The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-28

(Continued.)
 where Is she7 Where Is sheg on! God. now am blind indeed"
 It gave her q pang to hear him ana to see him turn helplessiy with ms arms and hands outstretched as though he would feel for her in the air.
 Without pause. and under an instlnc- tive and uncontroIlable impulse. he tore away the bandages from his eyes. The sun was streaming in. As he met it his eyes blinked and a cry burst rom him; e wild cry whose joy and surprise pierced even through the shut portals of the swooning woman's brain. Not for worlds would she ever nave iost the memory of that sound:
 @Light, light! Oh. God. Oh, God! am not blind!"
 But he looked around him still in ter rikied wonder:
 ssWhere is she? Where is xshe7 cannot see her! Stephenl /Stephen! where are you Mrs. Stonehouse. be-. wildered. pointed where Stephens snow-white face and brilliant hafr ivory and gold:
 There. Therer He caught her arm mechanically, and putting his eyes to her wrist, tried to look along her pointed finger In an instant he drop ped her arm moaning:
 T cannot see heri What is 1t that is oyer mef This is worse than to be blindi. He covered his face with his hands and sobbed.
 He felt light. strong fingers on his forehead and hands; fingers whose touch he wou1d ha&e known had they been laid on him when he were no longer quick A voice whose music he had heard in his dreams for two long years said softly:
 sT am here Harold! am here! Ohl do not sob like that: it breaks my heart to hear your He took his hands from his face and held hers in them. staring infsntly at her as though his passionate gaze would win through every obstacle.
 That moment he never forgot. Never could forgeti He saw the room all rich in yellow. He saw Pearl. ~pafe but glad-eyed. lying on g sofa holding the hand of her mother who stood beside her. He saw the great high window open, the line of the covered stone bal cony without. the stretch of green sward all vivid in the sunshine, and be- yond it the blue Quivering seas He saw all but that for which his very soul longed: without to see which sight itself was valuelesse sBut still he looked. and looked; and Stephen saw in his dark eyes. though he could not see her, that which made her own eyes fill and the warm red glow on her face again. sThen she raised her eyes again, and the gladness of her beat ing heart seemed the answer to his own. W
 For as he looked he saw. as though amerging from a mist whose obscurfty melted away with each ingtant. what was to him the one face in all the world. He did not think then of it's beauty--that would come later; and be- aides no beauty of one born of woman nould outmatch the memorized beauty which had so long held his heart. But that he had so schooled himself in long months of gloomy despair. he would have taken her in his arms there and then; and, needless of the presence of others, have poured out his full heart to her.
 Mrs. Stonehouse saw and understood So too Pearl, who though . child was q woman-chfId; softly they rose up to steal away. But stephen saw them; her own instincts. too. told her that her hour had not come. What she hoped for must come alone! So she called to her guests:
 Don't gol Don't go, Mrs Stone house. You know now that Harold and I are old friends, though neither of us knew 1t till this moment. We were brought up ass salmost as brother and sister. Pearl, isn't it lovely to see your friends sto see The Man agaiuY'
 She was so happy that she could only express herself, with dignity. through the happiness of others
 Pearl actually shrieked with joy as she rushed across the room and flung herself into HaroId's arms as he stoop- cd to her He raised her: and sine kiss ed him again. and again. and put her little hands all over his face and strok- ed. verys very gently. his eyes. and said:
 aoh, am so glad! And so glad your poor eyes are unblind again! May l call you Harold. too7"
 "You darlingw was all he could say as he kissed her. and holding her in one arm went across and shook hands with Mrs. Stonehouse. who wrung his hand hard.
 There was d little awkwardness in the group, for none of them knew what would be best to do next. Tn the midst of 1t there came light knock at the door, and Mir. Hilton entered saying;
 "They told me you wished to see me at once--HuIloa!" He rushed across the room and took Harold by the shoulders, turning his face to the light He looked in his eyes long and earnestly. the others holding their breaths. Presently he said. without relaxing his gaze: .~ Did you see mistily at firstT"
 srYesw
 ''Seeing at heSperiphery; but-the cen l Ire being opaqueT'
 "Yes! How did you know? Why, 1 l couldn't see-see"-pofnting to Stephen | --'Lady de Lannoy; though her face | was right in front of mer
 pr. Hilton took his hands from his | patients shoulders and shook him l warmly by both hands:
 T am glad old fellow! It was worth l waiting for, wasn't it? But I say. 1t | was a dangerous thing to take off those | bandages before I permitted. How | ever, 1t has done no harm! But it was | lucky that I mistrusted your patience l