Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-12
EALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CHAPTER xvu.-A CONFESSION.

.riast. TO whom she was wont to confess
Sar sins and sorrows, always, however,
leaning back one secret. But now this
no.ro. haunted her sick bed, and grew
sorker and blacker in her sight.
Todv Gilmore was dangerously i'll for
any DAYS after this, yet when they
lie before her of sending for her son,
10 ever made a mute sign of dissent.
Tbe story of his marriage was now
tnowu. and people said Gilmore had
brossD his mothers heart, and old
.,ories we're revived, old scandals whis-
pered. .,o+
1a5v Gilmore had been stricken with
noraIvsis after reading her sons letter
announcing his marriage, drove over TO
Wrothsley, partly in the hope that she
,ropId be able to reconcile her to his
oboire. bv telling her that Col. LOTUS
fomilv we're of the highest respectability-
Rut the invalid refused to see her former
friend. lust as she refused to receive the
AID woman from Gateford manor house,
Tbo went away grumbling because she
ga. debarred from speaking the hard
words she had meant to say.
and it was strange that the children
,-bom LADY Gilmore had neglected in her
overp0wering affection for her son, now
scanned the only consolation left TO her.
The little fair haired twin girls used to
nlay about her room, aud prattle to her
nv the hour, while the mothers dark
ewes rested iOndly on their faces. She
saw also Father Hayward occasionally,
who for the last ten years had been her
.nirituaI adviser and confessor, and who
now came to pray earnestly by her side.
One dav when he arrived, q note sheet
WIS nut into his hand, on which the
stricken lady had inscribed few almost
iIlegble words.
"Father, pray that L may regain my
uDeech - read the preast with genuine
compassion and sympathy. He was an
earnest man this, sincere and devout
follower of the creeds of his church, and
he knew and could read the hayward
heart OF this daughter of his faith, he
believed, as an open book. But when
he understood the pathetic words she
had scrawled with her cramped and
gtfened hand; when he saw the eager
desire for speech expressed in her rest
less eyes, it dawned upon his acute mind
that Lady Gilmore had some especial
motive for her prayer.
a. will, - he said, in his ringing SYM
pathetic voice; "may God in His mercy
grant, my daughter, that your tongue
may be losed. -
And the good mans prayers were au-
swered. Gradually the violence of the
paralysis diminished; ana gradually
speech came back to her; at first numb
ling and uncertain, and then more de-
fined and clear. But more than three
months passed away before Lady Gilmore
could converse with any amount of dis
tnctness. BY this time also she was
able to be wheeled in bath-chair along
the terrace, yet she positively refused to
receive any visitors but her priest.
But one day in the early spring-time
Father Hayward received an especial
messenger requesting him to go to
WrOthsley al his earliest convenience.
He went, and found Lady Gilmore sit
ting up IN her boudoir, looking stronger
aud more erect than he had seen her
since her Illness.
al am glad to see you looking so much
better, - said he pleasantly.
al am well in body but i'll in mind,
Father, - she answered, as she returned
his greeting.
may, - he said, seating himself by
her side, ''the illness of your mind will
pass away, 1 trust, with the bodily one;
your speech is almost now quite restored,
for which great blessing we ought indeed
70 be most thankful. -
II has been given back to me, - re-
Piled Lady Gilmore, with twltching lips
and tremulous words, "for q purpose,
father. have 8 confession to make to
you-the confession of q great sin. -
My daughter, 90 not excite yourself
thus; your inner life has been known to
me for many years, and the failings and
ioles have been blotted out by good
deeds and ever-generOus help to the
afflicted of our faith. Wait until your
health is completely restored before re-
lerring to any exciting topic.
at will never be completely restored,
father, and have no longer any time to
waste; I have waited patiently and
prayed earnestly that God would give me
power 70 cleanse my soul of a great sin,
Tor now see the biackness, and in His
great mercy II has done SO, and pray
you TO listen -
Father Hayward gravely bowed his
mead, for he perceived now that some
strong and powerful motive was dictat-
Ing Lady Gilmore Is solemn words.
II am ever ready TO listen, my
ITO saluY anu " SOlilOib II
can; but do not, / entreat you, forget
your recent Illness.
No, l shall try to keep calm.
rather, / must go back to the early days
Of my welded life-when-when 1 loved
LORD Gilmore with the Jealous, exactiug
love OF woman devoted to him; of a
woman who had married him not for his
wealth, Us he sometimes tainted me
win, but for himself alone! You know
VINO was, and the old blood which flows
In my vens?''
Again Father Hayward gravely bowed
us head, thinking sadly. enough of the
van boast from these quiverlng lips.
1t was not so with him as you know
SLso'' went on Lady Gilmore. "the
1IuoTds had been but recently ennobled,
suu IN our early married days my hus-
Uauu was most anxious that an heir
SHOULD be born 10 us. An heir was
oorn, she continued, with increasing
sEtaton. ga puny mIssbaped babe,
auu when my husband first saw him he
vas bitterly disappointed and said some
Va; na'u words, though he we'll knew their
rather Haywood now bit his lips, and
iook Of great anxiety stole into his grey
Sna thoughtful eyes.
We had a quarrel, too about in what
i1Iln the child should be reared; my lord
JARED thing really about these things,
ous ne had been brought up q Protestant,
hC !