Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-06-02


for on all sides and by her husbands
friends and foes alike he was accepted
as the murderer of Mrs. Eyre.
Chapter TX.
Mr. Eyre was now at leisure to think
about Hester Clarke; but on inquiry
at the house in which she had lodged
he heard that she had left the place
on the morning after the funeral of Mrs.
Eyre and her child. She had annomc-
ed her intention of joining her former
servant, Janet Stork, now undergoing
penal servitude for the murder Of
Hester Clarke's child. Mr.. Eyre ask
ed if there had been any interview be-
tween the woman Clarke and Lord
LoveI the night before she left
woman, Sir.' said Mr.. Eyre's ten
ant, as if he felt his insult to the whole
sex; "'well-none but woman would
have spent Il whole November night
face downward on the wet SOdS.
When I got her home ut dawn there
was as little life in her as her worst
enemy could have wished"
''She saw Lord Loyel before she
left?" said Mr.. Eyre, reading the
woman's soul like an open page.
CAY but don't know all he said to
her. 1t seemed to me from a word or
two l caughD as if they was agreed to
shield some guilty person''-here the
woman's cold eyes scanned Mr.. Eyre.
80 whatever secret knowledge
Frank had, looking round at the hum
bly, furnished room he had only hither-
to seen from the outside, then turned
to the woman and said.
You have heard from Hester
Clarke?"
! "Ay-once by whiles."
"She has thoughts of coming back?''
That's as may be. There's some
to whom she'd be none to welcome
Tell her when you write" said Mr..
Eyre, that the sooner she comes home
the better, and if she doesn't, that
, l shall go out to fetch her. We have
some scores to settle, she and l.
IN tell her, sir" said the wman
dropping an abrupt courtesy as he
, opened the door to leY5rt. but 1 thinl,
the place is hardly safe for her-she's
best where she is"
But she will come here all the same,
said Mr.. Eyre, carelessly.
80 you thought her guilty?" he
added, his eyes reading the woman S
soul
"She?" said the woman, incredulous-
ly. II got to know her through and
through in the six months she was here
~1@> 10 hnr
hearts core
But Mr.. Eyre thought of Madcap
and how she might be alive now but
for Hester Clarke's crossing his path
bringing to light a buried sin, and his
stern features darkened as he turned
to so.
''She has bribed you, I suppose" he
said. well, give her my message
when you write" and he went out
The woman stood looking after him
awhile as he mounted his horse and
rode away, the hatred of her glance
dying out in slow, bitter tears, that
seemed to flrrow her cheeks as they
fell
Loved her, wronged her, hated Ter
and would have hanged her if he
could-he tried hard enough, she I.uI:
INJURED aloud as Mr.. Eyre disappeared
land Hester never did him any harm
never meant any but just stayed on
and on, because she couldn't tear her
self away from his child, the image
OF her own
But Mr.. Eyre as he rode homeward
thought little of the woman's signifi
canoe of manner. his mind was occu
pied with the main fact that Hester
Clarke was within reach of a six weeks
voyage, and that at any given time
he could lay his hand on her, and this
certainty enabled him to turn without
haste to the remodeling of his establish
ment and other affairs that had falleI
somewhat into neglect during his Ions
absence. To be sure. he had left Al
agent in charge of his estate, and the
man had done well, but not too well
SO that Mr.. Eyre for many days found
duty out of doors, after which he
took his pleasure within.