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


cd. and pulling off her wedding ring. flung
it across the room in the hay trusscr's
face.
mike" she said. "I'vc lived with thee
couple of years and had nothing but
temper! Now I'm no more to you; I'll
try my luck elsewhere. Twill be better
for me and the child. both. SO good-by."
Selling the sailors arm with her right
hand. and amounting 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 crcvice 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 ny there was not sound. lie looked
about--at the bcnchcs-at the tables sup
ported by trcstlcs-at his basket of tools
at the stove where the firmity had been
boilcd-at the empty basins--at some shed
grains of whclt-at the corks which dot,
ted the grassy floor Among the odds and
cHuS HI uiScoNcTcu " Ittlt
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 r,istling followed the act. and
he discovered the sailors bank note thrust
carclcssly In.
This second vcrifcntion of his dim MEM
cries was enough: he knew now they were
S.,A
on the ground for some time. II must
get out Of this as soon as l 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 snilor who
bought her, aud little Elizabeth Jane. We
walked here, and had the furmity, and
rum In it-nnd sold her. Yes. that's what's
happened, and here nm 1--we been here
| all night. Now, what AM to do-am
sober enough to walk, l wondcrY He
stood up. found that he was In fairly
good condition for progress. unincumbcr,
cd. Next he shouldercd his tool basket
aud found he could carry It. Then iiftinp
| the tent door he emerged into the opcn air
Did tell my name to anybody last
| night, or didn't tell my nnme?" he snid
to himself; and ut last concluded that ht
did not. His general dcmcanOr wa,
enough to show how he was surprised and
ncttlcd that his wife had taken him 10 lit
crnlly-ns much could he seen In his face
and In the way he nibblcd straw which
he pulled from the hedge. He knew that
she must have been somewhat excited Il
do this; moreover. she must have believed
In the binding force Of the transaction
| I'm thta lnttor mint no fo1t uuitO Cort m n
knowing her freedom from lcvity Of char
intellect. which was far removed from
strong. though not positively weak, n
that word IL usually understood IN TILL
connection. There may have been littl,
rccklessncss beneath her ordinary placid
ity. On previous occasion when he ha'
declared during fuddlc that he woul,
dispose OF her us he had done she had dc
c!ared that she should not hear him sa!
that many times more before It happened
In the resigned tones OF fntalist. "is
she knows ! am not In my senses whe'
DO that! he exclaimed. well. ! mus
walk about TIL ! ind her. Seize her
why didn't she know better than br'nl
mo Into this disgrace!' he ronred Out
"shc wasn't queer u ! was. It's lik
susan to show such idiotic simplicity
When he was calmer. he returned to III
original conviction that he must somehow
find her ana his little Elizabeth Jane, an
put up with the shame rs best nc could
II was OF MS own making: ana nc ough
10 bear II. But nc resolved 70 register q
oath' a greater oath tnan NC had eve
sworn pelore; ana 10 10 u properly u
required NJ place; Tor there was some
thing fetichistic IN TINS mans oelief.
nc shou'dered JUS basket and moved OF
casting h's eyes 'nq"is'tiveiy ronnd npo
tue landscape MS no walked: ana AZ III
distance OF three or FOUR miles perceive
) the rcofs OF q v'iiGs;c ana the tower OF
church' Tic instantly maze toward tn
latter object. Tho village was quite SUI
being that motionicss honr OF rust
daily ''fe which Hills the interval Detwee
! the rising ana departure OF the ncid u
borers to their work. ana the rising q
their wives ana daughters to prepare IN
breakfast Tor their return. Hence
? reached tho church without CONSERVATION
anu the door being only Intched ne e'
tered. The nay trusser deposited MS pa
ket by the font. went up tho nave TIL u
+ reached the altar rails. Opening the sa'
he entered the sacrarium. seemed to fe'
sense OF the strangeness for MOneh
IDfOnnln