The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-27

strong enough to see anyone.
 The most eminent eye specialist in
 england had been summoned from Lon
 aon to do all that could be done for
 oniIs blindness. At first, after consul
 tation With the local doctor, he had
 held out some hope of recovery. But he
 nad only done this, because the invalid
 was too weak to hear the truth, and
 directly Shil was strong enough to list
 an to the verdict, he was told that he
 would never be able to see anything
 He received the news as brave man
 might receive sentence of death, and
 then he dictated letter to Leonore
 Jackson. saying that he was now well
 enough to meet her, and asking her
 to call as soon as she could convenient
 ly manage to come to Black Hall.
 And on this sunny winters morning
 he was waiting her arrival in the
 library, and trying to look into the fu-
 ture which lay before-him.
 The darkness which shuts out all
 visible things from a mans eyes, only
 strengthens that mental sight which
 has the whole world of thought and
 imagination spread before 1t like a
 panorama. The brain of the blind man sees clearly enough into matters which
 physical eyesight obsecures. His life
 is life in which all realities have
 faded into drkness, and the unsubstan-
 tial has become the real. And so 1t
 came to pass that John Shil saw very clearly into the problems of the future.
 He saw before him a life without profit either to himself or other people.
 His infirmity would stand in the way of any work which called for action. He would have to be content to think, and give orders. and trust to the orders being carried out. A man of great in- tellect might have consoled himself with the knowldge that he still had the use of his brain. and that, after all, the brain is the essential part of human being. But Shil was not man of great
 intellect, and the only work that he had ever done had been work which re- quired personal supervision. He could do this work no longer. He could not ride round his estate and superintend the rebuilding of insanitary cottages, the refencing of plantations, the drain.
 ing of fields, and the thousand and one things which require the keen eye of an expert. He could only issue his orders, and trust to others to see them execut- ed. He was helpless as a log. The loss
 of his limbs would have been less to than this loss of sight. He could only drag out a weary existence, without hope, without labour. without love.
 Yet he knew that there was a woman who loved him, and who would lead him tenderiy through life. But his heart revolted from her; the interview that lay before him had only been ar ranged with one object He must know the truth. He must find out what part Leonore had played in the tragedy of Laura's marriage. He must hear the truth from Leonore's own lips. Perhaps she would lie to him. But. though he could not see her face. he would judge her from her voice, from the words which she used to conceal her thoughts. He would find out, and if she were un- worthy, he would never marry her. He would rather live out his life of dark ness alone.
 Of Laura he knew nothing save that which he had gathered from local gos- sip. She had been taken on the William and Sarah to Gorehaven, and had been placed in the small hospital in that town. Within the last few days she had been moved to Tankerlane Court. and Sir William Tankerlane had accom- panied her. He had received no message from either Of them. It was possible that he would never come into touch with either of them again. Sir William would keep a tight hold on dlis wife for the future, and it was possible that Laura's spirit had been entirely broken by her illness.
 Yet he thought much of her in those first days of the daflSness, and the flame of his love burnt more fiercely than ever In the gloom. But he knew that he would never take her from her husband, and that the death of Tankerlane would give him the desire of his heart. This much, at least. his diversity had al- ready taught him. It had shown him the depth of the sin that he had con- 1t had laid bare the awful pit into which he would have cast his own soul and the soul of the woman he loved. In his own sufferings he saw the hand of a Father who chastens His re- bellious children, to turn them from the error of their ways.
 This much good, at any rate. had come to John Shil out of his illness. He was too ordinary and too human to bear his awful affliction with the patience of a philosopher or a saint. But he realized that it was & punish l ment, and, though he chafed bitterly | lnder his burden of misery, he acknowl- | edged that he had in some measure paid | the penalty exacted by a just Judge. | The laws of his country had not yet | punished him for the death of Ben Hol- land. But oGd had executed fgull repay nent for those few moments of fndeci- lion when the man had gone down to ifs death.
 And even in the midst of his mental he felt that God had stayed he full force of His vengeance. Twice ad he been very near death. and twice ad his life been spared. Twice had aura been brought down to the veryi dge of the Dark Valley, and twice had he been led back again to the light. Ie was yet too sorely tired by his to be grateful for his own fe; but he thanked God that Laura ad been saved. and he could not help that both their lives had been pared for some object and that sin ould have no place hereafter in either f their hearts.
 It was a lonely and a humble man lat rose to greet Leonore Jackson, as le entered the smoking-room at Black all, and as the door closed behind her, 1e paused with a look of horror in CT eyes. She knew nothing of the lange that had been wrought within, ut she shrank from the physical weak ess and pain that she saw in every ,ature and every limb. The great anne was a mere skeleton on which le clothes hung loosely; the back was lrved, and the knees bent, as though nable to support the weight of the ody; the hands were white and bony; le face was drawn and haggard and d. It was the face of a mask. almost ithout life, for the eyes which give fe to the face were covered with Ideous green shade. and the features ere moulded into a permanent expres- on of pain.
 "Ah. Leonore." he said in a harsh, roken voice. "Is that you? Here is my and. I cannot see yours to take It."
 Leonore hesitated for a moment. and len, moving quickly forward, she seiz- tha OaIt Sf ratphad hand in herR ana