The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-10-14


what each would give to know how
much the other knows-all this for a
time in their own hearts.
The faithful Mr. Guppy. whom I
never could encourage because-well,
because there was DR.. Allan Wood
court, for one thing-gave me the
news of Joe's arrest for lettering, and
the strange story he told in eXplana.
ton of money found on him. They
took him to Snagsby's, and this was
JOe's tale: They're wot's left, Mr.
Snagsby, out Of a sov'ring as was
give me by lady in a vale as said
she was a servant, and as come to
my crossin' one night and asked to
be showed this ere 'ouse and the
'ouse wot him as you give the writin
to died at, and the berrin groung
wot he's berried in. And l done it"
And now why did Sangsby hurry
off to grim old Tulkinghorn with this
tale? And why did Mr. Tulkinghorn
at once call in Bucket, a great London
detective. to go and fetch Joe? And
was there any dark import TO the
bit of melodrama in the lawyers office
where the waif was shown a yelled
woman dressed as a servant? It's
'er an It amt 'er," he had said,
gazing raptly at the figure. Il know
the vale an the bunnit an the gownd !;
but it amt 'er and, nor yet er rings.
nor yer 'er voice. It's 'er, and it amt
Ell" There amt a doubt" Bucket
whispered to Mr.. Tulkinkhorn. that
it was the other one with this ones
dress on"
Meanwhile I had my first glimpse
Of the celebrated Lady Dedlock. My
guardian had taken us all down to
Lincolnshire to visit a friend. and it
was in the little parish church | saw
her Shall | ever forget the rapid
beating of my heart occasioned by the
look met as l stood up? Shall l ever
forget the manner in which those
spring out of their languar and hold
mine? And, very strangely, there was
something quickened within me, as
ISOLATED with the lonely days at my
eodmothcr's. l was soon to know
what this meant, and, curiously,
through Mr.. Guppv
My impossible sutton, it seemed, had
noted a resemblance between myself
and Lady Dedlock. He had learned
! by chance that my name was not
! Esther Summerson. but Esther Haw-
don. Hoping to help me, he went
straight to Lady Dedlock with his
news. She had received him haugh-
tily, but when he informed her that
he had found that his cherished Es-
Their was Esther Hawdon. My God, >
had burst through her icy reserve.
Life went on for a while with charm
ing grace and pleasantness at Bleak
House. Then the darkness of ter
rible disease encompassed me, and
when | had recovered my face was
so sadly changed that | hardly knew
myself To recuperate, my guardian
! took me down to Lincolnshire, near
| Chesney Void. And there l met Lady
! Dedlock again.
| was resting on a bench in the
! beautiful wood near the great mansion
one day when she came and sat down
! on the seat beside me. Suddenly she
| caught me to her breast kissed me.
! fell down on her knees and cried to
me: 20, my child, my child; l am
your unhappy and wicked mother. o,
try to forgive me. | had thought you
dead in infancy. My cruel sister told
me so" Then I felt a burst of graft
! tude, through all my tumult of emo
! ton, that ! was so changed that l
/ CCulC IcN I'll OlSSL dCS 4SI ny any II ace
! Of likeness.
But at once l knew our secret was
not safe. My mother told me of the
| cold and crafty Tulkinghorn, already
suspicious and ready to charge her
with the truth. Gould you not trust
| him." I had asked. Il shall never
| try" she replied. The dark road
! have trodden for so many years will
end where it will. l follow it alone to
the end, wherever the end may be-
Soon l knew that the merciless
Tulkinghorn was hot on the scent.
Journeying down to Chesney Void,
he told my mother that he knew ev-
erything and would hold her in his
| CHASTITY grip, awaiting his own time
| for revealing the story to Sir .Leiccs-
! ter. Nor did the pitiless solicitor give
| her much time OF grace. When the
! Dedlocks returned to their stately
London house he sought my Lady
and declared to her that soon, per-
haps on the morrow, his duty demand
ed that he inform Sir Leicester of
his wife's former disgrace. Il am
quite prepared" she said Jelly, as he
started, for home. But, with an in
ward fire consuming her, she would
walk in the garden for an hour or
more, she told a flunkey. No, she
would need no further escort.