The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-09

held her in his arms and could only say, My dear, dear girlv' she thought. What 1 have I to mourn for? He has seen me and loves me even better than he did" She so blessed and honored him. she so | prayed to repay his goodness, that when one day soon afterward he asked her if she would be the mistress of Bleak House, she put quietly away from her the thought of a certain dark young doctor Of whom she had seen much dur ing her work among the poor and Ill. 1 She cried a little. Then she went down stairs and put her arms around John Jarndyce and kissed him.
 | Dame Burden soon had great cobwebs to sweep out of her John Jarndyces sky. l Richard Carstone was on the way to be- come another familiar and humorous fig ure in the court of chancery, like little Miss Elite and the Man from Shropshire. He had drifted away from Bleak House | long ago, and as Jarndyce had been turned against Jarndyce before, so now the malignant influence of the great suit made him hate lis cousin.
 Then Ada confessed that she had mar | ried Richard; and John Jardyce, who had | been helping Richard secretly, told her | that her place was by her husbands side, and let her go with his blessing. "Bleak 1 House is thinning fast, oh, little woman," {, said he, turning his old bright fatherly look on Esther.
 Richard, listless, dejected, unable to take up any occupation, was much in their minds and made their hearts very heavy. | At last, one day. an old usurer brought to John Jarndyce an ancient paper. John Jarndyce looked at it and paid the man the large sum that he demanded for it. He took it to his lawyers, who examined it with extraordinary interest and then stared at him with amazement. Why | said they, this is absolute incon- testable will by old Jarndyce and it wins the case for your wards, Richard Carstone 1 and his wife, while you lose"
 If all the wealth that this vile suit l brought into this vile court of chancery could fall to them, I would be content,'' said John Jarndyce. But no good can come out of Jarndyce and Jarndyce.'
 So one day there was great hustle in the court. The lawyers crowded around and talked and even the loard chan cellor showed an almost human interest. The newly found old will was genuine and the great suit was ended.
 And with that endnig Richard Carstone' S life was ended, too. The court of chan cery had broken his heart, as it had broken so many The great suit was ended and he had won, but the lawyers all laughed as they gathered up thel papers-for the whole estate had been swallowed up by costs, and the winner was as penniless as he had been in the beginning.
 John Jarndyce and >Dame Burden went to his poor lodgings, where he lived with Ada Kiss me, Dame Burden" said Richard. Then he held John Jarndyees hand and listened while his cousin told him how they would all live together again at Bleak House, now that tho clouds had cleared away. The clouds cleared away even then Richard laid his tired head on Ada's breast and with one parting sob passed into the world that sets this one right.
 During all this time Mr. Tulllinghorn 1 rusty, unobstrusive, worked away at his ] quest for the secret to be added to his ] collection. At last he had it in his hands and that day he allowed my lady Deadlock to know what he knew.
 q consider only Sir Leicester Deadlock ! in this" said he to her. 'I put you aside entirely. If l decide that it Is best for him not to know 1t will not tell him. If | decide otherwise l will tell him without further notice to you.'
 That night she slipped out of her great