Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-14
PART II.

exciting the least suspicion on the part OF
her husband, managed to extract from him
not only a rough description of Marion
which Tailed with her own impressions.
but a short history of his career. He was
a famous politician who had held high.
Office in the South; he was an accomplished
lawyer; he had served in the army; he was
a fiery speaker; he had a singular command
of men. He was unmarried, but there
were queer stories of his relations with
some of the wives of prominent officials,
and there was no doubt that he used them
in some of his political intrlgues. He,
Zephas, would bet something that 1t was
woman who had helped him off, Did she
speak,
Yesl she had spoken. 1t made her sick
to sit there and hear such stories. Because
a man did not agree with some people in
politics it was perfectly awful to think
how they would abuse him and take away
his character. Men were so awfully ieal-
Gus, too; if another man happened to be
superior and fine looking there wasn't any
thing bad enough for them to say about
him. No! she wasn't slavery sympa-
thiZer either. and hadn't anything to
do with mans politics, although
she was a Southern woman, and the
MacEwans had come from Kentucky and
owned slaves. OF course, he,
Zephas, whose ancestors were Cape Cod
Quakers, and had always been sailors,
couldn't understand. She did not know
what he meant by saying, "what long
tail our cats got, but if he meant 20 call
her cat, and was going to use such Ian
guage to her, he had better have stayed in
San Francisco with his Vlgilante friends.
And perhaps it would have been better if
he had stayed there before he took her
away from her parents at Martinez. Then
she wouldn't have been left in a desert
rock without any chance Of seeing the
world, or ever making any friends or ac-
quaintanceS.
fhnir 61ast fr11ar T1icpraaflK-
made up by Mrs. Bunker in some alarm at
betraying herself; honestly forgiven by
Zephas in ride. remorseful consciousness /
of her limited life. One or two nights later,
when he returned it was with an air of
mystery and satisfaction. ''Well, h1ollie.'
he said, cheerfully, sit looks as if your pets
were not as bad as | thought them"
MY pets :" exclaimed Mrs. Bunker, with
faint rising of color.
well. call these Southern Chivs YOUR
pets, Mollie, because you stuck up for them
so the other night. But never mind that
now. What do you suppose has happened2
Jim Rider, you know, the Southern banker
and speculator, who's a regular big Injin
among the 'Chivs,' he sent Cap Simmons
down to the wharf while I was unloadin'
TO come and see him. Well, l went, and
what do y'U think? He told me he was
gettin' up an American Fishin company
and wanted me to take charge of a first
class schooner on shares. Said he heard of
me afore, and knew l was an American and
a white man, aud just the chap ez could
knock them Eyetalians outer the MARKET
Yes, :" Interrupted Mrs. Bunker quickly.
but emphaticalIy, ''the fishing interest
ought to be American and protected by the
state. with regular charters and Greaties.''
Il say, Mollie,'' said her as tonished but
admiring husband, you've been readin'
the papers or lstenin' to stump speakin',
sure
go on" returned Mrs Bunker, impa-
tiently, land say what happened next
''Well, - returned Zephas, 81 first thought |
you see, that it had suthin' to do with that |
Marion business, particularly ez folks al |
lowed he was hidin' somewhere yet, and !
they wanted me to run him off. So 4 |
thought he might as veil know that 1 |
wasn't to be bribed so l ups and tells him |
how I'd been lynn OF Sancelito the other |
day workin' for the other side agin him. |
With that he laughs, says he didn't want any |
better friend than me, but that i must be |
livin' in the bacSwoOds not to know that |
Wynyard Marion had escaped, and was !
then at sea on his way TO Mexico or Central |
America Then we agreed to terms, and !
the long and short of it is. Mollie, that I'm |
TO have the schooner, with $3.50 q month |
and 10 per cent shares after a year! Looks |
like biz Ell, Mollie? old girl, but you don't |
seem pleased. "
She had put aside the arm with which he |
was drawing her to him, and had turned |
her white face to the window. So he had /
gOne-thiS Stranger-this one friend of ner |
life-she would never see him again, and |
all that would ever come of it was this pc
cuniary benefit TO her husband, who had |
done nothing He would not even offer her
money, but he had managed to pay his debt |
10 her in this way that their vulgar poverty
would appreciate. And this was the end of |
her dream!
You don't seem 10 take it in, Mollie,"
continued the surprised Zephas. ''lt means
a house in Frisco and little cabin for you
on the schooner when you like"
Il don't want it. | won't have it!
shall stay here,'' she burst out with half
passionate, half-childish cry, and ran into
her bedroom. leaving the astonished |
Zephas helpless in his awkward consterna-
ton.
by gum! I must take her to Frisco
right off, or she'll be havin' the high strikes
here alone. l oughter lnowed il would |
come to ths!n But, although he consulted
Cap Simmons the next day, who in
formed him il was all woman's ways when |
struck and advised him to pay out all |
the line he could at such delicate moments,
she had no recurrence of the outbreak.
On the contrary, for days and weeks |
following she seemed calmer, older
and more 'growed ups" although she re-
sisted changing her Seashore dwelling for
San Francisco, she accompanied him on one |
or two of his deep sea- trips down the
CudSls anu SGGLlGu III LutlE SUubHCFu |
limits. She had taken to reading the pOliti-
cal papers and speeches, and some cheap
American histories. Capt. Bunker'S crew,
profoundly convinced that their shippers
wife was ''womans rights fanatic, with
the baleful qualities of 'ssea lawyer
superadded, maryelled at his bringing her.
II was on returning home from one Of
these trips, that they touched briefly at
San Francisco, where the secretary
secretary of the fishing company came on
board. Mrs. Bunker was startled to recog-
nize in him one of the two gentlemen who
had taken Mr.. Marion off in the boat, but
as he did not appear to recognize her even
after an awkward introduction by her hus-
band, she would have recovered her
equanimity but for q singular incident As
her husband turned momentarily away
the secretary, with a significant gesture
slipped a letter into her hand. She felt
the blood rush to her face as, with a smile,
she moved away 10 follow her husband.
She came down to the little cabin and i'm
patiently tore open. the envelope, which
bore no address. A small folded note con-
tanned the following lines:
never intended TO burden you with my
confidence. but the discretion, tact and
courage you displayed on our first meeting, |
and what I know of your loyalty since,
have prompted me to trust myself again to
your kindness, even though you are now !
aware whom YOU have helped, and the |
risks You ran. My friends wish TO COM
municate with me and to forward to me, |
from time TO time. certain papers of i'm
portance which, owing to the tyrannical