Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-01-19
rHEwEAvER OF RAVELoE.

1t was fifteen years since Sllas Mar
ner had first come to Raveloe, and at the
end of fifteen years Rayeloe men SAID
Just the same things about him as at
the beginning. He was subject to cata
lepsy and To the villagers there was
something mysterious in these fits. as
fit was stroke, and it was not III the
nature of stroke to let man stand on
his legs like a horse in the shafts and
then walk off rs soon as yon can say
Gee"
So had his way of life mysterious
peculiarities. He invited no conner to
step across his door sill, and he never
strolled into the village to drink pint
at the Rainbow, and he sought no man
or woman, saye for the pnapose of his
calling, or to supply himself with the
necessaries of life.
He had knowledge of herbs-and
charms too, they thought-and perhaps
he was possessed of an evil spirit, SO IT
was partly to this vague fear that Mar :
ner was indebted for protecting him from
persecution, and still more that, as linen
weaver, his handicraft made him high
ly welcome settler to the rich house
wives of the district. There was only
one important addition which ihe years
brought; it was that Master Mariner had
laid by a fine sum of money some
where.
His life had reduced itself to the
mere functions of weaving and board
ing. But about Christmas of that
fifteen year, a great change came over
Manners life, and his history became
blended in a singular manner with the
life of his neighbors.
The greatest man in Raveloe was
Squire Cass. One of his two sons.
Dustan, the second, the neighbors said
it was no matter what became cf him
"a spiteful, ieering fellow, whose taste
for driving, betting and swapping
might turn him out to be a sower of
something worse than wild oats.
But it would be pity that Godfrey,
the eldest, fine, we'll bred, good ma
tured young man should take the same
road as his brother, which he seemed
inclined to do of late.
Godfrey was in Dustan's power, as he
had secretly married coarse beauty,
whose love of drink had made her an
unfit companion for any one, and he
lived in fear of his father learning the
dreadful secret and turning him adrift,
so Dustan made constant demands on
him for hush money. Driven to des-
peration by his profigate brother, he
had given him permission to sell his
favorite horse if he would make no more
demands upon him.
So Dustan rode the horse to the races
and before he had chance to sell, killed
the horse and went from the grounds in
drunken, penniless state
AS he was plodding home through the
dark he saw light in Marner's house.
He knocked but no one answered and
on stepping in he found it vacant.
Where could he be, leaving his sup
per cooking and the door unfastened.
1t was dark rainy night, and perhaps
he had gone out for fuel and fallen into
the stone pits.
That was an interesting idea to Dus-
tan. If the weaver was dead, who
had right to his money? Who would
know where his mouey was hidden?
Who would know that anybody had
come to take the money away?
He saw a place near the loom where
the sand had finger marks. He darted
to it, lifted the bricks, and found two
leathern bags. He Immediately left the
house with the bags. The rain and
darkness had got thicker, but he was
heartily glad of it.
Silas. came sooner after, and after get
ting warm he thought he would put his
beloved guineas on the table before
him, as it would be pleasant to see
them as he ate his unwonted feast.
For Joy is the best of wine, and Silas'
guineas were a golden wine of that
sort
The sight of the empty hole made
his heart leap, but the belief that his
gold was gone could not como at once.
He had put his gold somewhere else and
then forgotten it. He turned his bed
over and looked in the brick oven.
He felt once more all around the hole.
He could see every object in his cottage
= and his gold was not there. He put
his hands to his head and gave wild,
ringing scream, the cry of desolation.
The cry had relieved him from the first
maddening pressure.
He tottered toward his loom, and got
into the seat where he worked, inst1nc-