Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-19

confess her grievous fault
"And-my father?'' asked Gerard +,
not unmoved.
'Lord Gilmore has been dead four
years, and at his death your brother
Hugh assumed the title, and now bears
it. But it is justly yours-you are now
Lord Gilmore. -
1t is almost impossible to describe the
mingled feelings with which the young
man heard these words. He grew ex-
cited. his face flushed, and his heart
beat fast. The change was so sudden, so
great, and so unexpected, that he SEEM
ed scarcely able to realize it.
land the other fellow he said at
length, chow will he like it?''
The good father could scarcely restrain
the smile which stole over his grave fea-
lures at this naive remark.
''Your brother, I trust, will see the
justice and propriety of giving up posi-
ton which should never have been his
without protest. At all events without
dragging your mothers name into a law
court. But should he resist your claim
it will be your plain duty, and Lady
Gilmore's duty also, to uphold it.
Again Gerard was silen;; he stood
there moving himself uneasily; thinking
thoughts that had not yet had time to
shape themselves into full reality.
at only now rests with me, - conten-
ued Father Hayward, "to give to you
the letter which your mother, Lady Gil
more, entrusted to my care. This is it,
my son, and l pray by Gods blessing it
will be the first link TO unite your heart
to hers, after your long severance. -
Gerard took the letter that the priest
held to him in his milling hand.
"Perhaps you would rather read it
alone?" said the father, considerably
who noticed how agitated the young man
before him really was, and Gerard
eagerly availed himself of this proposal,
and at once quilted the room.
He went up the somewhat narrow,
though well-carpeted stairway of the
farmhouse with hasty steps, and when
he reached the first landing hurried to
his own bedroom, which was situated in
the front of the dwelling, and when he
got there he first shut the door and then
tore open the letter he had received from
the father, which was sealed, the wax
being stamped with the armorial bear
ings of the house of Gilmore. 1t was
headed inside, fTo My Eldest Son, Ger
ard, - and the text ran thus:
My son, ere you read this the good
father will have told you who you really
are, and how /, in my SIN and folly,
strove to deprive you of your just birth
right. But God Himself put out His
hand to punish me and l have fallen
PROSTATE before HIS will. You were
born, my poor son, with another birth
right as well as you fathers name, and
u bitter, bitter one it seemed to me.
Your father was cruel and unjust to me
because you were not straight and shape
~ like himself and the other son, for
whose sake wrongcd you. Gerard. this
other son, whom have loved too we'll,
too well, has been made the whip where
with to scourge me. l Will not write of
him here; it is enough to tell you that his
conduct has made me see mine in its true
light, and bow my head to bear the
punishment which is my due. Do not
blame the only mother you have ever
Brewster-for this good
did not wish to aid me
in the deception which we prac-
ticed on your father until 1 over
persuaded her to do SO, and no
mother could have reared you with great
sr tenderness and care than she has done.
She tells me you have grown strong and
we'll, and you must not forget you owe
this to her. l have written to her, and
she will nc doubt fully confirm the truth
Of my words. And now, my son, there
but remains for me to ask your forgive
ness, and to implOre you to come to me
so that l may bless you before l die.
And do not think that only when 1 learut
your brother's unworthIness that my con-
science stung me! God is my witness
how for years and years l tried to stifle
It's dumb voice, yet it ever pursued me.
Sow-stricken as 1 AMI see things
more clearly; see how vainly we strive to
follow our own weak plans, il they are
opposed to the Almighty's. l will write
40 more, but remain your sorrowing, af-
fectionate mother,
DOROTHY GILMORE"
"P. SIN Father Hayward the
bearer of this, you can safely confide all
your present and future arrangements.
He is a most worthy and excellent man,
and pious and devoted priest of our
Holy church. cd. g."
Gerard read this long letter to the end
With the most strange and varying emo
lions throbbing in his heart, but his first
action after doing so told that personal
ranitY was one of the strongest feelings
If his beng.
He went, in fact, up to the looking
glass, and stood trying to see the effect
IF his own figure at the back. There
we're no cheval glasses at Cragside farm
house, nor even hand glasses. Mrs.
Brewster, indeed, with rare tact for one
If ner station, had always tried to
hide from the son of her love the fact
If his bodily deformity as much
IS possible, and Gerard was proud of
MS handsome face, and extremely angry
4 any allusion was ever made before him
about his figure. True, rude boys at
Ichool had sometimes called him hump
packed - and rough lads in the village,
who were jealous of his money and fine
clothing, had sometimes jibed at him,
out mostly in his absence, for Gerard,
Who was brave and strong in spite OF his
had turned round on one I'M
nannerly young knave and knocked him
Town for some unseemly words. After
his, people did not care much to inter-
ere with Gerard Brewster Gas he was
,alled) and as Gerard was generous and
wen lavish with his money, for anyone
With this Characterization village and |
,ity alike-there are always fiatterers to
,e found.
But his mothers letter and Father |
hayward IS words had brought his bitter |
,irthrisht most wildly and painfully be- |
ore him. They made him. realize for |
he first time that he must be shaped diff
srently 10 his ordinary fellow-msn, and |
he idea was very calling to his heart |