Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-02-11
. ms MxaE.


Her mother was ill-tOO unwell to leave
her room. Hcnchard. who treated her
kindly, except In moments Of irritation,
sent at once for the richest, busiest doc.
tor, whom he supposed to be the best.
Bedtime came. and they burned a light all
night. In a day or two she rallied.
Elizabeth, who had been staying up,
did not appear at breakfast on the second
morning, and Henchard sat down alone.
He was startled to see letter for him
from Jersey In writing he knew too well
and had expected least to behold again.
He took II up In his hands. and looked at
1t as at a picture, a vision, q vista Of
past enactments: and then he read II as
an unimportant finale to conjecture.
The writer said that she at length per.
ceived how impossible II would be for any
further communications to proceed be-
tween them now that his remarriage had
taken place. That such reunion had been
the only straightforward course open to
him she was bound to admit. ION calm
reflection, therefore," she went on, II
quite forgive you for landing me In such
dilemma, remembering that you con.
cealed nothing before our ill.advised mar.
riase."
II am now on my way to Bristol" the
letter continued, ito see my uncle. the
banker. He II rich, and I hope he will do
something for me. shall return through
Casterbridge and Budmouth, where I
shall take the steamboat. Can you direct
some one to meet me with the letters I
have written you2 shall be In the coach
which changes horses at the Stag Hotel at
half past Eve Wednesday evening; I shall
be wearing q Paisley shawl with red
center, and thus may easily be found. For
safety call me anythins-Miss St. Heller,
say"
Hcnchard breathed heavily. Poor
thing! Upon my heart and soul. II ever
I should be left In position to make that
marriage with you legal one, ought to
do It'll ought to do II, indeedw
The contingency that he had In his mind
was, Of course, the death Of Mrs. Hench.
ard. Mrs. Henchard sent to him from the
room soon after, and he went up. II feel
20 much better, Michael" she said, "that
! shall 90 out in chair toward the mid.
die Of the day."
Henchard arranged that the chair
should be ready, and went about his
daily business. About twelve o'clock he
was passing round the south side Of the
town, outside the earthwork Of the walls;
and glancing into the Chestnut avenue
he saw that bis wife was taking the cir
% she had planned. But what attracted
Henchard was other than this. II was
the fact that bis wife's chair was pulled
up beside lady seated on bench at the
edge Of the walk-a lady closely yelled, Of
graceful figure, wearing q Paisley shawl
with red center.
Upon her shoulders, and upon bis
wife's, an occasional leaf rested az Il
6oated down. They were talking after
the manner Of those whom a common
recreation spot had made acquainta nces.
Henchard looked thunderstruck when he
beheld the incident. Then he seemed to
fancy himself mistaken. especially a. the
day was not the day mentioned In Lu.
cctta's letter; and thus he went on bis
way.
II saw you talking to friend In the
Walk" he said to Susan ut dinner. as
she sat propped up BY q cushion.
YES" said the unwilling Mrs. Hench.
ard. "She was q stranger to me, how.
ever. She was a kind, ladylike young
woman, on her way to Bristol, and she
had stopped to look at the town for half
an hour, which she had never seen be-
fore"
Henchard sank into dumbness at this
news, which recon6rmed his original con.
viction. He disliked the idea OF that
meeting, and wondered II Lucetta had
aimed to see his wife, or whether the
conjuncture were an accident.
Nothing occurred to enlighten him, and
three days afterward, the time she had
appointed for receiving her old letters,
he sealed them up In packet. which he
placed In the hands Of Elisabeth Jane.
she being one who could execute such q
commission without burning curiosity or
troublesome questioning. She was direct
ed to meet the Bristol coach at the Stag
Hotel, and give the parcel to q Miss st.
Heller inside who should ask for such q
thing. Elisabeth had not seen Lucetta,
II II had been Lucetta. with her mother
In the Chestnut Walk. no that he thought
there would DO no risk worth considePing.
At dusk Elisabeth Jane went and stood
opposite the coach Office door. close to
the Inn yard. The evening was rather
chilly, and the coach happened to be late.
While she stood she saw Farfrae coming
round BY the town pump. and he crossed
over to her. Though there was no posi-.
tive reason for 80 doing, she could not
help telling him why she was waiting
there. "6hall give It to the lady? Ill
do 20 with pleasure II you lind It tedious
to stay" he said. Elisabeth accepted bis
offer and came away.
The coach at last arrived and there was
nobody inside or out who asked for such q
parcel. Tarfrae was now rather embar-
raised, till the guard declared that he
knew the lady described-that she had
passed through Casterbridge from Bud.
mouth to Bristol three or four days be.
fore, and had mentioned this time for her
return. He thought she must have miss.
ed the coach, but would probably come on
the following journey; he could give her
the package II Farfrae would intrust him
with IT, The latter thereupon handed Il
over to him.
| A fortnight after, when Farfrae was
walking along the street, the guard Of the
the same coach came to him with the
information that, though he had carried
the packet up and down ever since, the
lady had not returned; and he reproduced
the article from his capacious pocket. II
was worn through by friction, and the
letters were slipping out. Farfrae took
the bundle, which had evidently been In.
vestigated, and deemed a pro6tless bur.
den. He reached home, guessed the let
tiers were the property of the lady Hench'
ard had become involved with, understood
the plan, and was In doubt what to do
He put them aside till he should meet
Miss Nswson, and tell her what had oc'
Cured.
| Meanwhile Mrs. Henchard was weaken.