Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-01-07

Selling the sailors arm with her right
hand. and mounting the little girl on her
left. she went out of the tent. sobbing
bitterly, and apparently without thought
that she was not strictly bound to go with
the man who had paid for her.
CHAPTER II.
The morning sun was streaming
through the crcvicc of the canvas when
the man awokc. a warm glow pcrvadcd
the whole atmosphere of the marquee,
aud single big blue fly buzzcd unsteady
round and round 1t. Besides the buzz of
the fly there was not sound. lie looked
about--at the bcnclcs-at the tables sup.
ported by trcstlcs-nt his basket of tools
at the stove where the furmity had been
boilcd--at the empty basins-at some shed
grains of whcit--nt the corks which dot
ted the grassy floor. Among the odds and
ends he discovered n little shining object,
and picked 1t up. 1t was his wifc's ring.
n confused picture of the events of the
previous evening seemed to come back to
him. and he thrust his hand into his coat
pocket. A rustling followed the net. md
he discovered the sailors bank note thrust
cnrclcssly In.
This second verifcntion Of his dim MEM
cries was enough: he knew now they were
not dreams. He remained seated. looking
on the ground for some time. II must
get out Of this as soon Us can" he said,
deliberately, at last. with the air Of one
who could not catch his thoughts without
pronouncing them. "Shc's gonc--tO be
sure she is--gonc with that sailor who
bought her. aud little Elizabeth Jane. We
walked here, and had the furmity. and
rum In it-and sold her. Yes. that's what's
happened, and here am live been here
all night. Now, what am l to dO-am !
sober enough to walk, l wonderY' He
stood up. found that he was In fairly
good condition for progress, unincumbcr,
cd. Next he sh0uldcrcd his tool basket
and found he could carry It. Then iiftinp
the tent door he emerged into the open air
ibid I tell my name to anybody last
night, or didn't tell my nnme?" he said
to himself; and ut Inst concluded that hs
did not. His general dcmcanor wal
enough to show how he was surprised and
ncttlcd that his wife had taken him 80 IT.
crally-as much could he seen In his face
and In the way he nibblcd straw which
she must have been somewhat excited "a
uO tuuSs utOfcONcGs Sue uIUSt uuNc UcucNeU
In the binding force Of the transaction
On this Inter point he felt quite certain
knowing her freedom from lcvity Of char
actcr. aud the extreme simplicity OF hcl
intellect, which was far removed iron
strong. though not positively weak, a,
that word IL usually understood In THU
connection. There may have been little
recklcssncss beneath her ordinary placid
ity. On a previous occasion when he hat
declared during n fiddle that he wOult
dispose OF her as he had done she had dc
clarcd that she slOuld not hear him sa,
that many times more before It happened
In the resigned tones Of n fntnlist. Eye
she knows ! am not In my senses whcI
I do that" he exclaimed. "Wcil, mus
walk about till l find her. Seize her
why didn't she know better than brin,
mo into this disgrace" he roarcd out
''Shc wasn't queer II was. IT'S lik'
Susan to show such idiOtic simplicity
When he was calmcr. he returned to hi
original conviction that he must somehow
| find her and his little Elizabeth Jane, an,
put up with the shame as best he could
1t was Of his own making. and he Ough
to bear II. But he resolved to register al
oath. a greater oath than he had eve
sworn before: and to do II properly h
required a fit place; for there was some
thing fetichistic In this mans belief.
| He shOuldcrcd his basket and moved on
casting his eyes inquisitivcly round upOl
the landscape as he walked. and at tn
distance Of three or four miles perceive
the roofs of village and the tower OF
church. lie Instantly made toward til
latter object. Tho village was quito still
It being that notlOnlcss hour OF rusti
daily life which fills the interval betwee
tho rising and departure OF the field Ia
bOrers to their work, and the rising o
their wives and daughters to prepare tn
breakfast for their return. Hence II
reached the church without observation
and the door being only lntched hc CT
tered. The hay trusscr deposited his bal
ket by the font. went up tho nave TIL b
reached the altar rails. Opening the gat
he entered the sacrarium. seemed to fe'
sense Of the strangeness for mOmen
then knelt upon the foot pace. DrOppin
his head upon the clampcd book which Ia
on the communion table, he said aloud:
n, Michael Hcnchard, on this mornin
Of tho sixteenth Of September, do take a
oath here In this solemn place that wi
avoid all strong liquors for the space Q
twenty years to come. being year "a
every year that I have lived. And this
swear upon the Book before me; and ma
I be stricken dumb, blind and helpless
! break this my OATH"
When he bsd SAID u ard kissed tho bl
Book, the hay trusscr arose ara SCENE
relieved at having MADE start In me-