Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-19


ard, pulling out hisswatoh; sit wants a
quarter to yet, Mss May!"
The girl laughed
al know it does q. sine said; 'rbut it
is such a fine nighttFat came early
and, besides, want to hear this WON
derful story, you know. -
"Well, it is wonderful. Let me sit
here beside you and III tell you
els it good or bad news?' asked May &,
as the young man seated himself by her
side.
He did not speak for moment; then
he bent forward and took her hand.
"Would you call it bad if it took me
away from you?' he asked.
In moment her pretty, girlish face
flushed, and her breath f1uttered.
"Took you away?" she repeated. "I
I do not understand. -
"Well, May, that priest you saw me
meet this morning brought strange news.
1t seems that the good woman up at the
farm yonder, whom l always thought
was my mother, is not really my mother,
but my nurse. My real mother is q
great lady, and she has sent for me now
to return to her. -
A little cry broke from Nays parted
lips, and her color faded as suddenly as
it flushed, and a look of fear stole into
her blue eyes, which were now fixed on
Gerard g face.
"My mother, - went on Gerard, with
a ring of half-suppressed pride in his
voice, ''is lady Gilmore, the widow of
the late Lord Gilmore, and 1 am their
eldest son.
what" cried May, with an absolute
start.
''They say every word of it is true;
the priest says so, and my mother has
written to me to tell me it is so, and the
old woman at the farm-but I'm sorry
for her-has confessed the whole
story. -
'fBut-but what motive had they
Gerard?n now asked May in q startled
voice.
Gerard IS face fell at this direct ques-
ton.
ga very queer one it seems, - he an
swered; "mY fatherand mother had an
other son, year younger than 1 am and
this boy which we were babies was stout
and strong, and 1 was weak and puny,
and my father very smiably often wished
l was dead to make way for the other
one. And my mother absolutely think
ing it would please him, took me away
with Nurse Brewster, and they schemed
together, and pretended to my father
that had died of fever but really Nurse
Brewster reared me up and called me
her son-and here ami"
Gerard gave rather forced laugh as
he concluded his story, but it was not
echoed by May. She turned away her
head, and her bosom heaved strangely,
and Gerard bending forward saw that
tears had gathered unbidden in her eyes.
''Why should this vex you, Maya he
said, tenderly, putting his arm round
her waist and draw ing her closer to him,
cit won t make any difference between
US, you know
Eyes, :" said the girl, with little
sob.
'No, indeed it won't,'' continued
Gerard earnestly; ''they chose to bring
me up ont of my station, and I've chosen
a girl they may call out of my station,
but if you care for me, really, dear May,
no one shall part us.
eyes, they will part US, - said May,
in great distress, and her head fell on
his breast, but Gerard only drew her
closer and bent down and again and
again kissed her sweet face.
''It will part US for a week or two,
perhaps, - he said, 'until everything is
settled, but il they expect to lead me
they are mistaken. Promise me, May,
to keep true to me. and will promise to
be true to you.
Then May lifted up her head and prom
issd, and thus these two pllghted their
troth on the lonely shore; but, somehow,
as the sea moan fell on her ears, May
Sumner shuddered as she listened to its
weird and mystic tongue.
[To RH coSTISURD.I