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


rion's my friend I'm Mrs. Fairfax, 10
follower Well, maybe those Puritanical
Noth'n folks might give it another name -
She moved slowly toward the door, but on
the threshold paused. as Col Marion had.
and came back TO Mrs. Bunker with an out
stretched hand. II don't see that yo' and
me need quo'll. I didn't come here for that
came here to see your husband, and seeing
you thought it was only right to talk
squarely TO you, as you understand
wouldn't talk to your husband Mrs.
Bunker. want your husband to take me
away want him to take me to the cunnle.
If 1 tried to go in any other way I'd be
watched, spied upon, and followed, and
only lead those hounds on his track.
dom expect yo' to ask yo' husband for me-
but only not to interfere when I do
There was q touch of unexpected weak
ness In her voice and a look of pain in her
eyes which was not unlike what Mrs
Bunker had seen and pitied in Marion. But
they were the eyes of a woman who had
humbled her, and Mrs. Bunker would have
a cruel enjoyment in it Yet the dominance
of the stranger was still so strong she did
not dare TO refuse the proffered hand She,
however, slipped the ring from her finger,
and laid it in Mrs. Fairfax's palm.
''You can take that with yon,' she said,
others previous Indifference. Il shouldn't
like 10 deprive you and your friend Of the
opportunity Of making use of it again. AS
for my husband, [ shall say nothing of you
to him as long as you say nothing to him of
me-which 1 suppose is what sou mean.
The iusolent look came back to Mrs. Fair
efax's face. Il reckon you're right" she
said quietly, putting the. ring in her pocket
as she fixed her dark eyes on Mrs. Bunker,
land the ring may be of use again. Good
by, Mrs Bunker
She waved her hand carelessly, and turn
ing away passed out of the house A mo-
ment later the boat and its two occupants
push from the shore and disappeared round
the Point
Then Mrs. Bunker looked round the room
and down upon her empty finger, and knew
that it was the end of her dream. It was
all over now-indeed. with the picture of
that proud. insoleIit woman before her she
wondered if it had ever begun. This was
the woman she had allowed herself to think
she might be. This was the woman he was
thinking of when he sat there this was the
Mrs. Fairfax the officers had spoken of,
and who had made her-Ars. Bunker-the
go-between for their lovemakingi All the
work that she had done for him, the deceit
she had practiced on her hi sband. was to
bring him and this woman together2 And
they both knew it, and had no doubt
laughed at herand her pretensiOns
1t was with burning cheek that she
thought how she had intended to go to Ma
rion, and imagined herself arriving, per-
haps, to find that shameless woman already
there. In her vague, unformulated long
ings, she had never before realized the
degradation into which her foolish romance
might lead her. She saw it now; that
humiliating moral lesson we are all apt to
experience in the accidental display Of our
own particular vices in the person we hate
she had Just felt in Mrs. FairfaX's presence.
With it came the paralyZing fear of her
husbands discovery of her secret. Secure
as she had been in her dull belief that he
had in some way wrouged her by marrying
her. she for the first time began TO doubt
if this condoned the deceit she had prac-
ticed on him. The tribute Mrs. Fairfax had
paid him-this appreciation of his integrity
and honesty by an enemy and 4 woman like
her, frightened her, and
filled her with her first jealousy! What If
this woman should tell him all what if she
should make use of him as Marion had of
her? Zephas was 4 strong Northern parti-
san, but was he proof against the
guileful charms of such devil? She
had never thought before of ques-
tioning his fidelity to her; she
suddenly remembered now some rough
of Capt. Simmons in. regard to
the Inconsistency of his calling. No! there
was DuJ Ouc IIlluS lOF uSf 10 10, sue WOulu
make clean breast to him; she would tell
him everything she had done except the
fatal fancy that compelled her to it. She
began to look for his coming now with
hope and fear-with undated i'm
patience. The night that he should have
arrived passed slowly; morning came, but
not Zephas. When the mist had lifted she
ran impatiently to the rocks and gazed
anxiously toward the lower bay. There
were few gray sails scarce distinguish
able above the grayer water, but they were
not his. She glanced half mechanically
seward. and her eyes became suddenly
fixed There was no mistake. She knew
the rig. She could see the familiar white
lap streak as the vessel careened on the
starboard tack. It was her husbands
slowly creeping out of the Golden
Gate.
TO BE CONCLUDED.