Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-18

terrace in front of the house she per-
ceived Nancy LOTUS and the children
passing and repassing on the walks,
which had been swept.
There are your children, Lady Gill
more, % she said, land who is that
pretty girl walking with them?"
THAT is their young governess, Miss
Lotus, replied Lady Gilmore.
'She seems a handsome girl?''
'She is goodlooking; she was recon-
] mended by Lady Blenkensop, the gen.
eral g wife, you know.
"Ah, " answered Miss Butler,
thoughtfully, and she said nothing more
She was watching the slender girlish
figure in black on the terrace below,
noting the blooming complexion and the
1.-the, light footsteps. Other eyes also were
Watching that slight form. Gilmore,
impatient of restraint, always felt angry
when he saw Nancy LOTUS and his little
sisters, that he was bound by his promise
to Nancy not to join them, and his fancy
grew stronger and stronger for the dark
eyed governess.
After luncheon he went down to chat
with Miss Butler, and at his mothers
suggestion walked out with her for half
an hour on the terrace also in the frosty
air. The Hon. Kate was charming and
lively as usual, and her laugh rang clear
and shrill. She amused Gilmore with
society gossip and bright sayings, but he
gave little SILVER when the blast grew
stronger, and faint shower of snow be-
gan to fall, and said it was too chill for
him to dare TO remain out any longer.
81 have to wrap myself up like an old
woman, you know now he said smiI-
ing, 81 am always freezing -
Bye and by you will be quite well
and strong again.
81 hope so, but do not feel up to
much now
He accompanied her back to his moth
er's room, and talked to her q little
while there, but when Lady Gilmore said
she would send for the children to have
tea in the boudoir, so that Miss Butler
might be introduced to them, Gilmore
made an excuse that he was going to
smoke, and so again left the two ladies
to themselves. But Gilmore was not 60
ing to smoke; he had head his mother
request the footman to bring the chill
dreu 10 her room, and he meant to seize
this opportunity to have another inter-
view, with Nancy Lotus.
A quarter of an hour later Nancy heard
a light rap at the schoolroom door, as
she sat alone there, and when che said
leone in, - Gilmore's smiling face ap-
peared.
MAY enter?' he asked.
"Oh, no, no, - said Nancy, rising in
quick alarm, 1.-THE children are only gone
for few minutes, you must not come in
here
"Come and walk in the corridor then
for little while. it seems an age since l
saw you last
Nancy went to the schoolroom door,
and as she stood a moment there, he took
her hand, and drew her gently into the
corridor.
"Let US go to the other end +" he said
in a low tone, ''and when they come
back we shall hear them, and 1 can es-
cape by the staircase.
"But this is wrong, 1 am sure 1t is
wrong" half-whispered Nancy, who
felt afraid.
eyes, wrong that we can't walk and
talk openly together--not wrong that
should wish to seee you.'
"And Miss Butler-I saw you walking
on the terrace with her this morning?''
Eyes l have just come IN from a duty
walk that my mother forced upon me,
but all the time was wishing was here,
and when she sent for the children 1
maze an excuse and here 1 am you see. -
"Miss Butler seems very haudsome?"
'fShe's fine SNOWY sort of girl, and
oh, doesn t she talk. ~
"Well, do you mean?"
"Rather amusingly, but felt Intense
ly bored, as all the time 1 was wishing
TO be with you.
It must be admitted that these words
were very pleasant to Nancy's ears. She
orHf al
that he so greatly admired her. Yet she
always felt half-guilty when she was
talking to him, and when she had met
him at the end of the corridor to receive
the books he had promised her, she had
told him that she really dare not do SO
again.
But Gilmore would not listen.
"Did you shut the children into the
school room?, he asked.
Eyes, but cannot tell they will stay
there, you know
"But surely you can have a few mo-
ments to yourself-a few moments for
me?n
''But just think, Lord Gilmore"
"WiIl you not risk something for my
sake? l know 1 would risk much for
yours.
Nancy's heart beat very fast at these
words, and though she only stayed few
minutes with Gilmore, she admitted to
herself when she reached her own bed
room carrying the packet of books
that he had brought her, that these
stolen interviews were very sweet. Yet
the next morning she felt very repentent,
for the post brought her long and low
ing letter from her dear mother.
Mrs. Lotus had felt Nancy's loss at
home even more keenlY than she had ex-
pected. Aud they had had sickness in
the little house, for Mrs. Barclay (Aunt
Fannie) had been seized with so severe
an attack of bronchitis that she had
never been able TO leave her sister-in-
law, and had felt so alarmed about her
own health that she was afraid to go
abroad alone, according to her usual
custom, in the winter.
All this home news-the little strug- !
giles and trials-seemed a sort of reproaoh |
to Nancy, when she reflected that she |
was certainly Tisking her chance of help |
ing her mother by her imprudence in |
meeting Lord Gilmore. Still she was but |
a girl. And her life at Wrothsley had |
been dull one before her ao-
quaintance with Gilmore commenced. |
But she made up her mind to be very |
and Gilmore did not see her for |
two days; not until his mother sent for
the children to have tea with Miss Butter |
fla