The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-06-29

least four days
II was a journey of six-and.thirty
hours. had set out on Tuesday
and early on the succeeding Thurs
day morning the coach stopped TO
water the horses AT n wAysid~ Inn
On the sign OF the TIM ! read In
gil, letters. The Rochester Arms. !"
My hear, ieapt up: was already
on my masters very lands. IL fell
again the thought struck II.
Your master himself may be
beyond the British Channel. for
asght you know. and then. IL he
( IL at ThofnIeld Hall. who besides
him IL there His luuatlc wife.
and you dare not seek his presence.
You had better go no farther. p"
urged the monitor. Ask informa,
ton of tho people 81 the Inn"
Tho suggestion was sensible.
and yet I could not force mysels
to act on II. There Vas the stiie
before me-ths very field thru
which had hurried. on the morn.
ing fled from Thornsicid: ere I
well knew what cour~e I had re-
solved 10 take. was In the midst
of them.
A, last the woods rose: another
/ field crossed lane threaded
and there were the courtyard walls.
A peep. and thea a long stare.
! looked with fInorous JOY towards
a stately house. saw = blaekencd
ruin.
The grim biackness OF the stones
told by what fate the Hall had
fallen--by confiaxration but how
kindied7 What story belonged TO
| this Disaster And oh where.
meantime. Vas the hapless owner
Of this @reek7 Ny eye invoiuntar-
lily wandered TO the grey church
tower near the gates.
Some answer must be had to
these questions could find II
nowhere but at the inn. and thIther
III returned. The boat himself
brought my breakfast into the par.
lor. | requested him to shut the
door and sit down. ! had some
questions 10 ask him.
You know Thornfield Hall. OF
course'-
Yes. ma'sm. I lived there once"
Did your Not In my time. |
thought: you are a stranger To mo.
Il was the late Mr.. Rochester's
butler" he added.
THE iate." ! sasped. rs he
desd7"
Il mean the present gentleman.
Mr.. Edwards father" he ex.
planned breath.d again.
fla Mr.. Rochester living at
Thornfield Hall now" asked.
knowing. Of course. what the Sn-
swer would be.
mo. ma'am-oh. no. No one IN,
living there. suppose you are a
stranger In these parts. or you
would have heard what happened
last autumn--Thornfield Hall was
burnt down just about harvest
time. The fire broke out at dead
OF night. II was a terrible spec.
tacle: ! Witnessed IL myself"
Was II known how IL os1g.
.Latedr' demanded.
They guessed. ma'am: they
guessed You are not perhaps
aware" he continued. speaking low.
that there was q lady, luna
tic. kept I'm the housed"
II have heard something OF IT,"
"She was kept In very close con-
iinement. ma'am: people even for
come years was not absolutely GER
tain OF her existence. But a queer
thing happened year since--a
very queer thing"
feared now to hear my own
story. endeavored TO recall him
to the main fact.
And this LADY,"
This lady. ma'am." he an.
swered. turned out to be Mr..
Ilochester's wife! The discovery
vas brought about In the strangest
way There was young lady,
govcrness at the Hall. that Mr..
Rochester fell in
But the fire." I suggested. was
It suspected that this lunatic. Mrs.
Rochester. had any hand in IT."
you've hit II. ma'am: it's quite
certain that II was her and nobody
but her. that set II going. On this
night. she set fire first to the hang
ings OF the room next her own; and
then she got down to lower story.
end made her way to the chamber
that had been the governess' and
iindled the bed there: hut there
was nobody sleeping in 1t. fortu-
nately.
"The governess had run away
two months before: and for all Mr..
Rochester sought her. he never
could hear word of her: and he
grew savage-dangerous--after he
lost her. He sent Mrs. Fairfax, the
| housekeeper. awny to her friends at
distance; but he did II hand.