Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-24

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They followed this suggestion, and Q
few minutes later rowed up to the stock
ade where Juan was sitting, fishing rod
in hand. with his mandolin lying on one
OF the props of the stocksde beside him
Juan smiled politely as they APP
preached, laid down his rod, and went
to the landing stage to receive them.
They addressed him In English, but
Juan only shook his head, grinned out of
his white teeth and gave them TO under
srand that he knew no English. Then
Mr.. Whitmore tried him in French, but
again Juan shook his head and began
TO tell them volubly in Spanish that that
language was his native and only
tongue.
Neither Mr.. Whitmore nor the detect
ives understood Spanish, AMI therefore
il seemed hopeless to further question
Juan; Mr.. Whitmore pointed 10 Juan s
mandolin, and the black browed,
swarthy rogue instantly accepted this as
an invitation to perform before hem.
He took up his poetic-look n instru-
ment, to which long and varied colored
narrow ribbons of deep rich hues were
attached, and having flung the ribbons
over his shoulder, began TO troll forth in
his full melodious voice some love ditty
of his romantic land.
His song was well worth listening to,
and the whole appearance of the man
was so picturesque and striking that Mr..
Whitmore consit cred the performance
quite worth the shilling which he flung
at Juan 8 feet, who picked 1t up, grinned
and took of his tall pointed hat and
seemed perfectly satisfied with the i'm
preston he had made
"He's a fine looking fellow said
Whitmore as they rowed again into the
open, "but he looks bit of a scamp; 1
wonder who he belongs tori
"ProbaEIy TO some Span sh merchant
who is settled IN town. answered one
of the detectives; s'these people take
these small places down the river for the
summer months.
"Most likely" answered Whitmore
carelessly. and then the subject was
dropped; and the little riverside villa
where Gerard, Lord Gilmore, had sat so
often of late soon faded from their view.
And all their researches and inquiries
proved as vain as this row up the river.
Hundreds of people knew Lord Gilmore
by sight, but no one knew anything
about his movements on the 29th of
April, the day he disappeared, except
Mrs. May and the servants of the Rock
cry, and the stationmaster. Nothing
would shake the stationmaster in the
statement which he had made, that he
had seen and spoken TO Lord Gilmore on
the evening of the 29th of April, at
few minutes before IL O'Clock, and that
he had seen him enter the train.
eff he left in the train, then 1t is no
use looking for him at Maidenhead, -
the detective decided, and therefore
quilted the place, and search along
the whole line of railway from Maiden
head to town was at once instituted.
In the meanwhile poor May, unable
any longer to endure the misery of her
positio turned IN her loneliness and
wretchedness to the father whom she
had forsaken. To the intense surprise
of John Summers, therefore, about
fortnight after the disappearance of Gill
more, the rural postman one morning
delivered at his house a letter In his
handwriting.
Johns rugged brown face flushed
scarlet the moment his eyes fell upon 1t,
and then he drew out his horn spectacles
and having with trembling hands ad-
justed them, began to read the piteous,
heart broken words;
"My dearest father: Perhaps you
will be too angry with me TO read this,
yet If you knew all the misery and trou-
BILE am in, think you would not be. 1
know behaved very badly in leaving
you as did, but Gerard-my poor, poor
Gerard-gave me no choice. We
were engaged to be married when
Gerard lett Scarley and then when
he became Lord Gilmore, he wrote to me
to meet him in secret, and said he would
keep his promise and marry me, but that
our marriage must be kept a secret from
every one for the present. l prayed
very hard to tell you, but he would not
and at last gave in. We were
in London at church all right,
and then ct another church, because
Gerard had been brought up Roman
Catholic. loved him very dearly, dear
and we were very happy, though
/ fretted about you, and about people
not knowing that we were married. But
the dreadful part of my news lie yet to
come. fortnight ago-on the 29th OF
April--Gerard told me he was going up to
London to Il dance which a bachelor friend
Of his intended to give on that night. l
forgot to tell you that he has bought q
house for me down here, and that~he
lives here, but he has rooms in
London where he stays when he goes
there. Dear father, he started in time
to go to this dance, and l have never
seen or heard of him againi All sorts of
cruel things are said about his disappear
ancs because people do not know that we
are really married, and some think he
has just run away and left me. But
10 not think this because he has good
heart-I think something dreadful has
happened to him, and l am In utter
misery about him. Dear father, will
you forgive me and come to me in my
great, great trouble? 1 will not write
any more now for l am broken down
With grief; but hoping soon to hear from
you and see you, remain your affection
lite daughter, MAY
John Sumner read this sorrowful letter
vice, and then sank down on his knees
n solemn heartfelt prayer. 1t had been
more bitter than death to him, the
thought that his child was living life
IF shame, and the knowledge of her
swept great black cloud
rom his soul. Long he knelt there.
forth in untutored language his
and gratitude; praying as
he had sometimes prayed when in great
LANCER on the deep; when the mighty |
waves had opened as If TO swallow him |
md his small craft, and yet He who |
made the sea and the wonders thereof |