Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-26

eelf 10 Neule IeLnOSi NOA " VIZ
.,o. na was utterly careless as to the
,.s,uences of the trick he had played
IN her he was quite in earnest. Al
.to. momeut his mad. hopeless infatua-
49,, for the lovely Iassie had drowned all
,.har feelings, and for the time being he
t.r+a bravery which made him despise
.soppbts of being brought to book by
her lover for his knavery.
Ro, . little later, when Nellie had
laid awav and he was left alone on the
,5trflge. Walter Hayhew began topper
o.;-s that his conduct had been, not to
r,t too harsh d construction upon it,
somevhat unwise.
AZ last resort he had held out to
Vile the tempting bait-as he cOnsid-
- it-of matrimonial alliance, and
b+s amaZement and unspeakable cha
lin his Droposal had been Immediately
and emphaticalIy refused.
,.1ost tbs Young egOtist was satisfied
,l.o, +ba factory lass cared nothing-had
,arer cared-for him, and that thought
t-o,gbt no balm to his sorely wounded
feelings.
When Nellie bounded away, and her
bo,Iess wooer was left in the wood, he
faoan 10 perceive the mistake into which
his passion had led him.
DesDgte his brave words, Walter was q
coward at heart, and when he began to
consider what might happen to himself,
Tben Mark Eliot heard of the trick
MAYED upon his sweetheart, he felt con-
siderable uneasiness.
Nellie had vowed to tell her lover all !,
and if she did so Mayhem felt certain
that summary chastisement would be
meted out to him by the sturdy and fear
less-hearted young operative, Mark
Eliot.
Such thoughts as these passed through
the young gentleman s mind as he lin
gered beside the brook for a few mo-
mepts. and as he went slowly, thought
fully homeward he cursed his own i'll
stared passion, the luckless scheme he
had devised, and the fair lassie's per-
veTSty.
All the next day Walter Mayhem gave
the two weaving sheds a wide berth. He
was afraid Of meeting either Mark or
Nellie. and To avoid them he scarcely
went beyond the precincts of the offices.
Every moment during the long day his
fears weighed him down, metaphorioally,
and he half expected to encounter Mark
Eliot at every turn.
But the day spent itself, the evening
also, and Mayhem heard nothing. Next
day he was less fearful aad more VEN
turesome. He even ventured so far as
to stroll through the weaving shed and
pass the spot where Nellie worked.
When the girl 5 eyes caught him his
face flushed q little, but he nodded fa-
military, as if nothing unusually had
happened, and TO his intense surprise his
nod was returned in a smiling, good
humored manner.
''What did it mean?' he asked him
self wonderngly. He had expected to
see the lassIe' s eyes flame angrily, her
sweet face TO set itself in a black frown,
the instant they met, and there she was
nodding and smiling, apparently in a
better humOT with him than she had
ever been.
All this was so unexpected that May
hew was compelled to dwell upon it, and
all sorts Of wild thoughts, fair imagin-
Mgs, began to run riot in his breast.
Had Nellie pretended an Indignation
She did not feel the other night on the
bridge: Did she, after all, care for him?
HAD she Al length brought herself to see
me immense benefit that would accrue TO
her from marrying him?
These questions occupied all May
new attention now, and in perfect
FEVER Of unrest he left the weaving shed
ana returned towards the offices, going
through the warehouse
At the bottom OF the long corridor,
winch Joined warehouse and shed, he
came across little Mamie Dean, Nellie's
tenter, with a basket of cops on her
mead. Here was an opportunity that he
must not lose. By questioning the
Nench he could obtain some greatly de-
sired information.
n!d Nellie do or say anything to
you ne said lowly, ''for telling her
L! note was from Mark EIliot?'
HOO on'y laughed when hoo 70 md
piled
he asked in amaze
NoWe.' the lass answered with a
snake Of her laden head.
D4a she say you were never to take
'Hy more notes from me TO her?''
moo Gion I. Hoo sed as was to TEX
EN- when 30 axed me. -
Nay new literally gasped at that. Ev-
- Jung was turning out different from
- eApeciauonS. He waited a few mo-
- uuth one or two teuters passed out
VI nearing. Then he said:
mas Mark Eliot ever been to see you
80 ASK about the note l sent to NeIIie?''
IA, n Fe never seen i'm, Mester May
lc reply. 4U'oN anu lnpAA'-
srr z aLu you say Nellie told you to take
CIV notes gave you?''
IN 11OO 44d, on Y this morn. -
1ua' Will do-there's sixpence. "
n ba-! paI'ed, the tenter hurrying away
roo- ~ WORK, Mayhem going to tho little
-. - sci apart for him, close bv among
ol Lo o-l'es. There he flung himself in a
a. quo alu gave the rein to his thoughts.
to,5 b;a .lIng was clear enough now, he
cTsr Unset Nellie was not mortauy
No. sIueu oy his trick-was apparently
Elm. ""yed at all by it now. She had
nar,ss ,CHAhged her mind since they
csDj.a ~ me wood - or else she had done
Tb TIA OIL Of acting then.
Nerh' que OF those two things was true.
10y t.a! new felt absolutely certain In the
her ton. Neiiie' 5 demeanor that day, of
otbsr .er statements, there was no
Sn5Sa 1pianation of the matter.
turbs5 . me Young dreamer was dis
door - ~ Hls re7erie by q tap on the