The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-31

consider before she bound her youth to his age So nothing was said to any one in Bleak House or out, and things went on in their quiet even way tillsons morning a startling piece of news shook them.
 The news was that MT. Tulkinghorn had been found dead in his room, and that he had been shot through the heart.
 Her mothers dread of the man, the reasons she had for wishing him dead, rushed on Esther's mind in an instant. For. an instant she felt such a shudder as if the dead man had touched her. Then she was indignantly sure of there being no possibility of any reason for being afraid.
 Before the shock of the event had subsided, there came to Bleak House in the dead of night, in wind and sleet and storm Inspector Bucket. a famous de- tective, who asked for Miss Summerson on matter of life or death She arose and dressed hurriedly. Swiftly, striv-
 ing to save every second possible, he told her and MT. Jarndyce that Lady Dedlock had been at the lawyers Of. flee secretly on the night of his mur- der; that when it came to her knowl- edge that the police had discovered this, she had feared that she would be accused of the murder, and that she had fled that very day.
 q am charged by her husband" said tho detective, ito find her. He has learned her secret through the disclos- ures caused by the lawyers sudden death. He charges me to tell her that he forgives her. He charges me to save her at any cost. If I follow her alone and find her, it might drive her to some desperate step, for she will think that want her for murder. "Noi' said he. AI- I7esf1 1.-fa- ffa, "Nol My dear! I arrested the real mur- derer hours ago! But I want youi [ ask no questions, ana you need tell ma nothing. But let me come up with Lady Deadlock in your company, and she will give me credit for being friendly. Don't wait! Don't waste moment! She has eight hours start, and every hour ia worth a hundred pound"
 Esther did not need to be urged. Shs was ready before he had done talking. The detective, kind and gentle despite the frantic haste in which he was, help ed her into a waiting carriage. They l raced headlong and furious through the storm.
 Again and again they pulled up sharply for quick conferences with poo licemen in lonely places. From these the detective returned with Get on lads! Get on!'' to the driver and post boy As they approached London, the |
 the detective's manner more sure. They
 wound in and around and out among
 labyrinths of streets. crossing and re- crossing the river, stopping now and | then at lighted police stations, and hus. rying on again.
 At last, at a time when it was neither day nor night, they reached a dark and
 miserable neighborhood. Inspector | Bucket seemed to be quite certain now,
 after a conference with a colleaE Eue who appeared silently out of black door-
 way. He asked Esther to alight from
 the carriage, and hurried rapidly up a
 dark and wretched covered way, at the
 end of which a poor light was burning.
 Suddenly he stopped short. In the snow
 and wet, under the lamp, lay a woman.
 Esther ran to her, put her long, dank hair aside and looked into her face It
 was her mother. cold and dead. of the time that followed, of the ill.,
 ness that came upon her and the great
 sorrowing through which she passed, l Esther tried afterward to remember
 only the goodness and sympathy of all who surrounded her. She made up her
 mind that she must not darken Bleak
 House or cheat it of its Dame Burden.
 She even was able to listen with a | bright smile and to help with advice,
 when MT. Jarndyce told her of his plan
 to find a place for Allan Woodcourt
 as medical officer in Yorkshire Allan | Woodcourt was the young surgeon. He had returned to England recently, and
 he and Mir. Jarndyce had been much to- gether.
 | One day, when his appointment was
 assured, Allan Woodcourt told her that
 he loved her; and he turned away, with his hands over his eyes, when her | trembling voice answered that the Knowledge filled her with pride and
 joy, but that she was not free.
 The next day she told John Jarndycs | that she was ready to give Bleak House
 its mistress whenever he wished. He
 asked: Next month";" and she answered; | Yes" A little later inc gave her a sealed | envelope, saying: This is for next month,
 my dear" She opened it, and found in | it e2O0.
 When the time set was very near in- deed, and Dame Burden was all reaAg | with her simple preparations, MT. Jarn-
 dyce asked her to run down into York
 shire with him. T have been wanting" | said he, Ito express to our friend Wood- | court our sense of gratitude for his many
 services to us all, and his humanity to | the poor. It came into my head that l I might ask him to accept from me some | simple and unpretending home for him | self, now that he is to settle in York; l shire. have found such place. and I | am not housekeeper enough to be suro | that it is all right. So I apply to the very best little housekeeper that could
 possibly be got
 | When they entered the garden that sur- l rounded tue little house. the first thing | that Dame Burden noticed was that all 1 the beds and flowers were laid out exact- | ly like her own at Bleak House. When | they entered the pretty cottage, with it's pretty rooms, she saw, in the paperlng | of the walls, in the colors of the furni- ture. in the arrangement of all the pretty objects, all her own little ideas and meth- | ods, at which they used to laugh in Bleak House while they praised them. And now, little woman, said John Jarndyce. now for the name of this l house. l.
 | He led her to the porch and said: Cant | you guess?" And when she said "No," he pointed to the place above the door.
 Craven there were the words: Bleak | House."
 John Jarndyce led Esther to a seat close
 by took her hand and spoke: | 'I have been in Allan Woodcourt's con- | fdence for a long time, though he was
 not in mine till a few hours ago. I have
 seen through your secret. She put her
 arms around his neck and cried Rest
 confidently here,' said he. pressing her
 to his breast. 'I am your guardian and l your father. now"
 1 They were alone no longer. Allan Wood- court stood near them.
 | Allan said John Jarndyce, take from
 with the little home she brings you My
 dearest, this Is Bleak House. This day give this house it's little mistress: and, berore Cod if is tho h,vhteef dav In, aa1