Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-02-25
CHAPTER xvIf.-(Continued)

CHAPTER xvIl.-(Continued.
Henchard was not left long in suspense.
Lucetta was rather addicted to scrib-
6lipR, and hardly had Elizabeth Jane gone
away when another note came to the
Mayors house from High Street Hall.
II am In residence" she said, "and COM
Portable, though getting here has been a
wearisome undertaking. You probably
know what am going to tell you, or DO
you not? My good aunt Templeman, the
bankers widow, whose very existence you
used to doubt, leave alone her afhuence,
has lately died, and bequeathed great
deal Of her property to me. l Will NOT
enter into details except to say that l
have taken her name. You probably are
aware Of my arrangements with your
daughter, and have doubtless laughed at
the--what shall I call Impractical joke
Of my getting her to live with me. But
my first meeting with her was purely an
accident. DO you see, Michael, why l
have done it?--why, to give you On excuse
for coming here as II solely to visit ner'
and thus to form my acquaintance nat
urally. In haste, yours a a. ,,ys,r.rA.
The excitement which these announce.
nents produced In Henchard's gloomy
eoul was to him most pleasurab'e: ne
cat over his dining table long and Dream
ny, and by an almost mechanical TRANSFER
the sentiments which had run TO waste
since his estrangement from EiisaDe.n
Jane and Donald Farfrae gathered around
Lucetta before they had grown dry. ehe
was In Q very comins.on disposition iof
marriage; Of that there could be no aouD..
But what else could poor woman oe VINO
had given herself to him % unluckiiy o.
Arstf There was no doubt tnst cCn.
her here. On the whole be did not blame
her.
To feel that he would like to see Lu.
cetta was with Henchard to starr TOT net
house. He put on bic hat ana went. AZ
was between eight and nine O'CLOCK wnen
be reached her door. The answer brought
him was that Miss Templeman was en-.
gaged for that evening. but that she would
Expectancy sat visibly upon Lucetta the
sext morning. She dressed herself Tor
NJ. Henchard and restlessly awaited bis
cali before midday; % he did not come
che waited on through the afternoon. But
che did not tell Elizabeth Jane that the
person expected was her stepretner'
The Saturday afternoon slipped on thu:
desultorily. The market, wnicn fronteo
the house. changed from the sample
showing hour to the Idle hour before
starting homeward, when tales were told.
Henchard had not called on Lucetta,
though she had stood % near. He must
have been too busy, she thought. He
would come on Sunday, or Monday:
The days came. but not the visitor,
though Lucetta repeated her dressing
With scrupulous care. She was disheart-
ened. -.
Tuesday was the great Candlemas fair.
At Breakfast she said to Elisabeth Jane
quite coolly: "Aiiss Henchard, will you 90
on an errand for me % soon - breakfast
Il Overt All, that's very good Of you.
win you 20 and order" Here she
enumerated several commission at sum
dry shops, which would occupy Elisabeth
James time for the next hour or two. at
least.
Elizabeth hastily put on her things and
departed. II wonder why she wants to
sst rid Of me to-dayf' she said, sorrow
fully, % she went. That her absence,
rather than her services was IN request,
had been readily apparent to En:abetn