Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-02
-FOR-
LOVE OF A LANCASHIRE LASS:
A ROMANCE OF FACTORY LIFE.
BY. II. FOSTER,
Author of "a Pit Brow Lassie," "The
Black Moss Mystery" Etc.
r o II
BY J. II. FOSTER,
JAIL RIGHTS Reserved
CHAPTER xLvu.-MAN AND WIFE.

CHAPTER XLvH.-MAN AND WIFE.
On the verge of the wood, near the
great white arch and small stone lodges
which marked the entrance thereto,
Nellie paused Tor a moment or two after
leaving Mark Eliot, and glanced up aud
dow the quiet lane.
She was calm enough now, outwardly.
The storm had passed aud all the forces
of passionate expression seemed to have
spent themselves in that soul-trying and
heart-sesring interview she had had with
her old sweetheart.
On the previous evening she had ig-
norantly imagined that she had plumbed
the lowest, the blacklist depth of the pit
of despair; but the events of the past
hour had plunged her into a lower and
still darker deep.
For brief space she stood there,
thinking of the two ways which lay open
TO her To the right lay the house of
her husband-to the left the home she
had left but two short days ago.
At that moment only one idea held
possession of the distressed and storm
she be able to regard Walter Mayhem
with kindly eyes: never again would she
permit either herself or the world to re-
gard her as his wife, and nevermore
should such q scoundrel's dwelling place
be known as her home.
The Indifference she had previously
manifested towards him was vanished
now, and in its place a hatred of the
most intense kind had sprung up. Out
of mistaken notion of Mayhem s char
acter she had married him, and only
when it was too late had she discovered
his cruelty and baseness.
Not only had her husband wrecked
Mark Eliot's life, but had made of him
murderer: and in thus striking at tho
man she loved, and whom she falsely
judged, he had struck her.
The terrible mistake she had made was
irreparable; what was done was beyond
recall; and all that was left for her TO do
was to protest in the strongest, the most
eloquent way in her power against the
unspeakably vile trick which had been
played upon her and Mark.
That protest she WAS about to make
now by returning to the home whence
Mayhem had taken her. When he
sought her there, and urged his marital
claims upon her she would overw helm
him-put him to shame with the tale of
his own infamy.
She turned from the stately archway
and went along the deserted high road
all these thoughts burning in her brain,
ami with load of darkest despair weigh
ing on her heart.
She had not taken many PAGES when
an approaching figure caught her eyes,
no 1Dhf M ar n a.
her husband. Calmly, resolutely, she
went on, her soul rising in hottest re-
volt, and in a moment the outraged
woman and her husband met face to
face.
'Nellie! You here!'' he exclaimed In
amaze. "were you coming to meet me?
l N sorry l have been so long-or were
you only taking waikiki
"Neither, - she cried, and her white
face and flaming, unfinching eyes met
his own with a look that disturbed him.
''Where then?' he asked. his uneasi-
ness increasing, and his gaze wandering
from his wife s stony countenance.
'Home-not there pointing up the
lane, "but to the Star, where l shall
stay
"what is the matter? You are i'll!
What has disturbed your" and he laid
his hand on her arm.
don t touch mei'' she Kissed recoil-
ing, 81 have seen Mark Eliot.
Him! Has he dared to approach
you now that you are my wIfe?"
"'Your wife!'' with an indescribable
attempt 81 wish l had died in the
church, that day before the wedding
took place.
This is folly, Nellie. What lies has
that fellow told you? Where did you see
him?''
"He asked me to meet him in the
wood
land you2'
"Went-you can guess what he had to
tell me-.
"My God!" he burst forth "And
ings of a discarded lover? To meet an
old fame in the WOOD alone, and at
night? 1 should have thought you would
have had more care for your own good
name, and your husband s honorih
"And you talk of honor? You who
stabbed Mark Eliot with the blacklist lie
that ever man invented! Who
prompted Dan Ashton to write that lying
letter about nv death? Who sent that
false paragraph to the Guardian? You'll
God help me, you'll"
'.what nonsense is this?" he retorted
with affected surprise. Whatever Dan
Ashton may have done 1 know nothing
of it, You will not hold me responsible
for that which have not done?'
ITS lie! An infamous liel Dan
Ashton has confessed that you urged him
20 do it. You were the instigator; he
was only the tool! You are the man who
ought to have been killed-to take your
life would be no crime, and if 1 had
pistol would shoot you'll
"Are you mad? Is this the reward for
my forbearance? You seem to forget
that you are my wifel''
al shall never forget that, God help
mel To undo the mistake l made the
other morning I would give or do any
thing. l cannot think of any deeper,
blacker degradation than that of being
your wife. -
"Be careful what you say - he Kissed,
his passion rising. "What you say now
you may wish unsaid before long,
81 shall never regret anything 1 may
say of you. 1 cannot find words mean,
foul, strong enough to express my de-
testation!" she retorted. 'You know
that never loved you, and l hate you
nowl''
''Your love or hatred is all the same
to mel' he cried with sneer. 'sYou
are my wife: that is all 1 schemed for,
ard hava won