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


little piqped at their indifference, she
snatched up her hat and sailed forth to
confront them.
| Il suppose you don't know that this is
private property2'' she said, sharply
The group halted and turned toward her.
| The orderly, who was following, turned
his face aside and smiled. The Younger Of
ficer demurely lifted his cap. The elder,
! gray. handsome, in generals uniform, af-
| ter e moments half-astounded. half-amused
scrutiny of the little figure, gravely raised
his gauntleted fingers in a military salute
| Il beg your pardon, madam, but / am
afraid we never even thought of that. We
are making q preliminary survey for the
/ government with possible view OF fortify-
ing the bluff. 1t is very doubtful if you
will be disturbed in any rights you may
have, but if you are the government will
not fail to make it good to you" He turned
carelessly to the aid beside him. Il suppose
the bluff IS quite inaccessible here2.
Il don't know about that. general. They
say that Marion, after he killed Henderson,
escaped down this way" said the young
man.
''Indeed-what good was thatl How did
he get away from herep'
They say that Mrs. Fairfax was hanging
round in a boat waiting for him The
story of the escape is all out now''
| They moved away with a slight perfunct-
1 DRY bow to Mrs. Bunker, only the younger
/ officer noting that the pert pretty little
Western woman wasn't as sharp and
-snappy to his superior as she had at first
promised to be.
She turnedto the cottage asteunded, angry
and vaguely alarmed. Who was this Mrs.
Fairfax who had usurped her fame and SOL
| itary deyotion2 There was no woman in
| the boat that took him off {; it was equally
| wen known that he went in the ship alone.
If they had heard that some woman was
-, l. -
| posed that it was Mrs. Fairfax ZephaS
might know something-but he was away.
The thought haunted her that day and the
next On the third came a more startling
incident.
She had been wandering along the edge
of her domain in q state of reStlessness
which had driven her from the monotony
of the house when she heard the barking of
the big Newfoundland dog which Zephas
had lately bought for protection and COM
pany. She looked up and saw the boat and
its solitary rover at the landing. She ran
quickly to the house TO bring the packet.
AS she entered she started back in amaze
ment. For the'sitting room was already in
possession of woman who was seated
calmly by the table.
The stranger turned on Mrs. Bunker that
frankly ipsolent glance and deliberate ex-
animation which only one woman can give
another. In that glance Mrs. Bunker felt
If her own eyes had not told her that in
beauty, attire, and bearing the intruder
was of type and condition far beyond her
own, or even that of any she had known.
1t was the more crushing that there also
seemed to be in this naughty woman the
same incongruousness and sharp contrast
TO the plain and homely surroundings of
the cottage that she remembered in him
'SYo' aw Mrs. Bunker, 1 believe" she
said, in languid Southern accents. "HoW
de DOH
81 am Mrs. Bunker, F." said Mrs, Bunker,
shortly.
And so this is where Cunnle Marion
stopped when he waited fo' the boat to take
him or said the stranger, glancing lazily
around, and delaying with smiling inso-
leuce the explanation she knew Mrs. Bunker
was expecting. 1.-THE cunnle said it was a
poor enough place, but don't see it.
reckon, however, he was too worried to
judge and glad enough to get off. Yo' ought
TO have made him talk-he generally don't
want much prompting to talk to women, If
they're poorly"
He didn't seem in a hurry to CO. said
Mrs. Bunker, indignantly, The. next mo-
ment she saw her error, even before the
cruel handsome smile of her unpidden
guest revealed it.
4 thought so,'' she said lazily; ''this is
the place, land here's where the cunnle
stayed. Only yo' oughtn't have given him
and yo'self away to the first stranger quite
so easy. The cunnle might have taught yo'
that, the two or three hours he was
with yo''
what do you want with me2'' demanded
Mrs. Bunker, angrily.
81 want letter yo' have for me from
Cunnle Marion
st have nothing for you," said Mrs.
Bunker. 81 don't know who you are,''
you ought to, considering you've been
4
me, - said the lady, coolly.
THAT'S not true" said Mrs. Bunker,
hotly, to combat an inward sinking.
The lady rose with lazy languid grace,
walked to the door, and called, still lazily,
''Oh, Pedro!n
The solitary rover clamered up the rocks
and appeared on the cottage threshold.
rs this the lady who gave you the letters
for me and to whom you took mi ne?"
Isl, Sonora"
They were addressed to Mr. Kirby"
said Mrs. Bunker sullenly, How was l TO
know they were for Mrs. Kirby"
''Mr. Kirby. Mrs. Kirby and myself are
all the same You don't suppose the Cunnle
would give my real name and address, Did
you address yo'r packet to his real name or
to some one else2 Did you let your husband
know who they were for?"
Oddly, a sickening sense of the meanness
of all these deceits and subterfuges sud
replying she went to her bedroom and re-
turned with Col. Marion's last letter, which
she tossed into her visitors lap.
''Thank yo', Mrs. Bunker. III be sure
to tell the cunnle how careful you were not
to give up his correspondence to everybody.
It'll please him mo- than to hear yo' are
wearing his ring-which everybody knows
before people,
'tHe gave it TO me-he-he knew I
wouldn't take money!" said Mrs. Bunker,
indignantly
He didn't have any to give" said the
lady slowly, as she removed the enyelop
from her letter and looked up with a daz- |
cling but cruel smile. "A So'th'n gentle
man don't fill up his pockets when he goes |
out to fight. He. don't tuck his maw's |
Bible into his breast pocket, clap his dear
auntie's locket, big as cheese plate, over his |
heart nor let his sole-leather cigyar case |
that his gyerl gave him lie round in spots |
when he goes out to take another gentle |
mans fire He leaves that to Yanks.''
Did you come here to insult my hus- |
band.' said Mrs. Bunker in the rage of |
desperation.
''To insult yo' husband Well came |
here to get letter that his wife received |
from his political and natural enemy, and =
perhaps l didr' With i side glance at !
Mrs. Bunker's crimson cheek, she added, |
carelessly, Il have nothing against Capt |
Bunker; he's straightforward man, and !
must go with his kind. He helped cthose |
hounds of vigilantes because he believes in |
TO. And we don't
If she only knew something of this |
relations 10 Marion-which she |
only instiuctiVelV SIlSOectPi-aDd coi1ld ya- 1