Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-31

NV" ! uuF0 d letter TO WFlt6.
Nancy saw that he N ant her TO 20
away, and SO she left him with a sinking
heart. He looked into the drawing-room
for moment before he left the house
and told Nancy that "if the priest
called, - she was TO tell Father Hayward
from him, that he preferred to have
'nothing 10 do with the affair at all. ="
Let them manage it their own way, ~
he added. 'Goodbye, Nancy; III re-
appear when l think the coast is clear of
the priest, - and he nodded his head and
was gone-without saying a word where
he was going.
| CHAPTER XxXIII. -FOReAKEN.
Father Hayward arrived the next
morning at II O'Clock, as he had ar
ranged, and looked very grave indeed
when Nancy was forced to tell him that
her husband was not at home.
THAT is most unfortunate, he said
slowly.
"Yes,' answered Nancy, trying to
hide Hugh Clifford s seeming discourtesy
che had made an engagement to go out
of town, which he could not put off-but
he told me to tell you, Father Hayward,
he would prefer to have nothing TO do
with this affair-about his brother. -
"Do you mean about offering a re-
ward for any olew to throw light on Lord
| Gilmore's strange dissppearance?'
Yes; he said he should rather not
move III the matter at all-You see they
were not friends
"Still 1 think it great pity, q very
great pity, considering the circum-
stances, that Mr.. Clifford should not
come forward In this matter. You see,
| If anything has happened to Lord Gill
more, Mr.. Clifford is at the present mo-
ment his presumptive heir, unless his
child should be born alive and a son..
"Aud the wife?'' said Nancy. wishing
to change the conversation. "Dld you
see her, and what is she iike2'
"She is q pretty, fair, modest-looking
young woman, and seemG in great dis
tress about the disappearance of her
husband-she fears he has been MUIR
dered. -
son, how terrble!''
"The mysterious part of it is that |
someone must be Withholding Informal
tion from the police, as he left the house
two hours before he was seen It the sta
ton, at Maidenhead, by the station mas
ter, who seems an intelligent mRu, and
possitiv ly states he saw Lord Gilmore |
start in the eleven train for town. Now
during these two hours he must have
been in some house, as the night, they
tell me, was wet aud stormy, yet no one
has come forward to tell where he was;
and this is one reason why am SO aux-
ious that large reward should be
offered, as 1t might be an inducement for
some person to speak the truth.
sit is most extraordinary, said Nam
cy, casting down her eyes.
''It is a grievous thing, erievous for
the poor young wife, and for the whole
mil -haF 1
more may be 1 dread to think of, and
desire to keep it from her knowledge as
long as possible. And this is why l so |
earnestly wish that your husband would
come forward. -
Nancy shook her head.
~ fear that it will be in vain to ask
him, Father Hayward, - she said.
''Could you not try to persuade him?n
al do not think l could. -
in that case l must act on my own
responsibility, aud on that of young Lady
and her father, Mr. Summers:
or there is no doubt that the affair is
most serious, and that no exertion should
,e spared to elucdate the strange disep-
'earance OF this young man." ,
He took his leave shortly after this, '
nd Nancy remained in the house all r
ay, expecting her husband 3 return. +
But Hugh Clifford did not reappear until n
ightfall, and told Nancy casually that +
% had been down the river to Cookham. 4
GA man l know is staying at the hotel
here, so went 20 get out of the way of h
he priest, he said. Ibid he come,
nd what did he say?'' q
Then Nancy explained and told him
hat Father Hayward had said, and h
Lugh Clifford listened with q moody =,
row. .
s. As said before, let them manage it d
themselves, - he said sullenly; eff this
oman is his wife, she Is the proper per- L
IN TO do it, and then he changed the n
onversation.
But Nancy noticed that during the h
ext few DAYS he was more restless and y,
nsettled than ever. She saw, too. how ~
item his eyes would rest on her face
18th panied, sad look in them, and he fr
as more considerable, and more gentle
his manner TO her-more as he used to sa
after her accident and during her
ng illness-and he grew fonder than "a
'er of the child. ~
a large reward had been offered In the ts
eanwhiie for any information regard
g the disappearance of Gerard Lord
lmore, but Hugh Clifford said nothing VIC
Nancy of this until nearly a week
ter Father Hayward g last visit. Then Z,
ddeniy, one morning, he told her he
IS going abroad for while.
g. All this affair has worried me so that IN
want change he said. ''People ps
e always bothering me at the clubs 70
low II anything has been discovered, vn
d one fellow had the impudence to
II me Lord Gilmore again yesterday, IN
ID so l am about sick of it, Nancy and hi,
4 going away -
You will take ne with you, then?" n
Id Nancy looking up with her dark vi
es on his changing face.
No, no, l cannot; what could 1 do
tn nurse and baby dragging after m,
;, and you could not leave the child?' br
Il could take him to your mothers or m,
IS Gifford's," answered Nancy, ma
ough the thought of parting from her pa
by was very terrible to her. mo
Yes, and be pining after him the we
ole time. No, you stay at home, and he
* after the child-poor little woman" 10
De laid his hand kindly on her sac
builder, as he spoke, and looked al lor
st wistfully in her face. ba,
am afraid have been a bad hus- Tbs
nd to you, Nancy be said. "God ha,
ows did not mean to be-that was mr.
y fond OF you-but with one thing the
anofhar Hhe