The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-23

biIity of any reason for being afraid.
Before the shock of the event nt4
subsided, there came to Bleak lioEse
in the dead of night, in wind ana
2 famous detective, who asked IL,
Miss Summerson on a matter al III.
or death. She arose and dreSSe
hu%rriedly. Swiftly, striving 10 saN,
every second possible, he told her au1
Mr.. J%arndyce that Lady pedlock hac.
been ut the lawyers office secretly o~
the night Of his murder; that when il
came to her knowledge that the pc
lice had discovered this, she had fear
ed that she would be accused OF tn,
murder. and that she had fled tn
very day.
IT am charged by her husband
said the detective, ITO find her. liz
has learned her secret through tn
disclosures caused by the lawyer
sudden death. He charges me . tel
her hat he forgiyes her and that h.
wants her to return to him. HI
charges me to save her at any cosC
II I follow her alone and find her il
might drive her to some desperate
step, for she will think that | wan
her for murder. "No!" said he. an
svering the look in Esther's face
mo: Ny dear: / arrested the rea3
murderer hours ago! But l want
you. I ask no questions. and You
need tell me nothing. But let mo
come up with Lady Dedlock in yom
| company and she will give me credit
| for being friendly. Don't wait: polt
| waste q moment! She has eight
hours start, and every hour is worth
a hundred and
| Esther did not need to be urged.
She was ready before he had done
talking. The detective, kind and gen
tie despite the frantic haste in which
he was, helped her into 4 waiting
carriage. They raced headions and
furious through the storm.
Again and again they pulled up
sharply for quick conferences with
policemen in lonely places. FROM
these the detective returned with Get
on lads! Get on" to the driver and
post-boy. AS they approached Lon
don the conferences became more
frequent and the detectives manner
more sure. They wound in and
around and out among la%byrinths OF
streets, crossing and ~recrossing the
river, stopping now and then at
lighted police stations, and hurrying
on again.
At last. at . time when it was
neither day or night. they reached It
dark and miserable neighborhoOd-
Inspector Bucket seemed to be quite
certain now after a conference with
a colleague who appeared silently out
Of a back doorway. He asked Esther
TO alight from The carriage, and hur-
ried rapidly up a dark and wretche2
covered way. at the end Of which q
poor light was burning. Suddenly he.
stopped short. III the snow and wet.
under the lamp. lay a woman Esther
ran to her, put the LONE. dark hair
aside and looked into her face. II
was her mother, cold and dead.
OF the time that followed Of thu
illness that came upon her and the
great sorrOwing through which she
passed, Esther tried afterward to re-
member only the goodness and SYM
pathy Of all h surrounded her.
She made up her mind that she must
not Garken 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 Mr.. Jarndyce told her Of his
plan to find a place for Allan Wood
court as medical officer in Yorkshire.
Allan WOOdcOurt was the young sur
geon. He had returned to England
recently, and he and Mr.. Jarndyce haG
been much together.
One day, when his appointment was
assured. Allan Woodcourt told her
AA"1t nc ioNCo ACi anu ne tuTEoO
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 .Jarn-
dyce that She was ready to give Bleak
FnnSe lis mistress whenever he
wished. He asked: Next month p,
and she answered, Yes" a Httj.
later he gave her q sealed enyelope
saying, This is for next month. my
dear She opened it and found in II
two hundred pounds.
i When the time set was very ncar
indeed, and Dame burden was ali
ready with her simple preparations
Mr.. Jarndyce asked her To run dour
into Yorkshire with him. IT bave
peen wanting said he. ito express to
our friend Woodcourt our sense Of
gratitude for his many services 10 nc
AL