Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-07
and me-Du. for baby IS sake I wish no


crimson. 1.-The shame is enough with
out other people knowing i'll will bear
II In silence.
Few women would do SO, but you are
the best judge"
al am sure am right; have thought
il all over, and knew had ouly to ask
you TO keep this unhappy secret. "
TASK me what you like and | will do
II, - said Erne, with deep but suppressed
emotion; land If there is anything | can
ever do for you'll, IL you should ever
| want a friend-'
''You have been such a good one to
me already, " answered Nancy, gently :,
''that should always know where to go
when | want one in tuture-we are old
friends, are We not?'
She stretched out her hand 10 him as
she spoke. and Erne bent down and
kissed it almost reverentl7. He had q
sort of vague idea why Nancy was ask
ing him to keep the secret of her hus-
bands faithlessness, and he thought he
understood her unselfshuess In doing SO.
"She knows more than she will tell -
he reelected after he left her; land she
IS ready to screen the man who has
bRsely deserted her-and how any man
could;" and Erne gave a restless sigh.
Then, early in the afternoon, he
started for Maidenhead, and called on
MIR. Gibson, the builder, whose address
he easily discovered. He found him a
pleasant, rosy-faced man, jovial and
well-to-do, and upon Erne telling him
he had known the missing Lord, and was
friend of the family, Mr.. Gibson was
quite ready to tell him everything he
knew.
81 am going with the police TO the
little villa In half an hour, sir, - he
said, "as they want TO institute regu-
lar search Of the whole place, and il
you woul like to go with US you are very
welcome.'
''I should like to do so very much in
deed, - answered Erue.
al cannot see how it will help them,
though, to find Lord Gilmore. as he was
last seen at the station, l am told, re-
marked the builder.
There may be some trace discovered
he might even have returned, you
know after he was seen at the station, -
said Erne, remembering Nancy's words.
Eyes, sir, that is true; it was ire
mendous storm that night-the night he
Is said to have disappeared, for l re-
member being very uneasy that some
unfinished houses of mine would be
blown down; however, nothing hap
pened.
Then while ETne was conversing with
Mr.. Gibson, two policemen arrived, fol-
lowed few minutes later by an inspect
or, who made no objection 10 Erne
accompanying the party 10 the riverside
villa, when he heard he was friend of
the missing lords.
They accordingly proceeded up the
river in two bouts. aud after a longish
pull drew up before the stookade where
Juan, the Spnuiard, had SO often fished
and sung, aud where Madame de Costa
had lately lived.
1t was beautiful May day, and after
they had landed, MIR. Gibson looked
around him with pardouable pride.
"'1Is a sweet little place, isu t it,
sir?'' he said 10 Erne, who cordially
agreed with him. The villa certainly
looked It's best, with the fresh green
leaves, the white and pink hawthorns
in full bloom, and the whole place full
of the charm and beauty of spring. A
place for lovers or a young welded pair,
with the birds singing on the boughs aud
the whisper of the river murmur.ng close
by. Erue fingered on In the sunny
garden Us the policeman hurried Oh,
stood on the little lawn ana looked ut the
water and the sky, his thoughts wan
dered far away.
They wandered TO an early morning
ride in n distant land, where a bright
faced young girl was 10y his side, whose
dark eyes were shining full of joy and
hope. That face was changed now,
but still the fairest face on earth to God
frey Erne. He was remembering little
things she had said; how she had looked
up smiling in his face; and how her color
had flushed and paled.
al made q miStake--a great mistake, -
he thought, sadly enough. elf l had
asked Nancy to marry me then, she
would have been happier now-but, I'M
luckily, she never knew how we'll loved
her.
His old memories we're, however. soon
interrupted by Mr.. Gibson, the builder,
who had gone into the house with the
policemen, but now came out and Joined
Erne on the lawn.
"Well, have they found anything?"
asked Erne, looking round.
"Nothing, seemingly, everything Is
left IN order, apparently, but madame
or some of her friends must have been
thirsty souls, for l never saw SO many
empty champagne bottles and brandy
bottles together as are standing i'll one of
the outhouses. They say the young lord
was fond of drink. l wonder il he used
TO come here and tipple with madame?'
Mr.. Gibson laughed as he said this,
and then turned round and contem-
plativelv looked at the house.
al built this place, sir, - he said,
land lived in it for many years, until
my boys and girls began to grow up and
wanted more room than there was here
for them, but own l never liked any
house as well, aud l and my wife have
spent many o happy day here
81 can quite imagine that, smiled
Erne, pleasantly.
MAY ask it you are married your
self, sir?" asked the genial builder.
MOI and q cloud stole over Erne's
brow. al was too poor to marry"
''Well, Maj. Erne, you'll pardon me
for saying so, but l think it's q mistake
for young folks to wait until they get
rich, because after all the spring of life
is the brightest time. 1 married when l
was poor, and we had q hard enough
struggle sometimes, but we never lost
heart, and cheered each other up when
we were Bit down; and now here we
are in middle life fairly well-to-do-but
then we worked hard. -
''Thnt is the most honorable life of
all. -