Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-02-16
4nelr reception wss nartefins ana wen

/
Lucille. n we'll bred reyerence--confldcnt
| yet unobtrusive almost self effacinR--such
as man sure OF his impression upon wo-
men will uso for bis deeper emphasis aft
/ onward.
| As Curtis advanced the troops saluted
in form and more than that too. For tho
| American, true to his admirable princi-
| pies, had been affably engaging the ser
| Reant major In conversation, so that by
| tho time the boat reached the quay every
man In the troop was in full possession OF
tho lieutennpts exploits with tho priva-
teers as well ns OF tho details Of his escape
and the recapturo Of the lugger, and oil
| richly tinted with tho warm color such
things usually acquired after treatment In
the Americans decorative memory.
| TO their salute. therefore, thoy had OBJ
tainod leave to ndd ringing cheer, being
in high mood at tho new prospect OF for
oign service. 1t set tho horses ndgeting
| and tossing their heads, SO that tho troop
looked its best, and 1t was q distinct sat
istaction to Captain Gascoyno To bring 1t
to attention again with an Olympian mo-
tlon Of his hand
For Lucille tho scene was not little dis
| turbing. 1t served to carry still farther
tho now impression OF the lieutenant TINT
she had 50 unwillngly received sho had
mot him first under u little cloud OF mean
noss-ho was IA prisoner, escaping in dis
| Ruiso--and TINT WIS always something to
| fall back upon II she found her antago-
| nism sleeping, and now his brilliant rcoop-
tion by tho soldiers deprived her of this
rcfugo-it raised him dlstrossingly and set
him up for the hero She was So luath to
| think him
With heightened color and an inc1plloa-
BILE buoyancy OF spirits she took her place
beside NJ. Lomnitro, who was already en-
sconccd there. The American was per-
mittcd to occupy tho third seat, and so,
with tho same merry music OF scabbnrd
and chain bride, tn, oayalcado reformed
| for the return to Loves
That sight Of Lucille was the last Curtis
was to SEQ Of her at that time. She was
| driven direct to Sir Boyil's town house,
| for the squires still had their town houses
| in Lcwes, though 1t was not now the soa
son for occupying them, and Lucille was
committed to tho old housckeeper
Father and son dlned that night ut tho
mess, where tho lieutenant proved great
success, flashing his wit md taking his
wine like n man, for II must not be sup
| posed that at such timO OF triumph q
high spirited sailor, however sharply taken
with the lovosiUknoss, will moon in cor
nor Ike Master Slender, with nothing in
his brains hut his mistress name. 1t is
mood that must whit til tho morrow
| II the truth wore told, Lucille thought
more that night Of the lieutenant than he
Of Lucille
But when he rose at dawn, with perhaps
n bit OF last night singing In his head and
his spirits very far from song, and had
dres-d in the cold light, that ho might
get himself well on his journey before
temptation could come to cool his resolu.
tlon, 1t was different So unwilling and
so eager was he to be gone that tho town
was not yet astir when a servant of his
fathers was at tho inn door with tho
horses, and by tho timo the Dragons
roNeillo WAS sounding down the street h0
was In the saddle and away.
There was but one poril to surmount,
and that was Sir Bevll's house II hap.
pened that tho way to Portsmouth led Ill
rectly past It,
When tho lieutenant camo rs far MS the
end of the rcd Ivy topped wall thnt separated
the garden from the street, he kept his eyes
steadily In front Of him, with not so much
as u glance at the windows Nothing
could have been In better discipline In
the middle OF the wall was u pretty gate
piers, and u lean gridiron cato and a
mounting stone In front OF 1t by the gut
ter, breathing rest and hospitality and
comfort, as such gateways will. But the
lieutenant did not finch.
PeTcrsity, however, would have It that
his mare, who had no more stomach for
tho journey than her rider, came to u visit
iul stop In that snnguinO sort of despair
that horses Will display when they suspect
u long march lies before them Indeed
1t was no fault Of the sailors, though, to
BIO sure, he should have put In the spurs.
As 1t was before he was VOL aware
what ho had done he was out OF tho saddle,
had flung tho roins to the groom, who was
close behind with tho malls, and was OMEN
ing tho gate
1t was weak, II you will. but when
mans hend IL ringing with tho echoes OF a
Dragons guest night cold gray dawn Ia
no timo for display Of strength. No
doubt his heart was as heavy as his head.
To go was hard enough, but to go without
one word Of farewell was enough to break
bones
Once In tho garden he hardly know why
no was there, only that he seemed step
lower down in his depression.
by the time he had walked up tho short
path and was standing before tho tall,
narrow door, with Its familiar steep steps
and the little colorcd shield In this breach
OF the broken pedlmont, there was no
longer any doubt what he Ind como there
TO do, IL IL almost u shame 70 toll 1t,
though most OF us have been as foolish In
our time After all, II was only that he
knolt down on the gravel, and stopping
his bend dovoutly kissed tho doorstep
" Is you Mr., Captain Richardy" asked
little voice rs ho rose to his feet.
lilo turned with n flushed lnca at being
caught and saw n pretty little girl in u big
sunbonnct, staring Mt him, Her blue eyes
were big with interest rather than with
wonder. Like most Intelligent children.
she had givon up boing surprised at the
amazing eccentricltles OF grown up people
Yes, my dear. !" said he, with an ON.
bnrrasSed smile That's who am, and
who arc your"
I'm Merclful Funnoll-only they call
me Mercy"
We'll, that's mercy anyway"
Does you say how d'y' do to everything
ike that whom you comes homer"
No Mercy, not everything" he laugh.
cd
II kiss Rover good morning, and h.
Hicks me all over. Now l shall always
kiss tho house how d'y' do
why, my lass9"