Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-21
JAIL RIGHTS RESERVED. ]
CHAPTER xxxvn.-rHE SECOND MEETING.

bne chlleu herself, on AIe bIoal ohAN S1----N
waters of the Thames. 1t did not last very long,
for Madame de Casta soon tired, or affected to
tire of the exerton of rowing. but ii lasted long
enough to fill Gillmore's heart with absolute
enthusiasm for her beauty.
After they had proceeded about quarter OLA
mile further up the river, from the point where
they first met. madame stretched out one OF her
white uncovered hands toward little villa,
standing with only the depth of the garden in
front OF IL from the waters edge.
THAT Is my small nest, she said, that L
have taken for your English summer; then,
when your fogs come must fly southwark
And you live there, all alone?' asked Gil
more.
IAN Alone answered madame, smiling;
land now am going to pull ashore, fo- my
arms do ache SO badly with the weight OF the
She pushed back her sleeves, as she spoke,
and showed her beautiful white arms to Gil
more admiring gaze.
Let me row you in, if you are tired he
hold of hers. ~ can soon change if you will
give me lesve?''
~ do give you leave, Lord Gilmore
A minute later Gilmore beside her, and
had taken her oars from her willing hands.
but your boat?'' she said
at must take its chance; will catch it up If
you will lend me yours, after l have seen you
safely ashore.
He then rowed Ter in, up to a sort of stockade
at the foot of the garden of the villa which part
ed it from the river and formed a barrier against
its encroachments, and on one of the posts OF
this stockade a dark, swarthy looking man was
sitting contentedly fishing.
Does that black proved fellow belong to
your asked Gilmore.
Eyes, that is my servant, - she answered.
''He looks like Spaniard,' - said Gilmore.
At this moment the man, having seen them ap
preaching carefully laid his fishing rod on the
stockade and went towards the landing place,
while Madame de Costa gave him some direc-
lions in Spanish, of which Gilmore did not I'M
derstand a single word.
The swarthy black browed man grinned as he
l11gf in n1sh and 1pfiH pH
ne had an evil, though somewhat handsome
face. He pulled in the boat, and was about to
hand madame out of it, when Gilmore leaped
ashore, and eagerly offered his assistance, which
madame gracefully accepted.
u must thank you again, - she Baid, as they
stood moment or two together on the landing
''What for?'' he answered smilingly. with his
BRIGHT hazel eyes fixed on her face.
MAY ask some reward, then?'' said Gilmore
boldly, ''for my small service. II you deem it
one?''
land what do you wish?''
TO see you sometimes to be allowed to visit
you sometimes?''
81 will be very glad TO see Lord Gilmore
Again Gilmore raised his blue cloth cap, and
then stepped back into madame's boat.
Il viii come Tomorrow he said, smiling;
lido not be so cruel as to refuse to see me, mad
ame.''
She smiled too, and then babe the spaniard.
whom she called Juan, get into the boat also, to
bring it back after Gilmore had reclaimed his
own. Then she stood and watched them
out, and GiImore's hazel eyes were still fixed
upon her face.
But as they passed out of sight her expression
suddenly changed, and tragic, even TEL rible,
look stole over her beautiful features.
''He is too hke-too like the other, - she
murmured, clasping her hand over her heart,
If to still its wild throbbings, "but for his sake
i must not hesitate
Long she stood there with her eyes fixed on
the shining river. but she was not thinking of
the golden CLEANS the ripping tide Juan
rowed in presently. and grinned again at her, as
hoe NNfas1N boat to ? ~,
calmly resumed his fishing, but Madame de
Costa neither looked at him nor spoke to him.
Presently, however, she reused herself from her
abstraction, and in her languid graceful fashion
proceeded up the garden TO the villa, which she
entered by one OF the windows that opened on
the little terrace in front. Then she went
through the luxuriously furnished room she
had entered, into inner room beyond, and
kneeling down before an mlaid cabinet, she
locked it with little golden key, that hung
from her girde.
Still kneeling she drew forth from this cabinet
a portrait-the portrait of man young and
handsome and kissed 1t passionately, pressing
it against her bosom as If it were some living
thing.
murmured, as she gazed with her dark lustrous
eyes on the smiling pictured face.
but thev are too like, too like, - she repeated
again below her breath, and a moan escaped her
lips, as if wrung forth by some strong mental
agony. And while she still knelt thus another
woman entered the room; a woman long past
her first youth, and dark and swarthy looking
like the Spaniard Juan, to whom she bore a
strong reseInbla
well - she said in Spanish, addressing
madame de Costa Familiarity, have you shared
the bird yet? | saw you from the windows row
in with man
'Be silent! be silent!'' cried madame de
Costa with sudden anger in her one, rising to
her feet. go from this room-I do not want
TO talk
The Spanish woman shrugged her shoulders
and obeyed her. and then Madams de Costa hav-
ing once more kissed the portrait. locked it
away, and sat down by one of the windows of
hl1,u In,, dc
eyes her heart full of strange, terrible vet Oft
times tender thoughts:
In the meantime Gilmore WAS rowing down
the river towards Maidsnhead full of excite
Inent. Never before had he looked on such a
face as Madame de Costa's he told himself:
ardent admirer of beauty, and the rich
Southern tiuts, the wondrous lustre in madame's
dark eyes, seemed TO have completely fascinated
''she is more like some lovely Andalusian
woman, than Frenchwoman. - he thought re-
calling madams charms, but she said the
South of France, so very likely she has some
Spanish blood in her veins.
He was stin thinking Of her when he reached
Maidenhead, and after leaving his boat, walEad
up to the pleasant old house he had byuELt
there, which stood amidst some green fields a
little apart from the town. As he entered the
garden he heard voices, and when he neared the |
house, saw standing before it, enjoying the sun
shine, May and Mr.. Whtmore, who the
young man who had accidently encountered
John Summers at Gilmore's rooms in town.
"Ah, Whitmore, > cried Gilmore, for he was |
always hospitable, run down TO have breath |
of fresh air, Ell? Awfully GLAD to see you.''
Thanks old fellow answered Mr.. Whit
mere, shaking Gilmores outstretched hand: II |
was Just telling Mrs. May here, it's such a |
lovely day thought would look you up
Delighted to see you-come into the house |
and have drink; I've been rowing and feel |
confoundedI y thirsty
But not du ring this drink nor the many |
drinks that followed during the course OF |
the day. did Gilmore give one hint of his adj /
venture with the dark-eyed woman on the river.
Nor did he speak of it to May, and yet it was |
always present in his mind. and 10 his secret |
he found that Mr.. Whtmore not |
only intended to spend the day, but to remain |
all night also al the Rookery, the old house |
he had bought was named, because in their |
mysterious fashion small colony of the sable
hued birds had dwelt for generations in some |
ancient elms at the garden foot.
Gilmore was too hospitable to hint that he
wished his friend TO go, and to his vexation Mr.
beat part of the next day, and it was late in the
afternoon before Gilmore found himself free
II am going for a row up the river, - he told
Nay, NOW we'v got rid of that fellow
1T will be very nice on the river now - said |
May little wistfully for she also thought she
should like q row.
But Gilmore did not offer to take her. and in
deed made haste to leave the house, lest she
should ask to accompany him. Soon then he
on his way to the little riverside villa, and as
he rev near il. he perceived Madame de Costa
sitt ng idly in boat, Just in front Of the stock
ade and the Spaniard Juan fishing from pre-
cise.y the same spot where he had been sitting |