Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-11-26
CHAPTER XVI.

sweetheart, and he found me an attentive
and sympathetic listener. l wanted to
know all about Judith Bell. was eager to
sound the depth of their mutual attach
meut and ascertain the probable outcome
OF this love affair. The aspect OF Kavanagh's
plan for kidnapping Gordon was consider
ably altered by its bearing upon Judith
We had agreed that Gordon himself would
willingly accept the part assigned him. But
these arguments seemed to lose their force
now that another was concerned. Knowing
how / should feel the loss Of Taras, / could
not be Indifferent to the anxiety and pain
to be inflicted on Gordon's sweetheart, even
though that anxiety might end so soon
But for all that never wavered in the de-
termination to play out my part No con-
siderntion Of friends or self could turn me
from my purpose
Gordon saw KnvanAgh frequently, but he
had little to report except TINT the deteo-
tives were closely watching Rudersdorf,
who rs yet had not left the neighborhood
Of Shadwell, where he had taken lodgings.
Whether this was true or not had no
means OF knowing, for Kavanagh still kept
away, though week had passed since our
last interview. The suspense Of these days
was hard to bear, but incidentally learned
fact from Gordon, which explained and
excused his postponing the final act to the
last moment possible,
DO you see Miss Bell very oftenf" /
asked Gordon one day
Not half so often us | should like to. l
assure you" he replied, and then, rather in
consequently, as it seemed to me, he added
you see, shes such a brick OF girl"
"ls that any reason why you should not
see her il she's engaged to your"
well, that's provisional sort Of affair,
you know. 1t all depends on the success
OF the pottery, hang it, though OF course
it's bound to succeed. You see, the old
colonel has stuck all his capital into the
concern. 1t wasn't much, to be sure, but
It's all he has Well, II he gets jolly good
income ont OF It, Judith will be my wife.
II be doesn't-woll THEREAFTER pulling his
beard rehectively for minute in silence
well, then we shall he married all the
same, only 1t will be a deuce OF bother"
Il don't think quite understand"
TITS likethis, mademoiselle. don't mind
telling you, because you are the last one in
the world that would betrny the confidence
Of n friend, The fact is poor old Bells had
a rough time of it, and through trusting
one COMPOUNDED kind FREUD and backing
bills for another has got his fiuunees into
such n muddle that | doubt ii he would
have ESQ year 10 live upon n all his pre-
cious bonds and securities and shares werr
put Ia the market and realized. Well. Won
Know, he doesn't know that, and heaven
forbid 1t should ever come to his cars. 1t
shan't If can have Il hand In cooking his
accounts, you may b1 sure But the deuce
OF IL Is tho old boys AS proud as I.uciler.
and it would just break his heart II he
found out oie day that he was subsisting
on my ones generosity sort OF pensioner,
don't you know. And-well, that's how il
is, don't you seq
No, don't quite. How does that affect
your marriage with Miss Bell?"
Why, judith knows how matters stand.
though the colonel doesn't You ladies are
such II lot sharper than we at seeing right
into things. She knows that II this last
venture of her poor old dads breaks down.
he must learn the truth, and--well, she's
got bit OF the oolonel's pride In her
straight baolt, too, bless herl and she won't
marry me before she is certain that am
not TO he sAddled with her fnther. It's con.
founded nonsense OF coure-were bound
to marry because we couldn'tlove anybody
else-but honor her for it, you know. She
Is a brick"
But still, II you love each other, It seems
natural that you should want to see each
other sometimes, even II you can't marry"
snid, thinking OF Taras
oh, we do sometimes but not every day
mot even once a week. It isn't practical
bio, because, don't you know, Judith isn't
exactly free. Knowing the critical state OF
their pecuniarv resources, she took an en-.
Eagement as nursery governess; that will
show you what n capital sort Of girl she ia.
This Is quite between you and ME, for the
colonel, with his awfully narrow ideas
about class and that sort of thing, would be
Mortified at the notion of his daughter earn.
ing her livingn
But how is 1t kept a secret from himP
oh, that's easy enoughi He supposes
that she Is staying Mt Sydenhnm on visit
with MTs, havanagh, who is nm old friend.n
Mrs kavanaghP exclaimed in aston.
ishment
Mrs Charles Kavanagh-Barry Kava.
nhghs Gister-in-law," be explained
did not know that he had any rela-
tives living In London"
that's not a bit surprising. Kavanaghs
sueh an awfully rum, taciturn fellow In
some mh'tera You never know what he
ieeS or thinks or knows or does or any.
H''hs must uttNe known MIN
couple OF yetrs and with some degree of
Intimacy before discovered and then bv
accident that his mother was living.n
rs she living nowi"
"oh, dear, yea She resides with the fam.
fly at sydenham, It's odd. isn't III One
would think he had no one dearer TO him
than Tnras and me- It seems so natural IN
talk about people you love, and believe
Barry a most devoted son and brother.
know he spends couple of days week at
sydenhAm- ] suppose it's the logical out
come OF his confounded rationalism.n
After hearing this could not expect thar
kavanagh would take the final step one
moment before Rudersdorf's patience ma
been stretched to the utmost limit.
One morning, Il must have been the 9th
OF November, Taas. looking at the naner
said There's to be a large display Of iirn,
works at the Crystal palace tonight shnI
we 80 and sec IN"
| acesded joyfully 10 the proposal.
Then III knock Oh at lunchtime y ,.,a
he, going to the window aud looking ~,
We may as well take advantages N M
sunny day. We may not get many rnor,.1
To my oyersensitivs ear there WINS ,.o,,,,
. frltr Nar L. a..