Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-22


and dro pped his hand from her cold stiff
fingers.
This was not the voice nor accent of
her husband, nor yet OF that beloved son
who had stabbed his mothers heart.
Lady Gilmore had forgotten that youth
reared in remote village on the North
ern coast had had no chance of speaking
like we'll bred man, when his only
companions had been the fishermen, or
at best young farmer or two, >or the
son of the keeper of the village inn.
Gerard, in fact, spoke with a strong
North country accent, though his voice
was not an unpleasant one, but now 1t
grated barshly on his mothers ears.
And as she dropped his han he turned
away from her, and as he did this her
eyes fell on the defect in his figure, on
the bitter birthright which had made
him an alien and a stranger TO his
fathers house.
A sort of moan escaped Lady Gilmore g
lips, and she covered her face with her
hand. Was she thinking of the tall,
slender, graceful form of that other son,
and of her own sin to both? Some strong
emotion was surging in her breast, for
her lips quivered convulsively, and Ger
ard saw her hands witch, and he began
to feel sorry for her.
"Don't vex yourself any more about
it now he said. still in that deep,
rough tone; Hwhat's done cannot be
undone you know, and we must just try
to make the best OF it, and Gerard
smiled.
1t was her husband IS very smile. 1t
lit Gerard's face, and carried the
thoughts of the pale woman, who was
watching him, back to her early welded
days; to the passionate and devoted love
she had given to her handsome lord; TO
thousand tender memories aud joys.
"The wrong to you must be undone,
she SAID in a low tone. 'did you bring
Nurse Brewster with you?'
"No,' said Father HAYWARD, "but [
brought with me her deposition, con-
firming. in every particular your state
ment -
"But that is not enoughi' exclaimed
Lady Gilmore eScitedly. 'Nurse Brew
ster must come here and declare before
the whole household, before nv other
son, before their great-aunt, the wrong
we did. This is Lord Gilmore and every
one must know itl''
al can telegraph for Mrs. Brewster to-
morrow, - answered Father Hayward
soothingly; "bUt would it not be wise
now to end this interview? 'Tis not good
for you, so much excitement, and my
young friend here, am sure, IS greatly
in need of some refreshments; auj the
good father kindly laid his hand on Ger
ard S shoulder.
"Come to me then, Gerard said
Lady Gilmore again stretching out her
hand, which he took, "my son whom
have wronged so deeply, stoop down that
l may kiss your face. -
And Gerard bent down, and she kissed
him with her quiverlng lips.
''God has spared me to atone to you, -
she said solemnly, essay again you for
give me?''
eyes, indeed do, - answered Ger
ard, heartily, for he was touched by his
mothers words; and again Lady Gilmore
kissed him; kissed the face she had last
touched when he was little babe.
CHAPTER xxI.-THE NEW LORD.
Gerard awoke next morning with n
confused sense of not knowing where he
was; awoke and looked around him, and
saw instead of the neat, homely furni-
ture at Cragslde farmhouse, n room the
fittings of which were extremely luxuri-
Gus. Lady Gilmore had given orders
that her son was to occupy one of the
the night before, Graham the butler had
escorted him. Graham knew by this
time who Gerard really was, and had
lost no time in counting the rising sun.
Scarcely indeed had Gerard and Father
Hayward retired from her presence,
when Lady Gilmore summoned this old
family servant to her side. Graham had
been in the castle at the time when the
small empty coffin supposed to contain
the little dead heir, had been inferred in
the family vault, and he had heard
rumors also that this had lately been
opened in the presence of q magistrate,
Father Hayward and London lawyer.
There had been naturally much gossip
among the servants on the subject, but
until Gerard arrived, Lady Gilmore had
not spoken of it to any of them.
Now, however, she broke the silence.
"G-aham, - she said addressing him,
''you saw the gentleman who arrived
with Father Hayward tonight, of whom
does his face remind you?
Graham hesitRted for moment.
81 scarcely like to say, my lady. - he
said; "but if may take the liberty of
doing so, he had q look, thought, of
his late lordship's. -
"He may well have, for he is his SON
MS 6luSSl sOu, dueH6T6O
with emotion. "When he was a babe
n weak and puny babe-it was given out
that he had died of fever, and little
coffin was brought here and placed by |
his grandfather side in the family |
vault IN the chapel. You remember |
this?''
al remember the melancholy occasion |
perfectly, my lady
E'That coffin was an empty one. / de- |
ceived has father and pretended he had |
died, because my lord ardently wished |
his other son to be the heir, as this poor |
child was hunchback. But he did not |
die, and has been reared by Nurse |
Brewster, and Eow he has come home. |
1 have acknowledged him--he is in truth |
Lord Gilmore, and not
Her voice broke and faltered as she al |
luded again to ''the other son, and |
Graham bowed respectfully as he lis
tened
''It is very strange my lady, he said, |
''but you could have knocked me over |
with feather the moment my eyes fell /
on his face tonight, the likeness 10 his |
late lordship is so strong. Am to I'M
derstand, my lady, that we have now to |
him as Lord Gilmore?''
'eCertainly. as Lord Gilmore; 1 have |
called you here to tell you this, and re-
quest you to make It known in the house,
hold. Steps will be taken Immediately |
to have his title acknowledged for none
can dispute il: Nurse Brewster will be |