Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-19

all, shall have to go, that's all, and
then you may have cause to regret your
cowardly act
''No matter what the consequences
may be, am not going to confess any
thing to Mark Eliot curse him!' he NUT
tered, sullenly. Cpd rather wiring his
Internal neck than ask favor from him.
And if you choose to make a noise about
this business, your own reputation will
suffer worse than mine. Plenty of peo-
pie will think that you were ready enough
to meet me.
She turned to go, but he again de-
tanned her, grasping her roughly by the
arms.
''Why shouldn't what is to prevent
me forcing you TO my wishes?'' he cried,
in a tone of real savage desperation.
''Then your lover would never look at
you again, and you would be glad
enough to become my wife!''
His brutal threat terrified her, but she
was powerless to fee. He had seized an
elbow in each hand, and in his excite
ment his fingers clinohed tightly, bruis-
ing the lassie s soft flesh. He Ieant for
ward, thrust his face suddenly into the
girl S and attempted to kiss her lips.
With low, piercing shrek Nelly
flung herself backwards to avoid the
touch of his detested lips, and her outcry
caused him to relax his hold upon her
arms and hiss:
'Hush! hush! you fool, don t mean
to hurt you! Don't run-come back;
l m sorry!''
He might as well have addressed the
light wind that was stirring the leaves
O'erhead as the frightened lassie. Find
- E., , Il
her prosecutor and sped alongside the
brook, swift as startled hare, and new
er abated her speed until she reached the
main avenue and the white stone lodge
and great entrance gates were in sight.
Then she glanced behind to see if she
was followed, and finding no trace of
Mayhew she slaokened her pace to
walk.
The Iassie's feelings at this moment
may be imagined. She was half wild
owing to the indignity she had been sub
jected to by Mayhem, whom she now
hated more than ever on account of the
despicable trick he had played upon her,
and she was greatly troubled by the
thought that Mark or one of his compan-
ions might have recognized her when
passing over the bridge.
And her fair face grew red and hot
with innocent shame as she asked herself
what her lover would think of her in case
he had, identified her as Walter Mayhem
companion? She bit her lip with morti-
ficatiOu, and big bitter tears rolled down
her cheeks.
1t seemed terribly hard to her that her
lover ana others also should be led to
think evilly of her even for a moment
when she was perfectly blameless-the
victim of heartless scamp's cunning
device.
She bitterly regretted now that she
had not braved the whole matter out be-
fore Mark and the others. If she had
only taken her lover into her confidence
at the moment of his appearance on the
bridge and exposed his rivals meanness
all would have been well.
Now, the worst might happen. Mark
would suspect her of the blacklist things
and his companions might set the whole
town gossipIng about her meeting May
heW in the wood.
All these thoughts fitted through the
poor Iassie's mind as she walked slowly
up the avenue and emerged from the
gates. At first she thought of going
home and confidi1g all her trouble and
anxiety to her foster mother. Then she
half decided to seek her tenter for the
purpose or upbraiding her for lending
herself to the gentlemanly scoundrel
plan.
Finally, Nellie made her way to the
home of her bosom friend and compan-
ion, Annie Farrimond, to whom she mar
rated all that had happened since she
received that note which she supposed
her lover had sent.
''You made a great mistake, ''Nel- |
lie, - Annie said, gravely, when the |
other had finished, Gin not stopping |
Mark and telling him all. 1t would |
have been very easy then to have cleared |
yourself and exposed the villain. -
81 was so startled on hearing mark s |
voice, - Nellie replied, ''that I nearly |
tainted, and when L recovered myself he
had gone. l ought to have made myself |
znown-ought to have spoken, but was
so frightened that could not do so. -
"well, you must see him at once and
ell him all. If you let the matter pass
low the trouble Will grow. Mark is sem
'ible enough to listen to your explana-
ion, and you can easily prove that May
lew is solely to blame. -
fSuppose 1 write to Mark to-night?'
Nellie questioned.
"Nonsense!' Annie cried. ''Why
hould you? You say he was going to
lear some lecture at Hagh. Well,
lie IL be coming home about 10. What
advise you to do is this. You know the
way he will go home?''
''Of course.
Gwen, wait for him somewhere and
ell him everything. Five minutes chat
With him will be better than score of
etters.''
Nellie saw the force of such reasoning,
nd she resolved to adopt her friends
and see her lover that very
light.
About an hour after this, Nellie Penn
erton and Mark Elliot met, but the
manner of their meeting was hardly of
UGH character as the girl had bar
aimed for even in the blacklist moments
( her dependency.
Nellie WAS quietly sauntering along the
op end of Mitigate on the lookout for
lark, whom she knew would pass that
7ay home, and just as the parish
hurch chimed the hour of 10 she recog-
lied her lovers form approaching.
He was alone and that fact gave Nellie I
ourage. Had he been accompanied by
nyone she was afraid she would have
,t him go py unquestioned; now she