Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-04
JAIL RIGHTS RESERVED. J


1 met him just at the entrance of the
castle, and was able TO prevent him haV-
ing an interview with Lady Giimorei but
his communication to me was such an
important one that lost no time in CON-
ing to town TO test its truth. -
"Importsnt?" repeated Nancy, who
could scarcely restrain her agitation.
Most important-but / must tell you
about our strange visitor Well, just as
was about enter the castle, l perceived
a seafaring looking man standing talk
ing to one of the footmen in very earn
est fashion. 1 was about to pass the two
and 20 INTO the library, which room. as
you know, is always open to me, when
Graham, the footman, addressed me-"
q" Your reverence he said, This
person insists on seeing her ladyship, but
/ tell him it is impossible, so perhaps you
would kindly persuade him TO go?'
''Then l turned to the seafaring look
ing man, who was of rugged, but honest
cOunIenance.
{" 1T is impossible for you to see Lady
Gilmore, l said, but if you have any
message for her ladyship l can carry it
to her.
1.-The man answered determinedly-
I" 4 must see Lady Gilmore, he said
sit is matter of life and death, and re-
lntes TO her eldest son. s"
"'You mean Lord Gilmore?' 1 asked
now greatly interested, as [ thought per-
haps this person could give us some clue
as to his disappearance.
90 They call him Lord Gilmore now,
answered the man, 'but l have known
him by another name.
frfn flruTs md 20 tn
me, l said, and led the way thither,
and the man followed me. When We
got there and had shut the door, told
him he could rs safely con de in me any
communication he had to make as 10
Lady Gilmore herself, as l was her priest
and confessor, and intimately acquainted
with the whole family circumstances.
"He hesitated q moment, looked me
keenly In the face, with pair of clear,
honest blue eyes, and then began his
story, which 1 will try to relate as nearly
in his own words as l can.
90 i am called John Summers he
said, and l am boatbuildsr at a viii
lage called Scarley.'
80 'Scarley?' l interrupted, for ] had
been to Scarley.
d" aye he answered, 'Scarley,
where the lad who was called Gerard
Brewster was reared, and this lad was
my daughters sweetheart. Sir, he
went on, with strange energy and pas
sion, L cursed that lad the last time I
saw him, for believed he'd wronged
my girl! They were engaged to be
welded, it seems, when he left Scarley,
and came to this place, and they made
him grand lord. But ] have nought
TO do with that; what have to do with
is my girl.
"a Then you know nothing of Lord
Gilmore 8 disappearance?' [ asked.
d" wait bit, am coming to that,
he answered. We'll, some months back
my girl disappeared, he continued;
parted with her one night and, and in
the morning she was gone, and l was
like a man dement, for many day.
She's my only one, sir, and better
lass never lived, and l could believe no
Ill of her. Yet folks began to say that
she had gone off with Gerard Brewster,
because they had made him into lord,
and that he was too grand TO wed my
girl, and that she was his light-o-love.
"'WRs this so, tben?' enquired.
a. 81 will tell you directly, sir; went
up to London and taxed him with wrong
ing my girl, face to face, and he denied
1t. l offered never to see her again il ne
. settle my bit of money on her, but he
still denied he knew anything about her,
though [ saw he was living by his face.
And though 1 tried hard to see him
again could not-they said he had gone
abroad-so just went back home, with
my heart well nigh broken o. thinking of
the poor lass-and until three days ago
heard nothing more.
&" 'Then you have heard from herr
said.
90 Heard from her, and seen her
both; got letter from her to tell me
she was in sore distress-that she was
wed to Gerard Brewster, Lord Gilmore,
now
married! exclaimed.
Ave, married as fast as the church
could make her, for Gerard had kept his
word 10 her, and they were married in
two churches to make it sure, on the
very day she went to him. But the lad
has disappeared, and his poor young
wife is in bitter distress, for there s
baby coming, and l thought it but right
10 come and tell his mother the whole
story so that something more might be
done to find him.
''These were the mans very words,
Mrs. Clifford, - continued Father Hay
ward, "and it was with difficulty could
persuade him TO delay his communion
ton to Lady Gilmore, on account of the
delicate state of her health, and the
danger of any sudden shock. l told him
/ would see him again to-day, and have
ascertaned in the meanwhile that il is
perfectly true that his daughter is Lord
Gilmore S legal wife; and called to tell
your husband this news, and also to say
that the time has now come, 1 think,
when the family should offer q large re-
ward for any authentic clue of Lord Gil
more's mysterious disappearance.
Nancy had listened to the good priests
words with breathless interest, down
cast eyes, aud a fast beating heart.
Then, as he paused, she suddenly looked
up.
"And what do you think about it?'
she said quickly. "MY husband always
says he is sure 20 be heard of soon-I
mean Gerard.
land what reason has he for thinking
SOP" asked the priest, quietly.
"Oh, he knows uOthing-he only saw
about it in the newspapers, you know"
continued Nancy yet more hastily. "He
was i'll in bed when it happened-we read
about 1t when he was in bed.
''They have nsver become friends.
have thev?fp