Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-21

"but you have seen good deal of the
seamy side of life. Well the struggle
| for existence will be easier for you in the
! future. AS my grandson and heir life
will be more tolerable for you than it has
hitherto proved, and you have accom-
| plished the work which lies before you in
England, you will be able to choose your
own career.
Mark thanked him warmly, and just
then they arrived at the entrance to the
house in which MIR. Llnwood was stay
ing.
''will you stay here with me tonight,
Mark" the old man asked. 'These
people are very old friends of mine, and
will be glad to receive you when they
learn of our connection.
al shall prefer to go back to my tent
and my friend, Mr.. Linwood,' said
Mark. "Hesketh is very old friend of
mine-he was one of the causes of my
coming to America-and l should like to
tell him of all that has taken place to-
night.
"You will come here Tomorrow morn
ing-say at about lO?"
81 will oome.'
81 wish us TO catch the noon express.
Well, good night. 1 think we shall soon
learn to like each other.'
"Good night. -
They shook hands in the heartiest way,
and parted. Then Mark sought the tent
in which he and his old chum abode, and
as he made his way slowly, thoughtfully
down the green hillside he felt like one
who had just awakened from a strange,
yet not an unpleasant dream.
What a change the last couple of hours
had wrought in his prospects? How much
he had discovered since he left the white
canvas dwelling towards which he was
then making his way.
Already half of the mystery which for
so many years had surrounded his par
entage, had been cleared away. He
knew now everything he desired to know
about his mother, and III while the an
teoedents and history of his unfortunate
father might also be revealed.
And soon he was TO return to England.
That thought set him thinking once more
on the old subject, of his sweetheart's
death, and for little time the unhealed
wound bled afresh, and the old passion
ate pain and despair filled his heart.
When the tent was reached, and
Mark IS story told to his friend, Charlie IS
amaZement and delight were something
to witness.
"Didn I tell you, - he cried. wiring
ing Marks hand "that the old gentle
man was magician in disguiser Aud
only to think that you fished your own
grandfather out of the flood down there
at Nineveh. This thing beats any ro-
nance l ever read. Well, good luck to
thee, ovid lad - Charlie said, lapslng
into the rough vernacular of his native
shire. 1.-The next best thing to being
the son of q millionaire is to be his grand
son.
Far into the night the two comrades
sat chatting, and when next morning
came they parted with evident reluctance
on each side, and with many protesta-
tions of friendship. They did not dream
then that when they next met it would
be on English soil.
At midday Mark and his newly-found
relative left Johnstown, en- route for
New Orleans, which was reached the
same evening.
The home of Mr.. Paul Linwood was a
fine, solid looking old stone mansion,
which stood on the wooded slope facing
the broad river, about half a mile out
side the city.
The house and its appointments at
tested TO the fact that its venerable own |
OF was a man of ample means, and the |
extremely liberal allowance which Mr.. |
Linwood insisted upon his young kinsmau |
receiving forthwith confirmed it.
On the morning following his arrival |
at his klnsman's house Mark renewed !
his family remembered acquaintance |
with his grandsire's housekeeper, Miss /
Hannah MILFORD.
Several weeks glided quickly and not /
unpleasantly away, and Mark easily /
adopted himself to his new position
Had it not been for the old unconquer-
able trouble which still gnawed at his |
heart, he would have been happy indeed. !
He had no rational wish that he could ]
not crafty; Mr.. Linwood treated him as
as any father could a ia
vorite child, and the material prosperity |
of his future was assured. Still the
thoughts of his sweet loves fate clouded
his heart and mind.
At the end of July Mark made prepa-
rations for returning to England. He
was eager to undertake the work of dis
covering something in respect to the
father he had never known; eager also
to stand beside the grave of his dead
sweetheart.
Too many years had elapsed since
their last meeting TO enable either of
them to recollect much of the others ap-
pSAIduCe Dul luoy hSES sOOu COuVeFb-
ing of the DAYS when both had been in
mates of the institution from which
Mark had made his escape in the days of
bis boy hood.
The middle. aged, squarely built SPIN
ster questioned Eliot very closely as to
his recollection of the orphanage. At
first she had been inclined to think that
the handsome young fellow before her
was not the quiet little orphan she had
taken so deep an interest in 30 many
years before, but Marks ready replies
to all her searching questions soon set all
her doubts at rest.
Aid SO after an absence of about q
year and half, Mark Eliot set his
face towards England once more
Fifteen or sixteen months ago he had
never dreamt of the strange things that
would result from his sojourn in the
United States, and now he never mag
ned that still stranger events would
'nsue from his return to England.
l..