Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1905-06-24
GRIPS, THE CARRIER /
r. .. BI a CkMO ORE
Author LORNA DOoNR" "ALIcE LORRAINE" ETC.. ETC.
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
No sooner had the Carrier begun his
eventful homewnrd course. as heretofore
related, than Etty. who loved a forest
walk and felt rather dull without Fac
chary. took Pcggy's fat red hand and,
after good ten with Susannah. set
forth for an evening stroll. to gather
flowers and hear the birds sing.
Almost before they had got well into
the wooded places. Peggy shrank away
from u black wooden shed. partly over
hung by trees.
Peggy not go there. Aunt ETY." she
said; goose IN there, n great white
goose"
"a ghost. you little goosc?' answered
Esther. laughing. for still there was good
sunset. Come and show me; want to
see ghost"
mo. no. no!' cried the child. pulling
backward. and struggling as hard ms she
had struggled with the gate: Peggy see
white goose la black hole there. all
day"
Then. Peggy. stop here while go
and look. You won't be afraid to do
that, will youI'
Running bravcly up to the hole In
boards, Esther saw. to her great amaze
ment, the form. perhaps the corpse Of
a man. stretched ut length on the ground
inside. II lay too much In the dark for
the face to be seen. and the dress was
20 swaddled with netting and earthly.
that little could be made Of II. A torn
strip OF cambria. that once had been
white, lay partly on the body and partly
on the board. Esther caught It up; she
remembered having ironed something VI
this shape for somebody once. who was
going to be examined. She knew where
to look for the mark, and there she saw
In small lctters-"T. Hardenow."
Surprised as she was. she did not lose
her wits or courage. a. she used to do.
She ran to the door Of the shed. tried
the paddock. and finding It fastened, made
bunch Of keys. Not one Of them truly
was born with the lock. but one was
soon found TO serve the turn; then Es.
ther pushed back the creaking door. and
timidly gazcd round the shadOwy shed.
She was quite alone now, for her little
niece. with short sobs Of terror, had set
on for home.
In the light admitted by the open door,
young Esther deserted poor miserable
thing. helpless, still ny u log. and sense
less. yet to her faithful heart the Idol
OF all alteration. Gently, step by step.
she stole to the PROSTATE form. aud
knelt down softly. nnd revercntly touch.
ed 1t. She feared TO seem to take ad.
vantage Of helpless moment; and yet
q keen JOY. mixed with terror. shone In
the cagcrness of her eyes. "IIe In alive.
] am sure Of that" she said to herself.
rs she pulled forth pair Of strong
scissors which she always carried: ''he II
alive, hut very. very nearly dead. What
wretches can have treated him like thisi'
In two minutes Hardenow was free
from every cord aud thong Of bondage;
his lax arms fell at his sides.
"Oh. he " starving. or downright
starved" cried Esther, watching his
white lips. which tremblcd with some
glad memory of suction. and then stiffen-
ell again to some Anglican dream. "Af.
ter all. ] have blamed other folk quite
ainiss. lie hath corded himself away
from his victuals to give way To his
noble principles. But how could he lock
himself In? The Lord must have sent u
bad angel to tempt him, and then to turn
the key Oh him."
Before she had finished this reasoning
process. the girl was half way towards
the cot Of Tickuss. her heart Outweighing
her mind. according to all true feminine
proportions. She ran In swiftly upon
Susannah, sitting In the dusky kitchen
and pOndering over a very slow fire the
cookery Of the childrens supper. 1t was
o. fine a pot If stun ns ever Susannah
Grips had made. for she did not hold
Mt all with fnttcning the pigs and starv-
Ing her own children; aud she argued
most justly, while Esther all the while
was ladling all the virtue out.
TO put 1t briefly, Hardenow came quite
round. and after twenty spOOnfuls vowed
with the conscience rushing for the
moment into the arms of common sense
that never would he fast again. And
after thirty were absorbed and begin.
ming to assimilate. he gaxed ut Esther's
smiling eyes, and saw the clearest and
truest solution Of all his "postulates ON
celibacy." Esther dropped her eyes In
terror, and made him drink the dregs
and bottom, with converts jealous
gulp. And as It happened, this was
wise.
Esther smiled and wept at her pa.
tient's ardent words and impassioned
gratitude. She knew that between them
was great gulf fixed, and that the leap
across 1t seldom has happy landing;
and when poor HardenOw fell back, In
the weak reaction Of heart more Ht for
pain than passion, she knelt at his side
aud nursed mad cheered him, less with
the air Of c0urted maiden than Of a
careful handmade. In the end. however,
this feeling was prevailed upon to sub.
side, and Esther, although Of the least
revolutionary and longest established
stock In England-that Of the genuine