Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-16

as quick as possible.
So he told us what had happened, as l
have told it above | noticed that Bran
was darting giances OF fury 1T him, and
when he had finished made them promise
sOlemnly that they would speak TO nobody
on the subject, not even to each other, I'M
til / asked them TO do SO | sent Bran
once more for a carriage, and took advan-
tage of the opportunity thus offered for
little further reflection. | quickly decided
10 go back to my mothers; l preferred to
run the chance Of delaying an explanation
with Penny rather than TO take the risk of
having a-weil, row at home. l knew
that when Penny 5 temper was gone from
him he wouldn't think of mis- surround
ings, and | really could not bear the idea
Of furnishing material for kitchen gossip
end scandal.
Therefore when Bran came back | babe
both the men good night as politely as l
could, smiling little to myself as 1 per
ceived by their countenances that each had
expected to be my prop and stay in my af-
Fiction, put myself in the carriage and
drove to my mothers house. l had to ring
her up, unfortunately, and when she came
10 the door she was in a mood to know why
| wanted shelter with her.
Mamma said |, I'm tell you in the
morning
Ethel she said. you have had a quar-
rel with your husband"
Willfu! As l was, l 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
menL to hear Penny's voice in the hall be
low me. After that | came down stairs
and Joined my mother unto myself. And
by that time matters had developed them
selves with a vengeance.
Ny reflections had brought me to this
conclusions: that the whole thing was n
wretcned bore. and that it was really not
my fault-which was, it will ne observed,
the point from which had started; that
appearances were decidedly against me,
and that | owed il to my husband to go to
him and exp plain everything and leave the
matter IL his hands. But to tbs course OF
action AN obstacle presented itself which
rendered all my reflections Of no avail
namely. he fact that Penny mad gone 10
Europe.
For the first time in my life tasted the
bitterness of despair Oh how wretched
was mentally and physically! Ii | could
only have arranged matters respectfully
with Peuny-if | could only have presented
myself to the world as spouse at perfect
accord with her husband in spite of all
that had paSSed-if ! had only been in a
position to snub the weakh ngs ana 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 we'll! But as things
stood | was at the mercy of everyb body in
town. And il would have been idle for ME
to suppose that nobody knew what had
happened.
OF course had not spoken to any one.
Bran Boullter and Captain Brague had
been equally silent | was quiet sure. and
all the indications pointed TO the conciu-
sion that Penny had departed in a fit of
rage without taking any body into his con
tidence.
But there is in society a breed of pointers
who are 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 rs 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 Naples 1t was too aggravating.
A good chance for Mrs Charter to keep
Lent" Eeople cried. She hasn't done such
thing for several years Oh, how furi-
ouS it made me TO think how all the idle
old heads were bobbing and the false old
frouts bristling and the venomous old
tongues wagging And really my condi
tion of mind might well have been despe.-
ate | was ready TO do auything-I would
have been obliged to any body for any good
practical Suggestion-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
Mavburn. They gave me my own time,
never abiding to the unfortunate state of
affairs.
At first | could not talk it over with
them. | wanted action, as | say, and Lofty
and my mother were alone in my conf
dence | don't know what Bran thought
| dare say be blamed himself terribly and
was tortured by remorse, but | can't say |
thought much about him at the time. He
sent me u 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 impatiently and threw it into
the fire, wondering what good he thought
he could do. Captain Brague must have
been broken hearted | know that Katy
Langt on-bless his good soui-was, to use
his own phrase, Internally broken up
about it," and instantly framed hundred
wild plans for he'll ping me, which the Supe-
rior 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 don't
believe Captain Brague told her anything
directly. She knew that l had found out
that it was for her that the captain had
mistaken me-of that l am certain; but
she never once came near mel Never did
she bring me the company that misery
loves; nsver-looking AZ 1t in the most
petty light-dd she attempt TO crafty that
foolish little desire that l felt-that every
one feels-the desire to talk it ali over with
some one who had had a hand in it-her
wretched selfishness bred in her a mean
cowardice and pitiful fear that would