The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-17
CHAPTER xxIV The crimson Dawn.

Far away across the grey eastern sea the first gleam of winters dawn was tinging the sky with flush or pale rose The marshland, dreary enough in the summer sunshine, look ed cold and ghastly in the dim light of a December morning. The flat ground was carpeted with a mist, not thick enough to conceal its ugiiness. but sufficiently dense to suggest the damp rawness of the atmosphere. The creeks, full 10 the brim with water we're leaden in color and looked as if a few ice foes would be in keeping with their temperature.
 The silence of the night was giv- ing way to the first whispers of day. 4 few seagulls circled in the air and walled a dismal greeting to the sun. A faint breeze hlssed through the reeds and sedge: and the waters of the creek, stirred into tiny waves. splashed gently on the banks of mud.
 It was not a scene to tempt any one from a warm bed, or even the cheerful shelter of good stone walls Yet John Shil had been lying out all night inNa punt, and, after the dark ness, even this grim dawn had a cer- tain aspect of geniality He had os- tensibly spent his night in the marsh- es to shoot wild duck, but he had not even heard the whir of their wings. let ne Itll lndL AtO Ai10 hOS "0osSA his time, for he had been unable to sleep and the very atmosphere of the house had seemed to crush the life out of him. Who does not remember such nights as ehese-nights in which the air presses down like a thick pail of velvet, nights in which the brain runs riot and the body cannot rest. They come, regardless of season, in summer or in winter; the stifling pres se FroY x.yifhfu mt from the atmosphere without. John Shtl, after two hours of unuteerable depression. had risen and dressed himself; and an hour later he was lying in his punt in a creek about half a mile from the house, with a retriever by his side and gun in his hands.
 Yet no ducks had come his way that night. and he might as well have lett his gun at home Pat, the retriever. had been a welcome companion, howev- CT, for even a sleeping dog is compa- ny.
 As the dawn broke, John Shil threw off the heavy rug which had covered his legs and, lighting his pipe, stood up in the punt and surveyed the dreary scene which was gradually un- folding itself before his eyes.
 The rose pink of the eastern sky deepened into crimson and then the sun came up from the sea like a ball of fire twice its natural size, and, to Shil's mind, hideously ugly and unro- mantle
 But a winters dawn is not destined to be clear and sparkling. heavy bank of clouds was already descending to meet the sun and before the red circle was fully visible above tha on it and blot it out of existence.
 A look of pain came into Sh!fS eyes as he saw the crimson light vanish be- heath the cloudbank. He wondered if it was an omen of the life which lay before him
 Then he laughed. and taking up the heavy pair of souls he rowed the punt vigorously up the creek. The exer- else put warmth into his chilled body and dispelled the gloom which had come over his thoughts.
 As he neared the edge of the park tn ecreek narrowed to a mere ditch and 1t was impossible to scull any fur ther. John ShlI rose to his feet and facing the bow of the boat began to use one of the sculls as a pole. Then of woman crouching close to the wall and scarcely visible against the grey background of stone.
 The woman under the trees did not move as John Shil moored his punt to a small wooden quay and stepped ashore with his gun under his arm. But his curiosity was aroused and he walked toward he racross the grass which fringed the road. It was an early hour for a woman to be abroad, and it was hard to imagine what bus mess could have brought her to the edge of the marshland. As he came within few yards of her the retriev- CT ran forward and parked. The wo- man raised her head and stood upright with her back to the walt, as though to face an enemy.
 John Shi stopped for q moment and not muscle of his face or body moved. He might have been carved out of stone. And the dog also stopped. head thrust forward, and nose to the ground, after the manner of his kind. And Laura Tankerlane stood motionless against the wall. The whole picture might have been painted on canvas.
 Then suddenly life returned to the little group, Laura moved pace for ward and held out her hand.
 The man was the first to speak. though the shock of the meeting had fallen most heavily on his head. He had not seen the women he loved since the hour when they parted at Laver- stone Lately. when he had thought of her. he had pictured her as the wife of Sir William Tankeriane, reconctled to her fate by the presence of her child and securely settled as the mis- tress of Tankerlane Court. But the -.Ht-. ha