The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1922-02-18

"Who copied that?" cried my lady
impulsively, as she caught sight OF
some handwriting on legal document
before her. ''Why do you ask?''
queried the keen lawyer, struck by her
animation and unusual tone. ANY
thing to vary this detestable monOt-
ony," she returned, then tainted.
With Mr.. Tulkinghorn to wonder at
| anything was to investigate it. Why
had my lady asked about that hand
writing? Why had she tainted? Per
haps Snagsby, the law statiOner, who
had had these papers copied, could en-
tighten him. Yes, Snagsby knew. 1t
was the work of gloomy, poverty
stricken recluse calling himself Memo
| and lodging over one villainous
Krooks' rag and bottle shop. Thither
they 60 and up into the squalid cham
Der. Memo is lying on his wretched
bed. his eyes staring. his body motion
less. "God save us, he Is deadw ex-
claimed Mr.. Tulkinghorn.
I heard Of the inquest through Mr..
Guppy, shrewd young law clerk who
had made hopeless calf-love to me.
The only witness who seemed to have
known the dead man was 10, forlorn
boy crossing-sweeper, and he knew lit
tie except "'E wOs good to me. e
wos." But Mr.. Tulkinghorn d0cketed
10 for further use-meantime: II
have seen the man whose handwriting
attracted your attention" he wrote
Lady Dedlock. And soon after, on a
visit to Chesney Void: Il found him
dead" he tells my lady face to face.
And whether each evermore watches
and suspects the other; what each
would give to know how much the 9TH
er knows-all this is hidden for a time
in their own hearts.
The faithful Mr.. Guppy, whom l
could never encourage because-well,
because there was DR.. Allan Wood
court, for one thing-gave me the news
of JOS arrest for lettering, and of the
strange story he told in explanation
Of money found on him. They took
him to Snagsby's, and this was JOS
tale: They're wot's left, Mr.. Snags-
by, out of a sov'ring as wos give me
by q 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' ground wot he's berried
in. And I done It."
And now why did Snagsby hurry Off
to grim old TulkinghOrn with this odd
tale? And why did Mr.. Tulkinghorn
at once call in Bucket, great Lon
don detective, to go and fetch 10? 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 servant? ITS
'er, an it amt 'er," he had said, gaz-
ing raptly at the figure. II know the
vale an the bunnit an the gownd;
but it amt 'er and. nor yet 'er rings,
nor yet 'er voice. It's 'er, an it amt
'er." "There amt a doubt" Bucket
had whispered to Mr.. Tulkinghorn,
"that it was the other one with this
ones dress on"
Meantime had had my first glimpse
of the celebrated Lady Dedlock. MY
guardian had taken us all down to
Lincolnshire to visit friend. and 1t
was in the little parish church l saw
her. Shall ever forget the rapid
beating at my heart occasioned by the
look l met as l stood up? Shall
ever forget the manner in which those
handsome, proud eyes seemed to
spring out of their languor and to hold
mine? And, very strangely. there was
something quickened within me, asso-
ciated with the lonely days at my god
mothers. was soon to know what
this meant, and, curiously enough,
through Mr.. Guppy.
My impossible sutton, It seemed, had
noted q resemblance between myself
and Lady DedlOck. He had learned
by chance that my name was not Es-
Their Summerson, but Esther HawdOn.
Hoping to help me, straight to Lady
Cedlock he went with his news.
She received him haughtily, but when
he informed her that he had found
that his cherished Esther was Esther
Hawdon: my God" had burst through
her icy reserve.
Life went on for a while with
charming grace and pleasantness at
Bleak House. Then the darkness OF
terrible disease encompassed me, and
when I had recovered my face was SO
sadly changed that hardly knew my
self. To recuperate my guardian took
me down to Lincolnshire. near Ches-
ney Void. And there / met Lady DIED.
lock again.
I 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: "Oh, my child, my child; am
your unhappy and wicked mother.
Oh, try to forgive me. had thought
you dead in infancy. Ny cruel sister
told me So" Then l felt burst Of
gratitude. through all my tumult OF
that I was so changed that