Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-17
diamonds away with him. but left madame

| diamonds away with him, but left madame
more infatuated than ever.
And SO days stole on, and weeks, and Gilmore
used to SIT in the sunny garden. and listen to the
mandcIlne players and t he birds. and never
grow weary He knew nothing of stormy scenes
which took place, sometimes there, when ne
was absent; nothing of rare and secret visitor,
who went ana stole away, always in the dark
hours. When he was at the villa there were only
soft words spoken and soft sounds heard. Juan
sat fishing all day long, apparently with his
mandoline ofttimes lying beside him, and would
grim and open his greedy palms for the gold
coins which Gilmore so freely thrust into them,
He never say the ugly looks which followed
his departing footsteps; never dreamed of any
evil, except the dream of false love, in which he
was daily becoming faster and faster entangled.
He would not even listen now to poor Nays
entreaties to have their marriage acknowledged:
and would make her no promise when it would
be. She could not understand what had come
over him and changed him so, for Gilmore kept
his visits to the riverside villa profound secret,
and never once breathed Madame de Costa's
name.
At last towards the end of April-on the 2Sth--
as they stood alone together beneath the trees in
the garden, just about a month after they had
first met, in ardent and impassioned language
Gilmore dared to speak of the love which now so
completely filed his heart.
And the woman to whom he spoke, listened as
though half reluctantly; listened with down
cast eyes and heaving breast. But she let her
hands rest in his, and did not reproach him for
his fond and eager words.
'If you could love me only 1ittle-ever so
little, - pleaded Gilmore.
Must it be little?'' she whispered beneath
her breath, and as the words passed her lips
Gilmore caught her in his arms and poured the
most passionate VOWS and protestatious in her
shrinking ears.
The next day-April 29th-he told May he was
going up to town by the night train to attend a
bail given by one of his bachelor friends, but
that he would be back the following morning
probably by midday at least.
He dined at home. but left the Rookery in
time to catch late train up to London and
a wal tn he
station. He had sent on some luggage addressed
to his bachelor rooms in PiccadiIly during the
mo rning, and he wore q thin overcoat when he
started. May went with him to the hall door,
but when she raised her face to give him fare
well kiss, he hesitated a moment, and then
stopped down and kissed her on the brow.
take care of yourself he said, not up-
kindly, and after shaking hands with her he
went out, and disappeared in the darkness, for
the mig ut was wet and gloomy, and Nav was
left to her own sad thoughts.
She sat down YEARLY after he was gone for
she was quite sure in her own heart now that
Gilm ore had ceased to love her. She sat while
the wind began to moan about the house, and
the rain beat against the window panes 1t
blew complete storm presently. carrying
where she had been born, and to the father she
had forsaken.
She sighed heavily, still thinking of the old
man. and his sorrow and loneliness. Perhaps
the love which had failed her, and grown so
cold in Gilmore's heart, was q fit punishment
for her fault she thought. And that night she
dreamed of John Summers, and saw his rugged
an d workworn face looking at her earnestly,
with love still shining in his honest eyes.
And she dreamed, too, of a black shadow dog
cling Gilmore's footsteps in the Darkness
thing Of evil she could not see-hidden impalpa-
BILE, and yet there; the poor young wife awoke
with CRY OF horror, and shuddeFingly covered
her face and lay with beating fearful heart lis
tening to the moaning of the wind.
And another young wife awoke also that night
pale and afraid in the midnight hours for she
heard her baby cry. The storm was at its height
raging over London as it was raging over the
dark waters of the Thsmes. as it rolled on
through green fields and widowed sedges, long
it reached the foulness of the great city. And
SIS the blast howled by the little house that
looked on the park where Nancy lived, il reused
the child lying in the cot, and swoke the mother
from her light and restless siumbers
Nancy rose aud went to the babe and lifted il |
in her arms, and pilloved its head upon her
breast TRYING to soothe it with her tender |
words. 1t seemed still uneasy and disturbed
and so she began walking up and down the room |
with it, grooming to it softly as she went Then
the baby put mp its small pink hand against her !
cheek and Nancy tenderly kissed the little palm |
MY darlingi'i she whispered, gazing down |
fondly on its face.
Yes nhe had her boy, she told herself: her |
baby to love and cling to, whatever else might |
change It was month now since she had come |
70 this house, and during this time Hugh Gift |
ford's varying moods and strange, unsettled /
habits had filed her heart with vague and con- |
slant nneasiness.
She could not understand him in fact for one /
day he would seem fond Of her, and the NEXT cold I
and harsh. Often she thought of the handsome
Lover Eho had wooed her in the dim corridor at [