darkness, 'but you don't
know whether this man has anything to
do in business way with Mr.. Nugent?
ono. How on earth should I? L saw
him for the first time, as l tell you,
walking with Strange the other night. -
ooh, - said Proudfoot again. Gwen,
l have 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 l
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' not
moment to losel'' and he dashed out of
the room, followed by his bewildered
friend, who began to think that all the
world was losing Its 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 unceremOniousIy
two men took the elevator, which was
then making Its last trip, and were car
ried up TO the floor on which were David
Nugent's offices. The clerks had all
gone home, and the only person in the
office was a dingy looking scrub-woman,
who was making prodiglous dust in her
endeavors to sweep up the accumulated
CRIME of the dav.
''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. -
"AIl roight, Mr.. Strange - was the
answer and the poor soul, glad of the I'M
looked for half hours holiday, soon be-
took herself off, leaving Lemuel and his
companion, whom he addressed as Mr..
Smith, - alone in the office.
''Well - said Lemuel in a grumbling
tone, we 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 s office, L can L make out.
"There are plenty of other things about
me You won t be able to make out, my
friend, when you have known me little
longer. In this case, though, IN tell
you 1t was mere whim which brought
me here. want to sit in Nugent IS Of
fee 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 Ike you.
ga creature indeed. You are mighty
complimentary.
''Well, Master Lemuel, 1 am bound
to say, that though in a long and useless
life time have come across a good many
specimens of mean rascality, never vet
met any one who for meanness and ras-
cality could hold candle to you.
''Bahl' snarled Lemuel. "'Who is
it that's at the bottom of this piece of
rascality, if you choose to call it so?
Who has furnished me with the 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 ''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 It much mat
ter. And now III tell you why L have
given you this information, and