The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-19

to throw some wood on the Ire Look inr down. his blurred and uncertain eyes saw what seemed like gold on the floor. He gasped. scarcely daring to
 move. His hesitating fingers eneoun- tered soft euriA
 He sank into his chair powerless under the double presence of be- wildering, tre1pi.cable happening and a | hurryinE influx Of old memories and feelings. The child. which he had now
 lifted to. his lap. stirred nbres that had not quivered in fifteen years. Tho mystery of its arrival nlled him with awe. He felt again his old. almost forgotten belief In . great Power pre- aiding over life. He was not aroused until the little one began to cry. Then he awoke to himself to warm It ana
 Under the effect of action his mind cleared. aud he began to wonder now the child had come to him. He vent to the door and looked out. Before him was a trail made Dy he oauy @S 1t crawIed to the door.
 the Cass house with the girl in his arms, asking widely for the doctor. AS soon as he had told his story that rune tionary. accompanied by otners oL tns a.s las had managed to drag the woman whom he had found ih the snow. Godfrey Caas waited outside. He hed recognized the child at once; nne i'd dead" thought he to himself. may marry Nancy. And then ! shall DO 2 good fellow in the future ana sne cnlia :. | shall be well taken care of somenow. Yet deeper down there was sense | in him that he ought to accept the con- | sequences of his deed, own the misera- | ble wife and fulhll the claims or the | helpless child. But he could not con- | template the renunciation Of Nancy that l this might mean now in the very mo- | ment when he misht hope to Win neE. l At last the doctor came out ana an l nouneed that the woman was dead. | Godfrey entered, cast one hasty look 1 at her and then stopped over the girl where silas Maner held her In his lap. l Her eyes were eglantine blue and she l looked at him with baby smile "You'll take her to the parish to- morrow, suppose?' he asked. speakins as indifferentiy as he could.
 .sVho says so?" cried Mavner excited ly. ''WiIl they make me give her upf' They did not make him give her up, I although his determination to keep her caused hardly less excitement than the robbery of his money had done. But t was excitement attended with more useful results. for the women develop cd an active sympathy for him. AS the weeks grew to months and the months linked themselyes to make a year the child created fresh ties . gain and again between himself and other lives Gradually, bit by bit, his mind turned away frera breeding over the lost gold. Gradually, as she grew and demanded air and sunshine. ne came away from his weaving and made holiday. When the sprinE sun grew warmer he carried her out 10 where tns flowers were starting.
 so. as time went by. and the chiid's mind was growing Into knowledge. his mind was growing into memory; as her life unfolded. his soul. long stupened too ana trembling gradually Into full
 He look her with him everywhere. notwithstanding the difficulty of carry ing her and his load of linen at the same time. No one treated hlm now with fear or repulsion. The little child had come to link him once more With the whole world.
 the growth of Eppie, as Silas called her. with keener though more hidden Interest than any one else. That was the young Squire. Godfrey Cass. who had succeeded to his father and mar ried Miss Nancy. He did all ne dared for the weaver, and looked forward 10
 
 His secret seemed safe. Dunstan never had returned. So he drifted on, happy in the love of hls wife, and post ponIng the day of reckoning with his conscience. Each day, as he saw Eppie grow more beautiful and happy. ne be- came more contented to let matters so as they were.
 But there came a time when God- frev Mass,s secret was to be It's own nunIsbment. The child that Nancy bore him died in its infancy; and the Squire, who had built great hopes on his helr. felt the loss keenly. The years went on and no other child came to take It's place. As we pine most Tor that which we may not have. Godfrey felt a hunger In himself growing year by year. His love for Nancy did not diminish, but increased. But over 1t hung the shadow of tbe desire that was to be unsatisfed--a shadow that Nancy felt as well as did her husband.
 So in all their peace and affection each knew that the other had e secret grlef---Nancy because of her husbands disappointment and Godfrey because of the absence of a child from their hearth.
 That famous ring that prieksd Its owner when he forgot duty and follow cd desire-did 1t prick its owner very
 
 did 1t prick but lightly then and only pierce to the quick when, the chase had long been ended and hope, folding her wings. looked backward and became regretf
 Twice did Godfrey propose to Nancy that they adopt ehild-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 unaiterable 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 tho care of Silas Marner.
 His brown eyes had gathered long CT 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 ffty-two. But aaways close by his side, ever sur rounding him with love. ever shielding him with sffeetionate solicitude, could be seen the freshest blossom of yauth "A tall, dlmpled girl, vainly trying to chastise her curly blond hair into smoothness under her brown bonnet.
 Never very far away from her in these days ia a good-looking young fellow In a new fustian suit. whose name Is Aaron winthrop, and who Is thinking very seriously of a home of his own now that he has obtained the gardening work for most of the pros porous people of the neighborhood. And presently Eppie tells silias 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 L t.atF haf saI7