The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-19


 that they adopt a child--once when Ep- pie was ten and again when she was twelve. Each time Nancy refused, though 1t hurt her to hurt him. But Nancy had her unalterable little code and she was convinced that adoption
 of children was flying in the face of Providence. So Godfrey gave up, and Eppie reached her eighteenth year still in the care of Silas Marner
 His brown eyes had gathered a longer vision and a less vague look. His bent shoulders and white hair gave him the appearance of advanced age, though he was not more than f1fty-five. But al- ways close by his side, ever surrounding him with love, ever shielding him with affectionate solicitude. could be seen the freshest blossom of youth-a tall, dim pied girl, vainly trying to chastise her curly blond hair into smoothness under her brown bonnet
 Never very far away from her in these days is a good looking young fellow in a new fustian suit, whose name Is Aaron Winthrop, and who is thinking very seri- ously of a home of his own now that he has obtained the gardening work for most of the prosperous people of the neighborhood. And presently Eppie tells Silas that some one has asked her to marry him, but that she never will go away from her dear foster father; and Aaron has promised that he never would take her away, but that they shall all live together and Silas shall not need to work any longer for a living.
 While Eppie was telling Sias her little secret Godfrey was walking over his land to see how the draining of his fields was getting along. Already the work had laid dry many stretches of bog, and promised to improve the estate greatly.
 Nancy was waiting at home for him and wondering why he did not return. Suddenly the door opened and he en- tered pale, with a drawn, terrified face.
 "Its Dunstan" gasped he. We've found him-found his body-his skeleton"
 Struggling for composure he contin- tinued: ''The stone pit went from the draining, and there he lay, wedged between two great stones. There's his watch and seals and the riding whip and"
 He paused as if he could not say the rest Then he forced the words from his lips:
 "Dunstan was the man who robbed Sias Marner We found all the weav- ers money in the pit by his side"
 "Oh Godfrey!' cried Nancy, with quick compassion for her husband.
 He looked at the ground. Then he looked at her and said, Everything comes to light sooner or later. When God Almighty wills 1t, our secrets are found out. I've lived with secret on my mind, but I'll keep it from you no longer Nancy, that woman Marner found in the snow was-my wife, Eppie Is my child"
 "oh,- Godfrey" cried Nancy, If you had told me this long ago we could have done our duty by the child. Do you think that I would have refused to take her in had I known she was yours?'
 At that moment Godfrey felt all the bitterness of the error that was not on- ly futile, but defeated its own end. He had not measured this wife with whom he had lived so long. She spoke again, but with more agitation: Ana, oh Godfrey, if we'd had her from the first, if you'd taken her as you ought, she'd have loved me for her mother and you'd have been happier with me- I could better have borne our little baby dying and our life might have been more what we used to think 1t would be-"
 That night the two went to Silas Mar ner's cottage. Godfrey made his contes- sion and told them that he had come to provide for Eppie as his daughter.
 "You've no right to her." cried Silas. .sWhy didn't you say so sixteen years ago and claim her before I'd come to love her? Now you might as well tahe the heart out of my body When man turns blessing from his door IL laiis to them as takes it in.
 ..Thank you, ma am," said Epple, her red llps trembling, when they turned to her "Thank you, sir. I don't want 10 be lady. and can't feel as if I've got any father but one. I couldn't pear to think of him sitting at home without me and feeling alone. He's took care or me from the first and I'll cleave to him as long as he lives and nobody shah eNei come between him and me.
 Godfrey turned without word ana walked out. Nancy, after few klha remarks. followed him. Arrived al home. he threw himself into chalr anu said: There are debts we cant pay lihe money debts, by paying extra noi years that have slipped by. Wniie been putting off and putting on the trees have been growing-its too late now. Nfornor was right. I wanted to pass TOT cbildless once, Nancy. l snail pass ioi childless now against my wish.
 So if came to pass that no one ever knew of Eppie's parentaee. Anu oo dav when the lilacs and lapurnuihs III tbe nld-fashioned gardens Of HaVeioe showed their golden ana purP,e wean ahove tbe lichen-tinted walls Eppie was ,.,arriad to Aaron Winthrop. She was attired in pure white and her hair looked ,i,,a a dash of gold on a lily. With one hand on her husbands arm ana one un .,eat of siIas Manner she returned to the stone house, greatly enlarged ana nm nroyed by Squire Cass, the iauoiolu And as she looked at the radiant sarue" around 1t she cried;
 "oh father! What pretty home ours ,s, think nobody could be happier than we are!'
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