Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-10

become of me3' ~
We'll, perhaps you'll be marrying Bos
| ton belle one of these fine days"
| perhaps, Elsie-if you go out as Skin
/ misher.''
20 that's all nonsense: you are only
teasing; and besides, [ am not smart
enough to GO
suppose"
| YES, what
Suppose you did 90, and suppose You
| We're to find riches and pleasure. and fiat
| terry. and have all these poured 1T your feet
| If you would give up your English life-and
! love-"
Elsie tried hard to assume the nearest
| possible to u frivolous air Us she turned her
face the other way and jauntily replied:
If ifs and ans were pots and pans,
! There'd be no need OF thinkers"
''Come and let's have some music
Her dainty fingers barely seemed to touch
| the keys as she played the accomplishments
| TO song after song, sung by them alter
nately and IN duet, chiefly the fine old i'll
Spired ballads which will outliye most Of
our artificially manufactured denominations.
They neither heard nor noticed the eager
| undertOneS in which Blarnaby absorbed the
! attention of Lady Ossulstone. They were
seated in the farther corner of the spacious
apartment in the shadow cast by one of the
candle sconceS on the curtaiued wall. His
head craned towards his listener, though he
was not aware of it. Her eyes were fixed
upon a bracelet which tine fingers OF her
right hand were turning round and round
aud round again on her left wrist with slow
mechanical regularity.
Believe me. | speak frankly. Nothing
could have been more completely foreign to
my thoughts when accepted the honor OF
this Invitation than the position | find my
self moved to assume. Your hospitality,
your converse. your self. have been a revel-
to 81, i
my existence may impress you if
only with the thousandth part of
the force you have upon me.
We are not children III such things.
Nor do l lightly speak o. aftinit ties, for if
they exist they assert themselves. What if
they do! Let us be cautious, aud ponder
everything deeply. Hasty fancies do not
befit those of our age and experience. But
if | We're not assured that there are subtle
sympathies which draw me to you as Ihave
never been lawn before, | could
not have dared to speak thus.
Love breaks barriers down, even
such barriers as conventional rule
places between an old aristocracy and a
young democracy. And yet, believe me,
will bow to whatever consideration appears
to you paramount. I press for no reply
now-it is my duty to terminate your lady
ships perpleXity under this iTepreSsible
confession l now make. Forgive its abrupt
ness. Yet implore you to devote one
thought to the possibilities of new happi-
ness in new world, where l picture
you the beloved leader of a demo
cratic sciety already much utilized to repair
the fading glories of European aristocracy.
Think of the splendid opportunity, priv
leges aye. duty-that awaits the woman
who can, by one word, heal every one of the
ranking sores that are kept open simply to
ruin the peace of our fraternal peoples
Was ever the selfishness of love hallowed
by SO sublime sanction as this of our mt
tual Patriotism
He paused. His voice was tremulous
with the intensity of feeling: for the mag
nitude of the issue loomed larger i'll his con-
seriousness us he spoke.
Lady OSSulStone sat for q few moments
as one rapt in some vision. Slowly, very
slowly. she came 10 herself with sigh and
her head gently turned as if seeking another
object for her gaze. Perfectly sclf-pos-
Scssed she was, and had at no time lost per
ception of the situation. despite the potency
of the spell she had been under. Stranger
still. her sureing thoughts had been OF the
coolest practical sort. The romance of |
ideaiiSm charms the unSophiSticated girl |
but women of the world are affected only i,
by the romance of realism, present or pO- |
tential. She well knew the infinite posi- |
bilitieS of the situation so impreSSively |
fOre-sketched. The contrasts flashed upon |
tas she saw itl and future power used for |
the modest ends. Is it wonderful that Lady |
Ossulstone was mute with perpleXity!
Dear mamma, do you know the time |
We have been so long at the piano I'm sure |
neither Of us thought how we must have |
been worrying you. Do forgive me, Mr.. |
for it's all my FAULT
Why, my child. have been blaming my |
self for talking so loudly all the time | |
fear. Sir John, l shall be obliged TO spoil |
our rubber this evening, rs my favorite
headache gives ME hints of its nearness.
You will, l am sure. forgive me. Mr. Blarn-
ably, for retiring earlier than | would
Il will come. too. mamma darling, but |
don't suppose shall be missed.'
And so the ladies' withdrew. each with
her heart full of its own secret anXieties.
The gentlemen went into the billiard-r room
and played desultory game. Then they |
had a pipe. and a far from hearty chat over
things in general-the weather. the crops
the Laramie and Yellowstone railroad. the
quality of tobacco and whisky. everything
but what was burning their brains SO fierce
". When the first pipe was finished they
lit their candles and assembled the ghostly |
staircase to their rooms. Blarnaby flung |
himself into the embrace of the mighty
armchair, and seeing letter which the
maid had placed upon the writing-pad. one |
the coachman had brought from the village |
without noticing the envelope
Now it was his turn TO look as though he
was dazed. This is what he read
so FOURTH AVENUE, NEW YORK. July %
My DEAR FRIEND-Only a brief word.
Does not the sweet whisper of memory re-
,all the happy days we spent together when
We made our first trip years ago-you the
seeker of fortune, l of literary famel
Those of our then party who knew of our
mutual affection are wondering if we are
parted. They cannot be told by me that
he renewal of our engagement only awaits
he browning Of your ambition with sue
'ess. In its humble way ms pen ever
abors TO further that end. .fof we are no
onger youthful, and SsSouy Sbusy brain
mould seek timely ssfest. fBter your de-
7oted EuHaEMIAg fSHIcKsrER
y sgfoSrlaD,j