Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-02-06
Old Blazers Hero
BY DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY.
Ell Eel
CHAPTER xxi.

en- at the shock. She turned ghostly
white. and her heart began to beat furi-
ously. She could not have told IL she
were glad. or sorry. or rcsentful.
In a little while this extreme agitation
subsidized. and. standing with one foot on
the lowest step of the staircase. with the
maid staring round.eyed and frightened
ut her white face. she listened aud heard
the deep breath of the returned prodigal
rising and falling In n regular cadence.
The room In which he slept was on the
ground floor. The door was ajar. and a
faint CLEAN Of light came from u single
gas jet. which was lowered so far that in
daylight IT might have been invisible.
Mary moved softly 10 the door. trem-
bling from head to foot. Three steps
carried her across the narrow little hall.
md then she paused with n hand upon
the doorpost Of the room. The maid.
open. nouthed and open-eyed. waited for
what might happen. The mistress enter
ed the room noiselessy. and peered
through the dusk at the sleeping figure
IN the armchair. Hackett was lying
broadcast with his feet wide apart. and
his arms hanging loosely over the arms
of the chair. His head had luched for
ward. Even In that poor light there was
. no installing him.
Yet when she had looked n while she
was impelled to turn the gas u little
higher. In the clearer light the returned
prodignl lay at marked disadvantage
The feet seemed to be east forward IN
Ostentation of the gaping boots and the
frnyed edges of the trousers. All his
raiment was wrinklcl. md scedy. and
disreputable. His shirt cuffs were crum
pied and dirty. his cheek bore n weeks
black stubble. his nose had taken n tinge
Of red.
His wife absorbed all these details Of
his aspect. and stood wondering that she
should care 30 little and feel 81 undis.
turbcd. She did not know ns yet that
the shock Of his return had dullcd all
power and feeling. and she stood and
noted every shabby sign Of social fail.
urc and moral degradation MS IL they
were all pointed In n picture and had no
personal interest for her.
She sat down In n chair opposite to
him. regarding him iixedly. going over
and over again. one by one. the signs of
squalOr and decay. and little by little
the thought grew up IN her mind that
she was bound to this man for his life Dr.
hers. The first apprehension Of this fact
arose clearly enough. Ii was not thnt
the knowledge of II seemed incomplsta:
but ut first she lacked the power to care
nbout 1t. Then slowly It grew more and
, more definite. because more and more
horrible. and at last IL overwhelmed her.
40 that she rose IN physical protest
Ggninst II. She turned the gus light to
the full. and went anew over every sign
before her. 1lnckett changed his pos
ture, winking and mutterimg NJ the light,
nnd she started behind the table instinc-
lively to place some barrier between her.
self aud him: hut he settled back again
In u mere second or two. and breathed
more stertOrously than before.
And now that she was awake to the
terror of the position she set her wits
20 work to find out what she might best
do for the moment. There was no crea-
thre to whom she might run for advice
or assistance, and she was thrown en-
tirely upon her own resources. But she
managed In u while to grasp the position
pretty thoroughly. Above all other
things, Il was evident that no pity. COM
junction or affection had brought this
rascally husband home again.
lie had come In search Of spoil, and
In that respect she was quite defenceless
against him. In the flush Of her dread
" him and her adherence Of him. she
would willingly have surrendered every
'hing ~ her possession 10 DO r'd Oh MN
once anu for Ill.
40 she slipped to her bedroom and
searched her desk to zee what she had
there. Finding some bills and gold, she
packed the money In u sheet Of note pa-
per. and tnen wrote has'y "o,e.
taO's. W"e" 20" want "ore w1ns y"
me. do no! u! I" zee me- ior "ou"
rather ne 'h"n speak !" YOU
size enc'osea th'S anu tue money III q"
envelope. anu. descending 10 tue k'tcheh'
gave u INTO the "nhds OF tue nau.
lyon must s't up she said. until
Mr.. iacke't nwnRes' anu thch give MIN
this. II he asks Tor me. never hhhu
that. Give MN inns wheh ne awnkes'
Then she He'd to her room ana locked
herself In, and barricaded the door, ana
lny In wait for what might happen.
Footsteps ana voices passed ana distant
unimpOrtant sounds shook her with dread
score OF times. once u rap NJ her
door. following on tho faint sound or
stenlthy footsteps on the stair. so made
her tremble that she could ma no voice
10 answer. The knock was repeated
timidly. and Mary whispered;
what Is IT.
''i've brought You n cup OF tea,
ma'nm,' the maid whispered back in
voice as frightened ns her own.
''Nakp N AWAY said her Mistress.