Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-20

! Lazy bIeukensop ndu not respected your
poor dear father as they did. And how
kind of Lady BIenkensop to send e20l
And, of course, Nancy. you can easily
| spare Els year to your mother out of
| your salary of a hundred; why, il will
almost double her income; L am so
| glsd!''
Nancy's pretty color deepened, but
| she did not speak.
But how can leave poor mother
when she is so weak" she said a mo-
| ment later. "Unless you, Aunt Fan
ME, could stay on with her for little
while?'' she added looking wistfullY at
the stout, comfortable-Iooki woman
before her, with her soft dark eyes.
"My dear, it is impossible, these fogs
are killing me- answered Mrs. Bar
clay. 81 had two coughing fits this
| morning, and felt quite depressed all
| yesterday with the darkness and heayi-
ness of the atmosphere. And do not talk
about not leaving your mother, Nancy !!
| Why, what s she TO live on if you don t
leave her? She must rouse herself, and
not give way any longer; and you, of
! course, must go to Lady Gilmore s on
| the very day that Lady Blenkensop
| names.
So it was all settled for poor Nancy
I
! bedroom, and talked "sensibly, - point
ing out how extremely lucky Nancy had
| been to procure such an excellent stu
| alton, and what a great assistance
! seventy-tive pounds year would be to
| herself.
| "And who knows added Aunt Fan
ME, warming with her subject, 'that
| Nancy may not even marry well vet?
| She's a good-looking girl, and would
| have had no chance living in little pOky
rooms with you, but in a place like
Wrothsley Castle there are sure to be
rich young men about; and then with
Lady Blenkensop so near, too, and the
general in command of the district. l
should not be very much surprised even
if some man in the service were TO pick
her up.
Mrs. LOTUS pallid cheeks flushed, and
her pale lips Quivered as she listened to
this speech of her sister-in-law, which
was spoken in perfect good faith and be-
lief in Its sense and kindness. There
stood Mrs. Barclay, u little stout
woman, with a drabbish- tinted COM
pleXion, ordinary features, and some
what watery, rather blood-shOt, humor-
Gus gray eyes, talking to the refined
fond mother, of her pretty daughter in
these coarse words, thinking all the
while she was helping to raise her sister
in-law' s spirits, and really pleased with
herself for doing SOL
And Mrs. LOTUS dare not retort. The
miserable, humiliating want of money
kept her silent, for Aunt Fannie had her
small, but certain income of five-hun-
dred year in her own power, and who
but her brothers. children were likely to
inherit it? Therefore, in the interest of
these children, their mother was tongue
tied, and Aunt Fannie got her own way
about Nancy.
cit would be selfish, my dear Lucy,
really intensely selfish, - argued the
little woman, ''to keep the girl one day
later at home than the day Lady Blenk-
ensop has fixed for her to go. 1t is her
chance in life, and if we throw away
that we never get another; and Their
Lady Blenkensop's kindness in sending
the money prevents any bother about
raising it. -
And Mrs. Lotus stifled back the feel
ings of her heart-tO part with Nancy,
the sweet, bright girl who had mourned
with her, comfOrted her, loved her
made her yet fresh bitter grief more bit
ter still. But it had to be borne, and
Mrs. LOTUS tried to bear it as bravely as
her poor, weak nature could. Aunt
Fanny at last agreed to stay a week or
so after Nancy left; at least, she
said she would do this by way
of cOnsoling Nancy about leaving
her mother; and she took her niece out
to buy what she required, of course with
Lady BlenkensOp's money, and even pre-
scented Nancy with a boa, which was a
little worn, as she saw a new one which
she thought would suit herself better.
And thus the days passed, until the
one came-only too soOn-when Nancy
and her mother were forced co part. It
is sad even to write of those last fearful
kisses; to tell how these two clasped each
others hands in silent pain. Nancy
utterly broke down, and clung to her
mother, until Aunt Fanny was forced to
interfere. and tell Nancy some hard
truths; reminding her she would lose her
train if she wasted any more time; and
SO, pale and trembling, the poor girl
drew back from her mother fond arms.
"Write constantly, darling-tell your
mother everything - whispered Mrs.
Lotus.
"Come, my dear, we shall hardly
reach Paddington as it is, - urged Aunt
Fannie, watch in hand, and for the first
time in their lives, Nancy and her
mother separated.
Nancy scarcely heard all the good adj
vice which her aunt poured so volubly
into her ears on the way to the station.
Snch sentences as, "Be sure you lose
no opportunity of expressing your graft
tude to Lady Blenkensop; be very def
erential in your manner to Lady Gil
more' we're quite wasted on her, for
Nancy was thinking of her poor mother,
of her dear fathers sad death, and of
the great and terrible changes which had
happened to them all.
And after Aunt Fannie had kissed her
and placed her safely in a second class
railway carriage, and the train began
speeding away from the din and smoke
Of the great city to somber, wintry
country scenes, past quiet homes stand
ing amid green fields, Nancy was still
thinking of the one she had just left.
She was going into the world alone-go-
ing among strangers-and all her future
was doubtful and uncertain, and the girl
felt afraid and sad.
For good or evil, how would it end?
Well might her heart beat fast aud her
face grow pale, for the life journey she
was beginning was fated to be no smooth
one, and athwart the days to come a
do. 4 ky.ar -;,o aEn