Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-01-21
CHAPTER v.--tContinuedJ

v0fneO TO ner c0mpaulOu. Aue cvenuB
b drawing on, mother," she safd. what
do you propose 10 dor
She was surprised to find how irresolute
her mother had become. I'VE must get
Q place to lie down tn," she murmured. II
have seen-Mr. Henchard; and that's all
! wanted to do"
'That's enough for tonight at any
sate," Elizabeth Jane replied soothinsly.
I'VE can think tomorrow what Is best
to do about him. The question now Is
n II not 2-.how shall We find a lodgingY''
As her mother did not reply. Elizabeth
James mind reverted to the words Of the
waiter that the King Of Prussia was an
inn Of moderate charges. a Recommended
tion good for one person wns probably
GOOD for another. LETS 20 where the
young man has gOnc," she said. HE Ii
respectable. What do you say?'
Her mother iassented, and down the
street they went.
In the meantime the Mayors thought.
fulness. engendcred by the note rs stated.
continued to hold him in abstraction: till.
whispering to his neighbor to take his
place, he found opportunity to leave the
chair. This was just after the departure
Of his wife and Elizabeth.
Outside the door Of the assembly room
he saw the waiter. and reckoning to him.
asked who brought the note which had
been handed In quarter Of an hour be-
fore.
"A young man, sir-a sort Of traveller.
he was Scotchman seemingly"
us the young man In the hotel?
mo, sir. He went to the King Of Prus-
Ella, I believe"
The Mayor took his hat. and. when the
waiter had helped him on with thin
holland ovcrcOat. went out and stood I'M
der the portico.
Very few persons were now In the
street; and his eyes. by sort Of attrac.
ton. turned and dwclt upon spot about
Q hundred yards further down. Ii was
the house to which the writer Of the note
had gone-the King Of Prussm-whose
two prominent gables. bow.window and
passage light could be seen from where
he stood. Having kept his eyes on II for
Q while. he strollcd In that direction.
A long. narrow. dimly lit passage gave
access to the inn. within which passage
the horses going to their stalls ut the
back. and the coming and departing hu.
man guests rubbed shoulders indiscrini.
nately. the latter running no slight risk
Of having their toes trodden upon by the
animals. The good stabling. and the good
beer. Of the King Of Prussia. though
somewhat difficult to reach on account Of
there being but this narrow way to both.
were nevertheless perscveringly sought
out by the sagacious old heads who knew
what was In Casterbridgc.
Henchard stood without the inn for
few instants: then, lowering the dignity
Of bis presence as much rs possible BY but.
toning the brown.holland coat over his
shirt front, and In other ways toning him.
self down to his ordinary everyday mp
pearance. he entered the Inn door.
CHAPTER vi.
Elizabeth Jane and her mother had ar.
rived some twenty minutes earlier. Out.
side the house they had stood and con.
sidered whether even this homcly place.
though recommended % moderate. might
not be too serious In its prices for their
light pockets. Finally, however. they had
found courage to enter. and duly met
Stanuidge. the landlord, q silent man, who
drew and carried frothing measure to this
room and to that. on par with his wait
ing maids. Elizabeth and her mother
were passively accepted n sojourncrs.
and shown to small bedroom under one
Of the gables. where they sat down.
"'Tis too good for us--we can't meet
Ter said the elder woman. looking round
the apartment with misgiving rs soon ms
they were left alone.
II fear II Is. too," said Elizabeth. But
We must be respectable"
The principle Of the inn seemed to be to
compensate for the antique awkwardness.
crookedness. and obscurity Of the pas.
sages, doors, walls and windows. by
quantities of clean linen spread about ev.
eFywhere. and this had dazzling effect
upon the travellers. I'VE must pay our
way even before we must be respectable"
replied her mother. "Mr. Henchard In
too high for US to make ourselves known.
to him, ] much fear; we've only our own
pockets to depend on"
II know what III do" said Elisabeth
Jane, after an interval Of waiting, during
which their needs seemed quite forgotten
under the press of business below. And
leaving the room. she descended the stairs
and penetrated to the bar.
II there was one good thing more than
another which characterized this single.
hearted girl. It was willingness to sacri.
fee her personal comfort and dignity to
the common veal.
"As you seem busy here tonight, and
mothers not well of. might I take out
part OF our accommodation by helpingY"
she asked of the landlady.
The latter looked the girl up and down
inQuiringly. She was an easy woman to
strangers. and she made no objection.
ThereupOn Elizabeth Jane. being instruct.
ed by mods and motions from the taciturn
landlord as to where she could find the
different things, trotted up and down
stairs with materials for her own and her
parents meal. While she was doing this,
the wood partition In the center Of the
house thrilled to Its center with the tug.
sing OF a bcll-pull upstairs. A bell below
tinkled a note that was feebler In sound
than the twanging of wires and cranks
that had produced It.
"'Cis the Scotch gentleman" said the
landlady enthusiastically; and. turning her
eyes to Elizabeth. "NOw, then, can you
60 and see IL his supper II on the tray
II II Is, you can take 1t up to him. The
front room over this"
Elizabeth Jane, though hungry, willing
~ postponed serving herself awhile, and
applied to the cook In the kitchen. whence
she brought forth the tray OF supper vi
ands, and proceeded with It upstairs to
the apartment indicated. She found that
the Scotchman was located IN a room
quite close to the small one that had been
allotted to herself and her mother. He
was now idly reading copy of the local
paper. aud was hardly conscious Of her
entry, so that she looked ut him quite