Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-21

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who went and stole away, always in the dark
hours. When he was at the villa there were only
soft words spoken and soft sounds heard Juan
sat fishing all day long, apparently with his
manoollne ofttimes lying beside him, and would
grim and open his greedy palms for the gold
coins which Gilmore SO freely thrust into them,
his departing footsteps; never dreamed of any
evil, except the dream of false love, in which he
was daily becoming faster and faster entangled.
He would not even listen now to poor May s
entreaties to have their marriage acknowledged;
and would make her no promise when it would
be. She could not understand what had come
over him and changed him so, for Gilmore kept
his visits to the riverside villa profound ret,
and never once breathed Madame de Costa s
name.
At last towards the end of April-on the 2sth-
as they stood alone together beneath the trees in
the garden, just about a month after they had
first met, in ardent and impassioned language
Gilmore dared to speak of the love which now SO
completely filed his heart.
And the woman to whom he spoke, listened as
though half reluctantly; listened with down
cast eyes and heaving breast. But she let her
hands rest in his, and did not reproach him for
his fond and eager words.
"lf you could love me only little-ever so
little, pleaded Gilmore.
''Must it be littles'' she whispered beneath
her breath, and as the words passed her lips,
Gilmore caught her in his arms, and poured the
most passionate VOWS and protestations in her
shrinking ears
The next day-April 29th-he told May he was
bail given by one of his bachelor friends, but
that he would be back the following morning
probably by midday at least.
He dined at home, but left the Rookery in
time to catch late train up to London and
told May that he preferred to walk to the
station. He had sent on some luggage addressed
to his bachelor room. in Piccadilly during the
mo rning, and he wore thin overcoat when he
started. May went with him to the hall door,
but when she raised her face to give him fare
well kiss, he hesitated moment, and then
stopped down and kissed her on the brow.
Take care of YOURSELF he said, not I'M
kindly, and after shaking hands with her he
went out, and disappeared in the darkness, for
the mig hit was wet and gloomy, and May was
left to her own sad thoughts.
She sat down YEARLY after he was gone, for
she was quite sure in her own heart now that
Cline had ceased to love her. She sat while
the wind began to moan about the house, and
the rain beat against the window panes. II
Mays thoughts back to the wild northern coast
where she had been born, and to the father she
had forsaken.
She sighed heavily, still thinking of the old
man, and his sorrow and loneliness. Perhaps
the love which had failed her, and grown SO
cold in Gilmore's heart, was fit punishment
for her fault she thought. And that night she
dreamed of John Summers, and saw his rugged
and workworn face looking at her earnestly,
with love still shining in his honest eyes.
And she dreamed, too of a black shadow dog
ging Gilmore's footsteps in the darkness-a
thing of evil she could not see-hidden impalpa-
BILE, and yet there: the poor young wife awoke
q
he face and lay with beating, fearful heart lis
tening to the moaning OF the wind.
And another young wife awoke also that night
pale and afraid in the midnight hours, for she
heard her baby cry. The storm was at its height,
raging over London as it was raging over the
dark waters of the Than It rolled on
through green fields and widowed sedges, long
1t reached the foulness of the great city. And
as the blast howled by the little house that
looked on the park where Nancy lived, it reused
the child lying in the cot, and awoke the mother
from her light and restless slumbers.
Nancy rose aud went to the babe and lifted it
in her arms, and pillowed its head upon her
breast, trying to soothe it with her tender
words. 1t seemed still uneasy and disturbed.
and SO she began walking up and down the room
with it, grooming to it softly as she went. Then
the baby put up its small pink hand against her
check and Nancy tenderly kissed the little palm.
MY darling!' she whispered, gazing down
fondly on its face.
Yes, abe had her boy, she told herself; her
baby to love and cling to, whatever else might
change. 1t was a month now since she had come
to this house, and during this time Hugh Gift
ford's varying moods and strange, unsettled
habits had filled her heart with vague and con-
slant uneaSiness.
She could not understand him in fact for one
day he would seem fond of her and the next cold
and harsh. Often she thought of the handsome
lover who had wooed her in the dim corridor at
Wrothsley, and wondered If the moody man,
who came and went at uncertain hours, could
really be the same.
rumor, too, reached her ears that Hugh Gift
ford gambled heavily. and il the evening he
was rarely at home. Still Nancy had her child
the beautiful boy who smiled in her face and
and exhibit with great pride his baby feats and
wonderful intelligence. Hugh Clifford, TOO, was
fond of his little son, and proud also Of his re-
markable likeness to himself.
Miss Clifford had been once to town for few
days to visit them, and always spoke of Nancy's
baby as my boy She had arranged also that
Nancy and the child were to stay with her in the
autumn, and she insisted upon paying all ex-
penses connected with him.
He is my heir. and can afford it, she
would say, and Nancy was obliged to let the
wilful old lady have her own way, and certainly
Master Thomas was always dressed like
prince.
So up and down on this stormy night-the 18th
of April-Nancy Kept walking with her baby in
her arms. The bedroom dimly lighted by
the freight only, and nightlight, but the door
of the dressing room, where Hugh Clifford slept
was open and there the gas was burning.
1t was past midnight now, and as Nancy went
by the dressing room door she glanced in to see
II her husband was asleep, as she was afarid the
baby's crying might awaken him. But the
room was empty: Hugh Clifford had not come in,
and nearly an hour passed before he did so. BY
this time the baby had fallen asleep, but Nancy
did not put him back in his cot, but laid him in
her own he'd, and sat by his side watching him.
Tick, tick went the clock; bowling round and
down the chimneys swept the blast, splashing
against the window panes came the rain
Suddenly Nancy heard the handle of the dressing
room turn, and a mans hasty footsteps enter
the room. She rose quickly meaning to warn
Hugh Clifford to make as little noise as possible
SO as not to wake the child.
With noiseless footsteps she crosses the
room, and stole to the dressing-room door,
which was slightly a. az. What made her start,
grow pale and with difficulty suppress the ex-
that rose her lips? There stood
Hugh Clifford, and the gaslight fell on his pale
haggard, even CHASTITY face. And his express
Sion-the expression of horror, loathing and
fear-that distorted his features, terrified
Nancy, who drew back afraid and trembling
He never saw her she crouched there; never
saw her as he poured out some brandy, and
drank it without stopping, and then began to
tear off his overcoat. and flung something large
round and heavy, that he was carrying with
absolute loathlng on the floor. Again he drank
some brandy, then Nancy him lift the thing
Tardrobes. and carefully lock the door after he
had done this, ana then place the key in his
dressing case which he also locked.
Then he began to take off his drenched clothes,
but that awful expression never for one moment
eft his face; and presently Nancy, pale and
shaking in every limb, stole away from tine door,
and crept into bed beside her baby, holding it
closely to her breast as if to guard and protect
i.
And the wind howled on, and the dark hours
ieeted by. but Nancy never slept 1t was grow
ng light, when sort Of cry from the dressing
-oom suddenly startled her, and set her heart
,eating wildly, Again she crept out of bed and
tole to the dressing room door, and peering in,
Jaw Hugh Clifford lying on the bed talking
wildly in his sleep.
Are you sure, quite sure, he is dead9'' she
heard him say. ''don't, for God sake. put him
n unless you are surei''
Then he went rambling on. speaking words
Nancy could not follou-usfng endearing
phrases in some foreign tongue-mixed with |
weird haunting images OF hidden crime and |
udden death. 1t was terrible to listen to him; |
o terrible that Nancy could not bear it, but |