Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-21

she actually shot me and as I became almost
Immediately unconscious, she believing she had
killed me, turned and fed from the spot.
do you understand now. Nancy? This most
unhappy, most unfortunate woman having
wounded me severely as you know, went back
to town in a state of semi madness l afterwards
learned, and then tried to commit suicide by
shooting herself also. She barely escaped with
her life, and the doctor who attended wrote to
me to tell me of this during my illness, and
naturally was terribly shocked.
And now am coming TO that part OF nv
ME, when met yoq Nancy1net you and loved
strange words Tor me now to write to YOU but
they are nevertheless very true ones Yes.
Nancy. in spite of all have done l loved Won,
and left you only because this separation was
actually forced on me.
u need not repeat here the miserable events
that followed our marriage-my mothers utterly
uniustifa5le action seemed TO change NV whole
nature and filed my heart with intense bitter
ness and hatred, for the man who had sun
planted me; who had taken the name I had
borne all my life, and who actually as YOU know
personally assaulted me. UnhaDpiIy for me
unhappily for her, just at the very time. when
the most burning indignation against this man
filled m heart: met again by accident the wo-
man who had shot me- and then
herself. and who had ALWAYS loved me
TOO wei You, with your gentle nature
had tried to soften my feelings TO this man; had
praised him, and seemed TO like him. and this
angered me exceedingly. But Alice Ferrars
entered eagerly ami passionateIy into my
wrongs. She spoke to me olive geance; told me
that IN her land the Spaniard kills the man who
had wronged him; and she limited darEIv that
my enemy might die. Nancy, these words came
back ana back to me-this hated brother might
dle-and then all would be again as it mad been
before my mother had told the story which had
SO entirely changed my life.
Il heard stories of TINS man, too; o. his low
lie and degraded habits, and how he was drag
ginR the name had borne all my life to the
dust: ana the longing for his death grew
stronger and stronger within me. You ceased
TO speak of him, but l secretly resented your
apparent Indifference to my feelings on the sub
lect- and listened with greedy ears to the other
woman's passionate and sympathizing words.
but why write any longer of nv temrta-
tions and my hatred! You know they we're both
strange enough, and at last they brought their
cursed moment, suggested, and l listened that
this man should be lured to his death that she
should be the Iemptress; and to aid her two of
her spanish relatlons-a man and a woman
were bribed to come to England, and a house
was taken down the river. and Alice made the
acquaintance of the man hated calling her
self by another name. She was handsome and
the man fell an easy victim. We planned it all
as write these words kno l was mad then
devil possessed, accursed! Yes, it was so, but
the mad and hideous deed was done. The poor
fool was hattered with soft words and viled bv
the smiles, aud walked straight into the snare
we had laid for him. We fixed the day OF his
dug his grave beforehand. You re,
member the night, Nancy-the black and
bitter night, when l came back to the house
where my innocent wife and child were sleep
ing, with murder my soul? So God help me
thai night was the fir st time that any remorse
had ever crossed my mind! Before, had only
felt hatred, and an eager an burning desire for
his death. But that night | was dining with
some men at the club. and suddenly the horror
OF the whole thlng-the guilty knowledge of
what was about TO take place, rose before me so
grimly, so terribly that could not bear it l
rose and left the table. telling the others I felt
III, ana having partly disguised myself | started
III the train for Maidenhead. hoping that l
should be in time to stay heir hands.
"A storm was raging when l arrived there,
= | 90 "a nTCF ThfaG lima
tOw-I ath by the river edge. At last 1 re tcbed
the little villa-my God! even now can scarcely
write of that frightful honr-I stole inlo the
house, and l met the Spanish woman, who sig
nihcanuy pointed to the door of one of the
rooms.
- Tell her want her., whispered hoarselv,
and he Spani h woman nodded, and went into
the room she had indicated, and a moment or
two later Alice Ferrars came ont of it, and as
looked in her face | saw was too late.
~ caught her hand-'Alice don't do it!' l
Kissed in her ear, and this was her reply:
Hush, what folly she SAID, your brother
is about to die;' and her expression was terrible
she spoke.
"she had left the room door ajar. and one
moment l glanced in. The wretched man was
lying on couch struggling in his death agony
but l cannot describe it, nor the scene thBt
followed. Sine had poisoned him in his wine as
was all over, they told me. and they began to
talk OF carrying him to his ready grave.
Il have only an indistinct recollection of
what Immediately followed, for l began drink
Z
satisfy my own terrible thoughts. heard them,
thought, carrying something heavy past the
room door where ! was, and i remember calling
out to them for Gods sake not to bury him until
they We're sure he was dead. And then pres
emily Juan came in bearing on his arm two
coats wrapped up together and fastened securely
by a leather strap. He too had seemingly been
drinking, for he half insolently told me that
must consent TO have this bundle of
coats fastened on my back so as to rep
resent the hump ST the dead man. 1 re-
fused at first, but he persisted. He was run
ming the risk of his neck to please me. he said
with his odious grin. and must help HIM lit
tie bit since fortune had sent me on the spot.
The dead man was well known at the railway
station and If he was seen 10 leave by the late
train for town, no one would look for him at
Maidenhead, and thus there would be risk of
discovery at all. He almost forced me to con-
sent, and fastened on this hideous burden and
then flung rough capped cloak over my should
difference between myself and the dead man.
Thus the station master deceived, and the
dark st cret hidden for a time, ouly as you know
to be. discovered later.
Nancy, from that dreadful night, my life has
been hell What do you think waI the reward
Alice ferrars had bargained for; The price that I
had to pay for this black deed? II she killed this
man, had'to forsake her-you, my boy, and our
home! paid this price as you also know;
lett the gentle woman who uad tried to soften
my eVll passions, and went to the one who had
famed themi went with loathing and disgust in
my heart. From the very hour, indeed when 1
had looked Alice Ferrar's face when the
~
absolute revulsion took place in my feelings to-
wards ner. She was handsome, but her beauty
gave me no pleasure; she loved me. but l shud-
derei al her touch. Yet l was bound to her;
bound by tie dare not break, and great as
was my sin, my punishment was still greater.
II took a house for her, in one OF the suburbs
here, and the life we led there was literally as
told you before, hell upon earth. For soon
fear came to add its terrors. The dead mans
body was found: warrant for the apprehension
OF Madame de Costa. the name that Alice was
known by at the riverside villa, was issued
and she lived in perpetual dread of recognition.
She scarcely ever left the house, she changed
the color OF her hair, but she was always in
terror. Her Spanish relations too-the wretch
Juan and his slster-were forever writing for
money, and threatening unless vast sums were
sent TO tn EN-. The constant strain and misery
finally brCke down my health, and for more
than year have been drifting to the grave. 1
caught a severe cold and it settled on nv lNngs
and the haunting remorse and wretcheduess of
my life has done the rest. And Alice Ferrars'
sudden and painful death, six months ago, was
died uQwillingly and terror stricken, and l Felt
as I stood by her that I, and 1 only, had
wrecked her life.
Nancy, have now nothing more to tell; this
miserable confession of sin. and bitter remorse
is ended, and have but to ask your pardon for
the misery 1 have brought upon you, and to
make one last request. Will you come to see me
once more, and bring the boy? If you will. you
will brighten the last hours of a most unhappy
man. HUGH CLIFFORD"
Nancy read this long letter; read the terrible
idg lips, and Us she drew near the conclusion,
heavy tears rolled down her cheeks, and blotted
the dreary lines.
Poor, poor Hugh she murmured, and her