Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-04

promise of marrying her-no doubt this
Is the same
eyes, - said Nancy, and she gave a
little shudder; but she was not thinking
only that she WIS forsaken.
''You would like your mother with
you, would you not?" Erne said, the
next moment. "Let me telegraph for
| her?''
'I would like her to come-oh! so
much-but don t telegraph to her, for it
might frighten her-would it be a great
trouble TO you TO go for her7''
cit would be no trouble whatever,
but do not like to leave you alone
| "why?' asked Nancy. aud the color
flushed back to her sweet face, and she
raised her head little proudly. "'Do
| you think such q letter as that and
she pointed TO the letter lying on the
| table, "could break my hearth
81 hope not, trust mott pray you
will never break your heart for one SO
| unworthy
"No; but if you will go for my
mother, Maj. Erne-and-aud tell her
it would spare me some pain and shame
though l know l have no claim to ask
this favor OF you
mo claiml'' echoed Erne, aud q
| great throb through his heart. But he
crushed back his thoughts-the thoughts
of the sweet, bright girl he had loved
long sgo-of the fair woman whose head
had lain on his breast in her great peril,
and who now stood before him insulted
and forsaken.
81 will 60 at once - he said, turning
away his head with quick movement TO
| hide his emotion. 81 know Mrs. LOTUS
address, called there this week,
| though did not see her-for the present
| then goodbye
He held out his hand, and clasped
| Nancy's for one moment, and was
gone. After he left her, Nancy gave
one long, quivering, shuddering sigh,
and stood there with that haunting
shadow of her soul creeping still nearer.
"He has gone because he Is afraid to
stay she thought; "this woman is the
| excuse.
A little while later Maj. Erne reached
Mrs. LOTUS house in West Ham pstsad,
and, to his annoyance when he was
ushered into the little drawing room, he
found another, and substantial lady,
seated there as well as the sad-fnced
widow.
This was no other than "Aunt Fan
nie'' (Mrs. Barclay who had an ap-
proving eye for good-lonking young men,
and commenced smiling very gracIously,
after she was introduced to him, on the
handsome soldier. This added not lit
tie to Erne's Impotence, and at last he
was driven TO inquire of Mrs. LOTUS if
he could speak to her few moments in
private.
"Certainly, said Mrs. Lotus, ris-
To, - a
dlngy red.
''If am in the WAY she said.
"Oh, no. answered Maj. Erne,
courteously, ''but l have a message for
Mrs. Loftus-aud should like to speak to
her few moments alone.
Upon this Mrs. LOTUS led the way to
the dining room and Maj. Erne followed
her, and, having shut the door, COM
menced to tell his news.
"I have just left Mrs. Clifford - he
said, casting down his eyes, for it was
very painful to him to grieve this woman
of many sorrows, "and-she wishes to
see you as soon rs possible.
"Nancy she is not ill, is she?" asked
the fond mother in quick alarm.
"No, not i'll; but am sorry to say in
great trouble.
"What is the matter? Oh! Maj.
Erne, you are not deceiving me about
her health
al swear am not, but she has had
letter from Mr.. Clifford this afternoon-a
most extraordinary letter.
"From her husband? He is abroad-hRs
anything happened to him?''
"He has written in very cold, hard
words to tell Nauoy-Mrs. Gifford-that
he has forsaken her; that he has gone to
live with another woman
A sudden scarlet flush rose to Mrs.
LOTUS delicate skin.
. oil cannot believe it, she said
with some dignity.
at is almost impossible to believe it,
a yet IL is so. Mr.. Clifford has written
deliberately to tell his wife that he does
not mean to return TO her, and he has
made all arrangements regarding money,
and ex pressed a wish that she should
either live with his mother, or that you
should live with her.
"Ohi this cannot be truel''
Unfortunately it is too true, Mrs.
Lotus; his conduct is simply disgraceful
and to anyone like
He did not finish his sentence; he bit
his lips, and suppressed the words he
fam would have spoken, but Mrs. LOTUS
never noticed his agitation in her own
overpowering emotion.
"And did she send for me?' she
asked. TREMENDOUSLY. "My poor, poor
girI!'
eyes. happened to be calling on her
to bid her goodbye, before 1 left town.
when this disgrsceful letter arrived-and
she asked me to go for you, and tell you
its contents.
"Oh, my poor Nancy J" said Mrs.
LOTUS, deeply affected. 81 don t mind
telling you, Major Erne, as you are such
an old friend, that have seen for long
that she was not happy-and lately she
has looked so very ill -
''She looks i'll and worried-but this
man, her husband, said in his letter she
would be happier without him, and we
must hope that she will be. -
land she wishes me to go to her at
once ?"
eyes, If you can do so, will take
you back in the hanson came in; l
kept it waiting on purpose.
'Tbat is her aunt upstairs, Mrs. Bar
clsy-I must say to her Nancy Is not
very we'll, and wishes me to go to her
best say nothing more.'
elf you like, )" said Erue. who was al
ways considerable, al can go and talk to
Mrs. Barclay while you make any pre-
parations for leaving home that you may