Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-08-12

land his gold was not there. lie pu
his trembling hands to his head and gave
wild ringing scream, the cry of desoia
ton. The cry had relieved him from tht
first maddening pressure. 5aa~-
He tottered towards his loom, and got
into the seat, where he worked instinct
lively seeking this as the strongest assur'
ance of reality. The idea of q thief be,
gan to present itself He started from
the lcom to the door. He rushed out in
the rain and made his way to the inn
There Silas told his story under frequent
questioning, as the mysterious character
of the robbery became evident. @
The slight suspicion with which has
hearers at first listened to him, gradu-
ally melted away before the convincing
simplicity of bis Distress. -, :
Dunsey Cass had never been heard
from, and on New Years eve Squire Cass
gave large party, That night Godfrey Z
wife was walking with Glow uncertain
steps through the snow-covered lanes OF
Rayeloe carrying her child In her arms,
Soon she felt numb with cold and fa-
tigue and then nothing but a supreme
immediate longing to lie down, and
sleep. The complete torpor came at
last; the fingers lost their tension, the
arms unbent; then the little head fell
away from the bosom, and the blue eyes
opened wide on the cold starlight. Sud
denly Its eyes were caught by something
bright on the white ground; in an instant
the child had slipped on all fours and
held out one little hand TO catch the
5righs CLEAN. But the CLEAN could not
be caught, and now the head was held up
to see where the cunning CLEAN came
from. Itoame from very bright place;
and the little one, rising to its feet, went
to the open door of Sllas Manners cot
tage, aud right up TO the warm hearth to
where Silas's coat lay on the bricks to
dry. The little one squatted down on
the coat, and presently the warmth had
a lulhng effect and the little golden head
sank down on the old coat, asleep. But
where was Silas Marner2 He was in the
cottage but he did not see the child. He
had gone to the door to look out, and
had put his hand on the door to close it
but he did not close it; he was arrested
by the invisible hand of catalepsy, and
stood with wide and sightless eyes, hold
ing open7his door, powerless to resist
either the good or evil that might enter
there. -e4s -.-r7.. ...r
When Marner's sensibility returned he
closed the door, and turned towards his
hearth, where, to his blurred vision, 1t
seemed as if there was gold on the fOer
in front of the hearth. .r.- .
Geld l-hls own gold brought back as
rnyste1ously as it had been taken away.
He leaned forward at last and stretched
forth his hand; but instead of the hard
coin, his fingers encountered soft warm
curis. Gould this be his little sister,
come back to HIM in dream9 He had a
dreamy feeling that this child was some
how message come to him from that
far-of life. But there was CRY on the
hearth, and Silas fed and soOthed it. He
found it had on wet shoes, which sug-
gested to him that she must have come
from out doors, and the little one cried
nanny. Bending forward he could Just
discern marks made by the little feet,
and he followed their track to the furze
bush, and there he found a human body,
with the head sunk low in the furze, and
half covered with the shaken snow. Silas
knew that all the town was at the grand
party at the Squire's, so he carried the
little one right there in search of the
doctor. The doctor, Godfrey, and few
others, go to the stone pits, and then
find that the woman is past help-dead.
They urged Silas to part with the child,
but he pressed it to him and says:
mo, mol I can't part with it. It's come
to me-I've a right to keep it,
It was a bright autumn Sunday, six.
teen years after Silas Warner had found
his new treasure on earth.
The bells of the old Raveloe church
were ringing the cheerful peal which told
that the morning service was ended. He
called her Eppie for his sister, and that
morning as they walked home together,
in low, murmaring tones, Eppie talked
to him. $50 a-l %. Fr
Father, if I was to be married. ought
/ to be married with mothers ring9"
''Why, Eppie, have you been think
ing on it9''37
"only tins last week, father" said
Eppie ingeniously, ''since Aaron talked
I'd me aDOuC III. ~ ss-21
"And what did ne say?'' said Silas.
she said he should like to be married
because he was going on four and twenty
and had got COED deal of gardening
work, now Mr.. Motifs given up.
Sand who is it as he's wanting to
marry2". said sSilas with rather a sad
y. s'Why, me, to be sure, daddy said
Eppie, with dimpling Laughter, kissing
her fathers cheek; ;''as if he'd wanted to
marry anybody else..t as. ....,
SAT "And you mean to have him, do you q
said Siias. s'.# sf.v5.@i % s'Ia4r ata gz
80 asr'Yes, some time," said Eppie, don't
know when" "ggr t.,E sesa4IaH 4
.Eyerybody's married some time
Aaron says.
But Itold him that wasn't true, Tor ]
said, ''look at father-he's never beer
married - ~ e 3.'sa ~. a1a as
"My child, = said silas, .syour fathe,
was, . lone man till You was sent tc
him. s. tar ai5.ue s ,a.',..s.9. S ...e..a
"But you'll never be a lone man again
father" said Eppie, tenderly. 'sThat was
4 what Aaron said.1 oass.Fe 4 ysg..s -
II could never think Of taking YOU
away from Master Manner, Eppie.' =
"And' ] said, it'nd be no use if YOU did
Aaron,and he wants us all to live together
Eso you needn't work and he'd be as good
as son to you.s Bnt Lsdon't want any
change. Only ,Aaran does want change
and he made me cry q bit-only a BIT
because hessaid didn't care TOR him
for if ] cared for him, / should want N
to be married, as he did. I'D l.'3 fs.l
aEh, my blessed child, said Silas
You are Ger to young to 90 married
But I shall get older and helpless, and
ltWould be nice if you had somebody else
besides me- somebody young and strong
as nd take care o'you to the end =
sThcnayou w0ul1 like me to be mar
ried, father2 aois9es II !. ,osasao Nh .,ss
"E'llno be the man to say no, Eppie
lbut will ask yonr godmother. Shell
wish the. right thing by yen and her sor
| t0o.s' BHfh 20 8 aooaaaGl Il. sia
And the godmother wished it
In draining the lands the stone pitt
were drained dry, and the skeleton oi
DuInston Cass was found and all Of Hilas
/ Manners gold, two hundred and sixty-fivt
Il - Il. - .