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

made his way to the inn. Theee Silas
told his story, under frequent question
ing as the character of the robbery be
came evident.
The slight suspicion of his hearers
melted away before the simplicity of his
distress.
Dustan Cass had never been heard
from, and on New Years eve Squire
Cass gave large party. That night
Godhey'a wife was walking with slow,
uncertain steps through the snow
covered lanes of Raveloe, carrying her
child in her arms.
Soon she felt numb with cold and ia
tigue and then nothing but supreme
Immediate longing to lie down and
sleep. The complete torpor came at
last; then fingers lost their tension, the
arms unbont; then the little head fell
away from the bosom, and the blue
eyes opened wide on the cold starlight.
Suddenly its eyes were caught by a
bright cleaning light on the white
ground: in an instant the child had
slipped ON all fours and held out one
little hand TO catch the gleam. But
the CLEAN could not be caught, and the
head was held up to see where the cum
ming CLEAN came from. 1t came from n
very bright place; and the little one
rising on its legs went on to the open
door of Silas Manners cottage, and
right up to the warm hearth where
Silas' coat lay on the bricks to dry.
The little one squatted down on the
coat, presently the warmth had luling
effect, and the little golden head sank
down on the old coat asleep. But where
was Silas Mariner? He was in the cot
tage. but he did not see the child. He
had gone to the door to look out, and
put his right hand on the latch of the
door TO close it-but he did not close it,
he was arr sted by the invisible haud of
catalepsy, and stood with wide but
sightless eyes holding upon his door,
powerless TO resist the good or evil that
might enter.
When Manners sensibility returned,
he closed the door, and turned towards
the hearth, wi ere, to his lurid vision,
it seemed as if there were gold on
the floor in front of the hearth.
Gold?-his own gold brought back
as mysteriously as it had been taken
away.
He leaned forward at last and stretch
ed forth his hand, but instead of the
hard coin, his fingers encountered soft,
warm curls. Could this be his little sis
ter come back to him in a dream? He
had dreamy feeling that this child was
somehow a message come to HIM from
far off life. But there was cry on the
hearth, and Silas fed and soothed it.
He found it had on wet shoes, which
suggested to him that she must have
come from out doors; so he raised the
child, and went to the door and the
little one cried out 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 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 tie grand party at
the squire's, so he carried the little one
there in search of the doctor. The
doctor, Godfrey, and few others, go to
the stone pits, and there find that the
woman is past help-iead They urg-
ed Silas to part with the child, but he
presses it to him, and says:
"No, no! can't part with it, It's
come to me-1've right to keep it"
1t was bright autumn Sunday, six
teen years after Silas Mariner had found
his treasure on the hearth.
The bells of the old Raveloe church
were ringing the cheerful peal which
told the morning service was ended.
He called her Eppie for his sister. and
that morning, as they walked home to-
gether, in low, murmuring tones Eppie
talked to him.
Father, if / was to be married, ought
to be married with mothers ring?"
"Why, Eppie, have You been thinking
on it?"
"Only this last week, father" said
Eppie, ingeniously, "since Aaron talked
to me about it.
"And what did he say?" said Silas.
''He said he should like to be married.
because he was going on four-and-twen-
ty, and had got good deal of gaIden-
ing work, DOW Mr., Motifs given up"
"And who is it as he's wanting to
molry?" said Silas with rather a sad
smile.
"Why, me, to be sure, daddy" said
Eppie, with dimpling laughter, kissing
her fathers cheek; "as if he'd wanted to
marry anybody else
"You mean to have him, do youP"
said Silas.
"Yes, some time" said Eppie, 81
don't know when"
"Everybody's married some time"
Aaron says.
"But 1 told him that wasn't true, for