Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-28

news she sprang to her feet and listened
And she heard familiar voice-ths
voice of her father-and the next mo-
ment had rushed into the hall aud
olasped him tightly in her arms.
"Fatherl fatherl'' she cried, with
her cheek against his rugged one.
John Summers was man of few
words, and for minute or so he did not
speak, though his lips quivered as II
about to do SO. Then, with his deep
voice broken with emotion, he said, SOL
EMMY:
''Thank God, my girl; thank God,
have found thee safe.
CHAPTER XLI.-A HAUNTING SHADOW.
Again we must turn TO the night of the
29th OF April, when, in the darkness and
the storm, Lord Gilmore disappeared
and was seen no more. The morning
after this night Nancy rose pale. OPP
| pressed and with the shadow OF coming
ill lying heavy on her heart. She was
afraid TO face her husband - to go
into Hugh Clifford IS dressing room after
the terrible Bords she had heard him
mutter in his sleep; and after seeing the
terrible expression of his face as he stole
into his room in the midnight hours.
The nurse came for the child and she
!
| ing till past 10 clock, she ut last re-
luctantly slowly, went up stairs again
and passing through her own room
raped at Hugh Clifford IS door.
Hearing something like permission to
! enter, she went in, only to start back
| shocked and terrified. Hugh Clifford
was in bed, and his face looked haegard
and even CHASTITY, and he had evidently
been drinking heavily
"Are you ill. Hugh?" faltered
Nancy.
"Ill!' he answered, with q drunken
| laugh, "I've got brain fever-brain
fever-feel how it burns-its Goals on
fire!"
''shalI battle it for you?" asked
Nancy, trembling.
mo, but reach the brandy-that' a
good girl; there's nothing like drink; it
browns, it browns every thing
"Oh! don't take any more, Hugh, -
she prayed.
"Give me it; insist!'' he shouted,
starting up; but when Nancy went TO the
bottle of brandy which had been stand
ing in his room she found 1t was empty.
But he ordered her to ring the bell for
another bottle, aud went on drinking all
day, and by night was in a ravlng fever.
But the pale young wife who tried to
control him allowed no one else to enter
his room, and dare not send for physi-
clan. Strange words broke from his
lips; haunting shadow of horror seemed
ever to pursue him; and again and again
Nancy listened with shrinking heart TO
the words she had heard last night.
'Don t do it unless you are sure he is
dead; don t put him in alive!'
nj ryik 1T
towards morning he grew very pros
trate. He then became little calmer,
and at last fell into heavy sleep, from
which he awoke about IL O'Clock the
next day-pale, exhausted and very ill;
but sober. He lay still without speaking
for some time, and Nancy noticed that
his eyes fell when they met hers, and
he moved uneasily. Presently he said:
we made tremendous fool of my
self, am afraid, Nancy; but some men
gave q swell dinner at the club aud
drank far more than was good for me,
aud have been very near brain fever or
delirium tremens L believe-and l dare
say have been going on in very absurd
way
''But you are better now, Hugh"
answered Nancy, soothingly.
81 feel bad enough, can tell you;
hope you did not let anyone else see me
make an ass of mYself?''
81 have been with you all the time
Hugh-no one else. -
'That's all right then; now I'll try to
get to sleep again. -
But he did not easily recover, and was
in bed more than a week after the |
stormy night of the goth of April, when |
he had returned hons In such a terri lie |
state. All this time Nancy nursed him, |
and gave out in, the household that he |
was laid up with a very severe cold, and |
that he could not bear to be disturbed.
He asked for the newspapers and his let
tiers, and one morning before he was |
awake, Nancy having carried up the
morning papers for him, sat down to
read one of them until he reused himself
and was ready for his breakfast.
And she had not read long before a
caught her eyes, which, as
she read and re-read it, seemed abso-
lutely to swim before her.
1t was headed "The Missing Lord -
and detailed the strange facts that we
already know. How Lord Gilmore had
disappeared, and had been
last seen by the stationmaster at
at five minutes before IL
o CLOCK on the nlgnt Oh the 18TH OF April
The 29th of April! Nancy gasped for
breath, and mentally counted back the
last seven days. As she did so sharp
physical pain darted through her heart,
and she had the greatest difficulty in re-
straining the cry that nearly escaped her
whitening lips. That was the night
Hugh returned in the midnight hours
with the fixed look of horror on his face;
the night when he had begun 20 drink
what could il all mean?
She grew faint and cold, and grasped
he chair on whioh she was sitting for
No one knew as we'll as she
lid how Hugh Clifford had hated bis elder
brother with q deadly hatred that never
grew less. She had indeed ceased TO |
mention the elder brothers. name, as
The saw 1t was but a vain thing TO at
empt to reconcile them. And that he
hould have red-Gerard-flleI
Nancy heart with the uirest apprehen-
ions.
Presently she rose and tottered from
he room, giving one look of fear, of ter
or, at the face of the sleeping man living
N the bed, as she went out. She was
Iuite overcome, and gong into her pref ,
Y drawing-room, the door of which hap- ,