The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-15
GHE GREAT MILL STREET MYSTERY
BY ADFlI.INE SRRGEAN MT
Author
FALSE PBETESoEs" Enc N"DA"
-[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CHAPTER XLIII.
ON THE TRAMP,


On the trampl A long, painful business,
to tramp from London to WEXFORD and
Hexham. Long and painful, at least, for a
woman in feeble health, and unaccustomad
to walking, and agonizsd by deadly fear
for those she loved, and by the ever re-
newed cravings of an unsatisfied heart.
She was young still, but her face was so
worn and lined with care that it looked far
older than her years. Her hair was cut
short; it had once been golden, but the
CLEAN had been dulled and dimmed with
streaks of gray. The eyes-Jess' beautiful,
pathetic eyes-were weary and dropping;
the eyelids were Redeemed. and the hollows
in which they were set. purple and bistre-
hued. She wore coarse, common, print
dress, shawl of a nondescript gray color,
and broad-brimmed straw hat, which
served to shade her face when strangers
looked too close. She carried small bun
die wrapped upAn shawl.
1t must be confsssed-and should be the
last person to deny it-that judging accord
ing to the worlds Judgment. Jess was an
excessively foolish woman. She might at
that very moment have been living in a
pleasant country home, with her child at
play beside her, we'll clad, we'll fed, all the
comforts Of life at hand, and no anxiety
E0r the future to darken her lonely hours.
But there are things more potent in the
world than love of comfort; and it was for
ahigher reason than the world could under
stand that Jess had given up a prospect
that seemed so fair. And for this she was
homeless and a wanderer, and yet she had
hidden sort of comfort tnat-again-the
world would never have understood. As
yet she had never once put that comfort
into words; but she was destined to do so
before long.
Seq had vary little money in her pocket
when she started, and long before she
reached WEXFORD her store was quite ex-
hausted. 1t took her longer to walk the
distance than she had anticipated; but she
was weaker than she knew. She had
found a little work in London, but it was
work that meant semi-starvation and cease
less toll, and the feeling had come over her
at last that it would be better to die in the
country than in town, to find a resting
place in some green and quiet place than in
London workhouse and suburban ceme-
terry.
Also, the thirat for Meenie's face was
strong upon her. She thought little of
George; he had passed out of her life alto
gether, but she pondered continually over
her memories of the child.
How that last moment Of parting, when
Meenie had refused to kiss her, still haunted
the poor woman's mind! Would Meenie
refuse to kiss her now2 She was ugly now,
she said to herself, ugly and bent and mis-
erable-looking; and Meenie would not like
her. Strange to say, it did not occur to her
with any force of likelihood that Meenie
might have been taken away from Hexham.
She fully believed that Alice Drew would
remain in the. village until she came back
again; and that Meenie would be with Alice
Drew.
She reached Wychford, through which
she would have to pass in going to Hexham,
one sunny summer evening. She was tired
and faint, and she had not penny left She
sat down on green bank just outside the
village, and looked at the chimneys of tne
great house which, she knew, belonged to
her husband. She should never enter that
stately housed But it seemed strange, she
said to herself. with a sickly little smile,
that the wife of its owner should be starv-
ing on the roadside, without penny in her
pocket to buy herself piece of bread.
She was close to the palings OF neat lit
tie cottage garden, and by and by some
women came out of the house and stood
talking by the garden gate. Jess sat with
in her lap.
She did not know that the women paused
in their talk and looked at her cur1ously
from time to time. But they saw that she
was astranger-probably a vagrant-and
they went on with their conversation with
ont attending TO her.
Presently the sound of horses hoofs could
be heard. and the women drew nearer to
the palings--so near that Jess heard every
alt CHI of rst i'll
little heed to it.
There they comet l declare, Miss Lori
mer gets prettier than ever"
THAT'S Mr.. Tom, of COURSE" said the
other speaker. "Be they turning in to see
Mr.. Eastwood2"
why, bless you, no, Betsy; that wouldn't
be manners, you know. | almost wonder
my lady let her come so near WEXFORD.
When gentlemen's counting young ladies,
the young ladies' amt suppose to look at
their house"
What rubbish! If Miss Lorimer's going
70 be Missis at Eastwood Manor, she'd bet
Ter look over it before she accepts the mas
Ter aud see what it's like"
We'll, it isn't certain sure yet that Miss
Lorlmer is going to be Mrs. Eastwood"
said her companion. "But do be quiet;
she's coming past us directly"
She's going to stopl" said the other
,N1ou III d SuFpflS6u bOlcs anu euS
horses halted Immediately beside her gate.
jess looked up. She saw very lovely
glrl In riding-habit, mounted on a beauti-
tul bay mare; and she saw handsome
young man on a fine chestnut The girl
spoke to the elder woman at the gate In
sweet, clear tone.
Good afternoon, Mrs. Peck. What
line day it isl'
so 1t is, miss, surely" said Mrs. Peck,
curtseying deferentially.
DO you know whether MIR. Eastwood is
at homeg
He's not, miss, I know, for I saw him
20 on to the station this morning, and l
heard that he was to come back by the
o'clock train.n
There, Toni" said the girl, quickly. II
'old you he was away"
-, Inc young man at her side looked a
Attle bit vexed; but he said, CURLY enough:
~, We are much obliged to yon, Mrs. Peck.
we wanted to leave message for him;
that was all.n
And as be passed on, after few more
casual remarks, Jess heard him say in an
unoertone to his companions:
L wouldn't have asked if had been
you, Sybil.n
At which Sybil only laughed.
Ihls expedition of the two cousins took
place, it should be mentioned, before George
eastwood had seen Meenie or applied to
Lady Hexham for her help. Sybil, vexed
at Eastwood's absence from tennis tour
hament, had wanted to say few words of