Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-10-14
TaD GH-
Mrs. Montgomery.
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doubt To commence with. ! had only
chosen that particular house because she
had been standing at the window. and when
! found the terms were ordinary terms, and
that single bedroom was vacant. ! became
one Of the boarders with degree Of pleas
urable anticipation.
Established myself the following morn
ing. arriving with my impedimenta in a
hanson. and descending to luncheon when
the gong sounded with my best coat on
The woman whose face had oaptiyated me
vas not present, and Immediately feared
she might have left.
To my unspeakable delight she entered
while I was endeayoring to console myself
with the reflection that was, anyhow
comfortably Installed. and that the glimpse
had obtained OF her the preceding day. In
passing. had probably saved me from a
less desirable establishment. Her seat. by
good chance. was next to me, and though
did not In this way have so favorable q
view Of her the Arrangement held out the
promise OF agreeable conversations.
Let me declare at once that the promise
was fulfilled. was Introduced to her. aud
learned that her name was Mrs. Mont
gomery. She was slender. graceful
woman. with the grandest gray eyes have
ever looked on and a voice that made
commonplaces delightful.
found that she had been staying in the
house for three months. She was q widow
and an artist. in so far as she painted in
water-colors. and disposed Of her work as
often as she was able to find customer
Her ago was. perhaps two or three and
thirty. and when | knew her better dis
covered that she had considerable expert
encc OF the world Not tina, she referred
expressly to her experiences, but rather
that they tinged her remarks. and impaired
to them a certain breadth and depth not
TO be found In the criticisms Of the rest. ]
might even say a certain bitterness. She
was never cynical, but bitterness" conveys
my meaning fairly well. She appeared TO
have lived and suffered. and now and then
when she dropped the mask and the real
woman spoke 10 me, | almost felt Gs II she
were guiding my hand toward half
healed wound. was Interested and curious.
and before long found out that the curlos-
ity she excited was not limited to myself.
A boarding house is very hotbed Of
comment and inquiry. and It was not to be
supposed that woman like Mrs Mont
was. moreover, slngularly retlcent about
herself, and thus gave the other women's
Imagination greater scope still. Where she
came from. who she was how long her
husband had been dead. such matters
formed food for daily gossip, and there was
not even wanting the plain and spiteful
woman to suggest the possibility Of her be-
Ing a diyorcee and not widow at all
was a man. and young one, and my
zeal outran my discretion. had the morti-
tlcatlon Of percevlng that. in my ardent
circumstances against this miserable IN.
putatlop procured for myself the rsputa-
ton Of having fallen in love with the lady
and, so far from endearing myself to her by
my championship. succeeded. on the con-
trary, In creating a GOODNESS in her bearing
toward me which made me wretehed. do
not mean Of course, that she was aware
that had championed her, but that she
was speedily rallied on my devotion
have just said l was young. I did
what every young man does under such cir
cumstanoes; l asked her the reason OF her
altered manner TO me.
She lifted her eyebrows in faint protest
at such stupidity.
II really don't understand you" she said.
"TIow have altcred?"
She had, deNtercusly enough, reversed
the positions. and the awkwnrdness of ex-
planning was now mine.
you were more friendly to me-" / STAN.
mered; more kind"
my dear Mr.. Gorei" she murmured. dep
recatingly.
"You-of course It is dlHleult to say"
went on, with hoo cheeks-"but you are
sitter to me than you were. Have Of
Tended your"
mot in the very faintest particular" she
answered; pray believe it."
had perforce to be content. but strove
by every means In my power to regain the
former footing
was annoyed at this stage by the ar
rival OF new boarder, whom Immediately
observed to be strongly attracted by Mrs.
Montgomery, He was q big, black-hoardel
man Of ABOUT forty, and though he did not
address her across the table, detected his
eyes attentlvely nSel upon her more than
once My one belief was that she. on her
side. studiously avoided his gaze, and even
appeared distressed ny 1t.
II had only needed the element Of rivalry
TO make me her AFFECT slave; and though
she gave the bearded stranger no encour-
agement, hated him and adored her most
desperately. rue cuutteT OF the tacetiOus
landlady goaded mo to evaporation, for the
lewcomer's name CHANGED 10 be also Mont.
gomery,' and this gave opportunities for
second-class boarding house wit OF the most
approved type. Mr.. Montgomery, will Won
pass Mrs. Montgomery the saiad?" Mrs
Montgomery. MIR. Montgomery Is waiting
permission 10 smoke" hguratively
gnnshed my teeth and showed my dlsdaln
OF such bad breeding without disguise.
must admit, however that Mrs. Mont
gomery's avoidance OF the man suffered no
abatement as days went by. and so far as
! dared to hope was not Indifferent to her
| did hope. One afternoon gha was e.
pecially nice TO me, We were alone In the
dining room after luncheon. and faneied
read in her voice the dawn OF the feeling
! so ardently desired. We talked Of many
things u my chances in my profession, and
the value TO young fellow at the outset
Of his career Of good woman's influence.
said 1 personally regarded It as more
value than either money or interest, and,
while she did not agree with me In toto,
she ACKNOWLEDGED that she also felt II
noble mission on womaM's part to play
mentor to a boy Of talent.
AS wife,' I said, for preference"
She smiled mo, necessarily as WIFE"
she replied. FOR the disparity in their ages
would be against such a relationship as