Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-13

anu " nlOAl HIS SuOCly hAilhiJ hOAOo
were unfamiliar. So Yetta Gas the chill
dren called herr drew down the blinds
with a sad heart, and the little group of
mourners chung together in the semi
darkness weeping and walling for their
dead, while the rain beat against the
wIndow-panes, and the wind sighed and
moaned round the desolated home.
The next few days were very misera-
BILE ones. Mrs. LOTUS wandered about
for the first two nights unable to bear
the burden of her anguish if she were
still, and the consequences Of this was
that she took a chill and was seized with
congestion of the lungs, and the bodily
pain perhaps helped TO benumb at the
time her great n lasting sorrow. Her
mothers illness at all events reused
Nancy from her first deep grief. She
had to loo after everything now, for
the doctor ordered that Mrs. LOTUS was
not to be disturbed, and Nancy had no
other relation near to help her.
The poor girl tried to be very brave,
but it was a heavy task that she was
forced to undertake. Her fathers
death not only was q great and terrible
blow to them all, but it meant also loss
of position and income, for Colonel Lof-
tus had been able to save very little.
Many kindly letters of sympathy came
to the little house in the quiet suburb
which Mrs. LOTUS had taken for herself
n her children to await her husband g
return. These letters were from the Of
fcers of Colonel LOTUS regiment; from
their wives; from the many friends and
acquaintance be had made during his
wanderings, were one and all couched in
terms of the deepest and most Affection
70 -orraf fo- Thn -anSn1 I-S.lI-
who was gone.
he has lost a friend, - wrote one; ''his
untimely death has spread a universal
gloom over us, - another had penned;
ave feel most deeply for you all, -
most tTuthfully affirmed a third.
Nancy had to open these letters, read
them, and answer them, While her
mother lay weak and sometimes half de-
lirious up stairs. And little 10y little
first after a visit from her fathers law
yer, which was intended for her mother,
but Mrs. Lotus was too i'll to see him
Nancy began to understand that they
would be very poor; that there was not,
indeed, sufficient left to support them
even IN ordinary comfort.
One Of these letters of coincidence
mentioned their wan of means plainly,
though very kindly. This letter was
from Lady Blenkensop, Gen. Sir
Charles Blenkensop's wife, and both
Lady BIenkensop and Sir Charles were
old intimate friends of Col. and Mrs.
Lotus. 1t vas addressed to Mrs. Loft
tus, but Nancy having by her mothers
wish opened it, she began to realize in
full their unfortunate position.
1t commenced by expressing the true
sorrow that the general and herself alike
felt at the loss of $50 kind and worthy a
man as your dear husbGnd; - n it went
on in sym%pathising terms to regret thai
Lady Bleukensop feared and had heard
that Col. Lotus having thus been cut
off in the midst of his days, would have
been unable to leave a sufficient provis-
ion for his family.
land now my dear Mrs. LOTUS -
wrote this plain spoken friend, al. 5do
trust that if either the general OF. myself
can do anything to assist you in your
troubles that you will not hesitate to ap-
ply to us. have been thinking about
your eldest girl; she is Old enough to do
SO, and naturally viii be most anxious
to help her widowed mother, and my po-
sition here would, l am quite sure, en-
able me to procure her~a good situation
in one of the families around. When
you write tell me what you think of this
scheme. You will have more than
enough to do to rear and educate the
two younger children, and then your
boy ct school! Nancy is a fine girl, and
it is her duty now to endeaYor to assist
you, and l shall be glad to learn that she
is willing to do 500
AS Nancy read these words her pretty
face flushed and her breath came short.
They were 9 shock and a revelation to
her, for though she knew they would be
poor, the idea of taking a situation had
never once presented itself to her mind.
LADY ~Blenkensop has no right to
make such a suggestion ~ she thought,
her head proudly; but a minute
later it fell! About the children she
Sas thinking; land Bob at .sehool-he
must stay at school, and it costs so
mueh.P
She could not consult her mother, for
LOTUS illness had weakened her
so terribly that Nancy had strict orders
form the doctor not to say anything to
that could possibly disturb her. So
after much thought Nancw at last de-
cided to go down to the lawyer office,
who had called upon them after the Jews
had arrived of Col. LOTUS death, and
" LIZ. hhA IlAA hihGCO Liid NC |
feared his late clients affairs had not
been left in a very prosperous condition. !
Nancy started on her expedition in an
omnibus by way of spending as little as
she could, but got nervous and lost her
way in the crowded city, and finally had
to take refuge in q cab. When she
Mr.. Bsyford's offices she trem-
blingly sent up her card, and a few mo-
ments later was ushered into a well-fur-
nished room, where a smiling, good
middle-aged man rose to receive
the frightened girl.
This was Mr.. Bayford himself, aud as
be had been a personal friend of Col. |
he now felt a sincere pity for his
His manner to Nancy, there
was very kind, but he had too
much good sense to disguise the sad
truth from her.
cts a most unfortunate case, Miss
l am sorry to tell you,' he
said in answer to Nancy's timid inquiries
concerning their means; there is your
fSther's last letter to me- be
went on opening a drawer IN the table
before him and taking out a hin envel-
Ope, "only written a few days before
his sudden death, in which he stated he
" ished to insure his life for three thous-