The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-29
THR QUALITY MERCY
A. Story Of Contemporary
American Life.

ynnriron Life
hAnoAAo"n o'
Nv WILLIAM DEAN HOWEllS.
Copyright 1891. VIVID. Hevsus9
.rrn~n pa-r
CHAPTER 4L
v... ,,os the lower road that wound away
w.ds,s oburoh toward the Northviok
.i.os. hut as he went he kept thinking that he
p .'s mt really try TO see suxetts. Il would
=. snonstrous at suoh q time: out Of all pro-
Us.ty Al ali decency; It would be taking ad.
p.,y 81 her helplessness to intrude upon
70. ~ offer Of help and Of Kindness which
W. ~. IL .tinct Of her nature must revolt from.
49, 49,. vss only one thing that could Justify
Nj. coming, and that was impossible. Unless
n mo 70 tell her that he loved nor. and 20
'.. ~, to lat him take her burden upon him. TO
-. hsr shame ana her sorrow for his loves
80 ne hsd no hight 10 soc her. At momentsit
...nsd 40 II that were right and he could do
!. M natter how impossible, and then he ii.
~, ~. =. AN forward: but only to check himself.
:. ston abort. and doubt whether not to turn
80 sltopether. By such falterin9 progresses
=. Sonnd himself in the Northwick avenue at
49, and keepinc doeeedly ON from the man
sion. which the farm road had brought him to.
untal he reached the cottage at the avenue
ssss On tho threshold dropped figure that
~ sieht Of set his heart beating with sitting
,u,se IN his throat, and he doundered on till
he made out that this languid figure was Ade-
INA He could have laughed at the irony. the
noetery OF the anti-climax. II 1t had not been
tor the face that the old maid turned upon him
sttSe approach Of his iootfalls and the pleas
nra That lighted up its pathos when she recog-
nI,ed him,
ooh. Mr.. Hilaryl" she said. and then she
sould not speak for the twitching Of her lips
And the tremb bling OF her chin.
Ia took her hand in silence. and It seemed
,.tnral for him to do that revarent and tender
thing which is no longer part Of our custom:
hs bsnt over IL and kissed the chill. bony
rnuotles.
aha drew her hand away to find her hand
t.rchief and wipe her tears. IT suppose
rorye come to see suzette: but she's gone up
totha village to talk with Mr.. Putney; he's our
i,vsr"
ava" said Matt.
~ nrssnme I don't need to talk to Won about
th.t-letter. I think-and I believe suzette
illthink 40, too, in the end-that his mind is
afYected. and he lust accuses himself OF all
things because they D06n
MA How are your father and mother? And
yonr sisterY"
Aha broke of with these questions. he could
sea TO stay herself In what she wished to say.
"They are ali we'll. Father is still in Boston:
Init mother and Louise are st the farm with
ma They sent their love. and they are anx-
ious 10 know IL there Is ANYTHING"
THANK Won. Will YOU ait down here It's
"A rIns. ,ndoors" sba made room for him On
thu threshold. Int he took the stem below.
I'll ope Miss suxette IL we'll p.
why. thank YOU. not yerywell. There isn't
anythiae really the matter: but We didn't
etbAr OF us sleep very Wall last nisht: wa
N%9Sxroited. don't know A ought to tell
you,s.she began. II don't suppose it's thing
you would, know about. ANY way: but I've got
10 t,lk TO soro ehody--" TO
J, .Miss Eorthviok." said Matt. eff. there Is
nsSfns ~ -. .,Srid thntI .on a. o.. vo,, ~
tbat Won sy.n hone can do. I beg you to let ma
hear il. / should be CHAD beyond all words 10
helpyou.." ,.->, =; 800
"Oh. don't know AZ ANYTHING can be done"
abe began. after the fresh Rush Of tears which
were her thenks. .but suzette and have been
taking II over a good deal, and we thought We
would like to see, your father about IL. You
ssessuzette can't feel right about our keeping
tho place here. IL fathers really done what he
says; he's done We don't believe he has: but
II he has. he has got to be found somewhere.
and made to give up the money he says he has
got. suzette thinks We ought to give up the
MONEY wa have cot In the bank-fiteen hun
drsdortwo thousand dollars-and she wanted
should let her give up her half of the place.
here: and at first 1 did say she might But
come to find out from Mr.. Putney. the whole
place would have to be sold before It could be
divided. and / couldn't seem to let II.
That was what we-disputed about. Yea,
Wa had a d,.nuta. h,,t ia ali ,iobt
now. or IL will be. when We get the oompany to
say they will stop the lawsuit against father.
ihe vii, civ. M the ssv nonsv ba's cot and va
will give up the place. Mr.. Putney seemed to
think the company couldn't stop 1t: but don't
see why rich corporation like that couldn't
DO almost anything t. wanted to with its
money
Hor innocent corruption did not shock Matt.
nor her scheme for defeating justice. but he
smiled forlornly at tho hopelessness of it. I'm
and Tho, A. ~ a...,I. a.. -. 49,. r..