Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-20


as quick as possible"
So he told Us what had happened, as |
have told it above. | noticed that Bran
was darting glances OF fury at him, and
when he had finished made them promise
solennly that they would speak to nobody
on the subject, not even to each other. un-
I'll | asked them to do So | sent Bran
once more for a carriage, and took advan-
tage of the opportunity thus offered for a
little further reflection. quickly decided
to go back to my mothers; preferred to
run the chance of delaying an explanation
with Penny rather than to take the risk of
having a-wel, row at home l knew
that when Penny's temper was gone from
him he wouldn't think of his surround
ings, and l really could not bear the idea
of furnishing material for kitchen gossip
and scandal.
Therefore when Bran came back | babe
both the men good night as politely as |
could, smiling little TO myself as per-
ceiyed by their countenances that each had
expected TO he my prop and stay in my al
Fiction, put myself in the carriage and
drove to my mothers house. l had to ring
her up, unfortunately. and when she came
to the door she was in q mood to know why
L wanted shelter With her.
Mamma" said l, TN tell you in the
morning"
Ethel" she said, you have had quar-
rel with your husband"
Willful as | was, was not utterly lack
ing in human kindness; so | sat down and
told her the whole story. But | refused to
take counsel with her that night, and |
went to bed, Professionally, for the day-''in
order to wait developments, as the news
papers say-declaring that was not to be
disturbed for anybody less than my hus-
band himself. And during that day |
waited and reflected, expecting every mo
ment to hear Penny's voice in the hall be-
low me. After that l came down stairs
and joined my mother unto myself. And
by that time matters had developed them
selves with a vengeance.
My reflections had brought me to this
conclusion: that the whole thing was
wretched bore, and that it was really not
my fault-which was, it will be observed,
the point from which | had started; that
appearances were decidedly against me,
and that l owed it to my husband to go to
him and explain everything and leave the
matter IL his hands. But to this course of
action an obstacle presented itself which
rendered all my reflections of no avail
namely, the fact that Penny had gone to
Europe
For the first time in my life I tasted the
bitterness of despair. Oh, how wretched l
was-mentally and physically! If ! could
only have arranged matters respectfully
with Penny-if l could only have presented
myself to the world as a spouse at perfect
accord with her husband in spite of all
that had passed-if had only been in
position to snub the weakhngs and defy
the strong-for aught | would have cared
the whole story might have been sounded
throughout the length and breadth of the
land by brazen trumpcts and published in
the London Truth rs well! But as things
stood | was AT the mercy of everybody in
town. And it would have been idle for me
TO suppose that nobody knew what had
happened.
OF course l had not spoken to any one
Bran Buulter and Captain Brague had
been equally silent, l was quiet sure. and
all the indications pointed to the conctu-
sion that Penny had departed in a lit of
rage without taking anybody into his CON
1idence.
But there is in society breed of pointers
who are as quick TO detect an incipient
scandal and as true TO indicate its position
as ever is the thoroughbred to discover a
covey. RumorS flew about as thick as
snowfiakes; some were absurd and none
was absolutely correct, but all connected
the break between Penny and myself with
the Maennerchor, and most of them, of
course, brought in poor Captain BraGue.
And the real culprit all the time was En-
ma Naplesi 1t was too aggravating.
"A good chance for Mrs. Charter 10 keep
Lentr people cried. She hasn't done such
a thing for several years" Oh, how furi-
Gus it made me to think how all the idle
old heads were bobbing and the false old
fronts bristling and the venomous old
tongues wagging And really my condi-
ton of mind might we'll have been despe.-
ate. | was ready to do anything-l would
have been obliged to anybody for any good
practical sus;cestion-but really there was
nothing to be done Ny real friends were
very good TO me, however. They came to
see me. Lofty the frst-she, dear girl,
came on the instant, and insisted on full
confidence, and gave me counsel out of her
own heart, and never once told ME what
Mason SAID. Olive came, too, and Miss
Nayburu. They gave me my own time,
never abiding 10 the unfortunate state of
affairs.
At first | could not talk it over with
them. | wante,. action, as l say, and Lofty
and my mother were alone in my cont
dence | don't know what Bran thought.
dare say he blamed himself terribly and
was tortured by renorse, but | can't say
thought much about him at the time He
sent me card the day after the little at
fair with Forgive me. and remember that
| am at your service" written on it. But
tore it up impatienly and threw it into
the fire. wondering what good he thought
he could do. Captain Brague must have
been broken hearted. l know that Katy
Langton-bless his good soul-was, TO use
his own phrase, Internally broken up
about it," and instantly framed hundred
wild plans for helping me, which the supe-
FOR good sense of Paddy Gander alone pre-
vented him putting into execution
But when / think of the behavior of
Emma Naples! OF course she must have
known what had happened, though l don't
believe Captain Brague told her anything
directly. She knew that had found out
that it was for her that the captain had
mistaken me-of that I am certain; but
she never once came near me. Never did
she bring me the company that misery
loves; never-looking at it in the most
petty light-did she attempt to CRAFTY that
foolish little desire that feit-that every
one feels-the desire to talk it all over with
some one who had had hand in it-her
wretched selfshness bred in her mean
i