The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-01
CHAPTET II. "GOD SHALL JUDGE"

l "GUD SHALL JUDGE."
 In the parlor of the Upper Leaze l Farm young girl sat before a roar l ing fire of oak logs and saw bright
 visions of the future in the flames. There was no lamp or candle in the room, but the fire, which blazed in a ia rSse~ open stone hearth, filled the whole TRartment with fierce orange light. in Which the shadows danced and 1 swayed unceNsingiy. The room itself
 was large and low-ceilinged The stone floor was@partially covered with | a faded square & carpet. The walls were panelled to a aAsight of four feet
 from the ground. and Ne space above was painted white and &Sorneo wl.n half a dozen engravings of AasRe merit The furniture was insufficient io.
 the size of the room, but 1t wAs aIl
 good. The only ornaments were A rev brass candIesticks, an old china bow and a Crown Derby tea-service carefG ly guarded in a glass-covered corneN cupboard. The general effect was sim-
 pie. but pleasing. It was in rare con-
 trast to the majority of best parlors"
 to be found in the ordinary farmhouse, and bore evidence to the taste and cul- | ture of at least one resident in the | house. This quiet and graceful picture of an English home was crowned and com
 
 who was the only occupant of the room. Her thick auburn hair glittered like furnished copper in the light of the
 flames. Her face, not so perfect in
 outline as to be devoid of character, was yet of rare loveliness. It was strong, Anoble face of a type not often | found among the women of the present day. It belonged to sterner times, when women were called upon to do great deeds for God or their country when they died as martyrs at the
 stake, or faced death amid the blazing | ruins of their homes.
 | Yet there was a wealth of tenderness
 in the eyes of Laura Vane as she eazed | into the firelight and thought of the
 man to whom she had given her heart
 She had no fear for the future. He was man worthy of a great love, d | clean minded, honorable gentleman. as yet almost a boy in comparison to her 1 own developed character and intellect | but boy with all the promise of | strength to fight the battle of life,
 Many men. in all ranks of life had i sought the hand of Laura Vane, but
 morally and mentally John ShiI tower ed head and shoulders above them all l She thanked God that her love had | been bestowed on one who was worthy | of the love of any woman; for love. like Sampson, is both strong and blind,
 and often wrecks the temple of it's l own happiness.
 Laura Vane had been born in humble circumstances; she was daughter of the soil. and her childhood had differed In no wise from that of other children in similar position. But as she grew older, her father, recognizing the fact
 that her young beauty was already
 attracting attention, and that she was probably destined to a marriage above station resolved In
 pense in her education. From the
 national school at LaVerstone she was
 sent to a ladies college" at Chelten-
 ham, and three years at this desra ble establishment worked a great change in external graces and accomplish
 ments. But, at heart, Laura Vane was unchanged and it says much for her
 strength of character that she returned
 to Laverstone with genuine pleasure
 and entered into all the details of her home life with heartfelt enthusiasm She worked from early morning until dusk-the daughter of a simple farmer. | Then she changed her clothes-"dress- ed for dinner" as her father called 1t and Sam Vane, a rough old farmer. found his reward for the days work in
 gazing at his daughters beauty and listening to the sound of his daughters voice.
 Such was the girl who had promised | to become the wife of John Shil a
 woman who would have graced and
 beautified any position of life to which
 she might have been called; a strong. 1 beautiful, tender-hearted woman little dreaming. as she gazed into the fire,
 and thought of her lover, that she would need all her strength and all her love to support hel in the days to come. Her reveries were broken by a loud Knocking at the hall door and a few moments later there was a sound of Footsteps on the stone, flags outside 1 and the ring of voice that quickened the beating of her heart She rose to her feet and moved for
 ward pace or two, as John ShiI en- tered the room.
 He closed the door behind him, and came unsteadily towards her. A mere glance at his face was sufficient to tell her that something unusual had oc- cured. It was pale and stern, and there was look in the eyes that frightened her. They were the eyes of a man who had sinned, and who Is | afraid of the consequences of his sin. Her greeting died away on her lips, |, and she held out her hand in silence. To her surprise he stopped, looked at her hand for a second or two, and then shook his head. As a rule he greeted her with a kiss and as affec uonate embrace. Now he stood six feet away from her. and for the mo-
 ment it seemed as though the whole world lay between them.