Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-05
ny Il. MONTE POSTER.
IAN Rights Reserved. !


Nellie PembeTton was standing before
| the looking glass, her pretty hat on her
neatly coiled masses of brown hair. and
her foster mother, seated in the rocking
| chair beside the glowing CRATE, was
watching every motion of the girl s with
| evident signs of love and admiration on
| her honest face.
''Tha art a bonny wench, Nellie!
| bonny wench!'' Nancy broke out.
"Thah looks Just lahke lady to-neet
in those things. Sin thah growed up,
! lass, All, con never look in tina face an
not think o that pore wummon ali TO nd
int tn entry amung tn snow.
''Do l look like my mother?' Nellie
asked, turning from the mirror and fac
ing Nancy.
'If hoo was tina mother tina art her
very image. But than looks ever so
much breeter an happier than hoo
looked. Who was hoo, all wonder! -
Nancy said refeotively.
Her verbs set the girl thinking, and as
she stood there in the midst of the
white, sanded flags, near the edge Of the
bright heaTth-rug, the oil lamp swing
ing above her head, the freglow fall
ing on her face, she made such pic
ture of beautiful, budding womanhood,
that prince might have yearned to take
her in his arms and call her his own.
In this ''dressy Rge' any factory girl
or other lass who possesses beauty of
face and grace of firm, a little taste in
dress and some money, may so be-
Digit herself as to defy any critic to dis
cover her social standing.
Nellie was dressed III a close fitting
princess robe made Of some dark grey
| material, and over this she wore a long
heavy jacket OF dark cloth trimmed with
| black fur. Her coquettish hat was also
of some dark fur, adorned only with the
red wing of some bird, and q bow of
scarlet ribbon.
we shall never know who my mother
wasp Nellie said dreamily, her eyes
| resting on the white glowing heart Of the
fire Then she added as she cast her
thoughts on that sad subject behind her.
81 must be of, or I shall be late. Din
ner's on the table at six. -
"You IL not stay out late, lass?"
| Nancy lnterrogated as she rose from her
| chair and kissed the girl s fair cheek
| warmly.
con, no., was Nellie's reply.
"Annie and l are going together, and
we shall come away early. -
With that the girl took last look at
herself in the mirror, gave her hat
parting touch, and then, glancing at the
| clock, made her way down the street
toward the ''Star, - where the party
was to be held.
AS Nellie approached the top of Mill
gate someone tapped her Familiarity on
shoulder, and CHANGING round she recog-
niZed the man at her side. 1t was Wal
ter Mayhem, the young fellow of whom
old Bob Cubby had spoken when he and
Mark had that conversation in the first
chapter about the factory queen.
Mayhem was a tall, sparely built man
of two and twenty with sandy hair and
thin moustaohe that was almost white
in its fairness. At first sight he was not
unhandsome looking, but his small, pale
grey eyes were too closely set when one
came to look at them critically, and they
gave one an impression that their owner
was mean at heart, cruel natured, and
uncommonly cunning.
AS old Bob had limited, he was thor
oughly infatuated with the rare raced
factory lass. He had come to Warning
ham about year ago to learn the bust
ness of cotton spinning, and when. he
made his first tour of inspection OF the
mills and weaving sheds in Harwood' IS
company, he had been smitten with Nell
lie s uncommon beauty.
Mayhem WAS not Il young man of q
pudent or bashful nature, and having
unlimited opportunities Of strolllng
through the shed wherein our heroine
worked, he often manifested the admI-
ration with which she had inspired him.
But Nellie had always kept him at
arms length, for she not only distrusted
his intentions, but disliked the man. And
she was not over pleased now wher she
discovered him walking at her side,
''Good evening, Miss Pemberton, -
MAYHEM said, in his most warm and win
ming tones, raising his hat SIS he ad-
dressed her, 81 suppose your are going
to the party Dan Ashton is giving at the
'Star'?''
eyes, - Nellie replied coldly, ''and
as I am rather late I must hurry
''But there's no occasion for you to
runaway like that, - he returned, with
q forced laugh, CT am going there, also.
OLD Ashton asked me to come, and when
l learned that you would be there 1
accepted his invitation gladly -
"You will scarcely enjoy yourself, /
fear, - she said, acidly, ''among lot
of rough pit men, factory lads, and mill
girls, Mr.. Mayhem. -
81 can enjoy myself immensely, Miss
Pemberton, wherever you are. l mean
it, by jove, do!'
line pleasure IS all on one side, - was
her quiet, cutting answer.
Chow is it that you dislike me so?''
he asked, with an angry CLEAN in his
pale eyes. ''I am sure that 1 always
showed you the greatest atten ton. -
"Rather too much of il to please me, -
she retorted.
''Some of the other girls would be
pleased enough if ] showed them little
of the attention you despise,'' he re-
marked, greatly annoyed by her sharp
retorts and unconcealed aversion: ''and
plenty of them would have been glad to
accept the little gifts you have always
refused. -
sin that case, Mr.. MAYHEM, - Nellie
replied quietly, 'wouldn I it be as well
if you transferred your attention and
gifts to quarters where they would be
better appreciated?
He made no immediate response TO the |
girl s pointed query but he bit his under |
lip aud swore mentally to conquer yet
the proud and beautiful weaver.
At the commencement of his wooing of
the factory girl Mayhem had taken her |
rebuffs with good grace, for he had
imagined that she was only playing
part in order to draw him on and further
4