The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-05

suddenly developed conscience something that had not troubled the gay gentleman of the dark road be- fore.
 Hitherto ha had viewed human SO. ciety as a creature that despoiIed the weaker ones and must expect to be de- spoiled as frankly by those who dared Despising society for it's dishonesty and hypocrisy, his own dishonesty seemed not at all heinous to him. Sat- isfied that against the petty riches Of humanity he was stalking his life, he felt that he was playing the fairer game.
 Now all this is changed. He saw himsef as he was--a hunted. outIawed enemy to the world. He shuddered at the mere thought of linking her beau tiful. pure life to such a career as his. In the beginning be had dreamed of sinking the past behind him. Now he realized that his black career must stand forever between them.
 With lips that tried to hide their anguish beneath a tremulous smile he told her that they must part that he was unworthy that she should even touch his hand Before Lucy Bran don could comprehend his meaning. he was gone.
 Highly pleased. indeed. were the two ambitious ones to whom he left clear field. Lord Mauleverer redoubled his suit and William Brandon schemed and planned and plotted.
 To this man. hitherto ambitious purely for ambitious sake, there had suddenly come a new and absorbing vision. A black sin of his youth had | arisen to haunt him, and from 1t he had snatched a great hope.
 That hope gave a concrete form to William Brandon's lifelong ambition, which was to restore his family to the | high rank 1t had held.
 Once the friends and allies of kings, ] the Brandons, for many generations, | had been drunken, worthless, debt-en- cumbered. His brother. the Squire, was | the first decent one of a long line Of | bad ones. William remembered his | father, crawling, stupid with drink, ,fill- ing the house with degrading company of both sexes. A penniless younger son | he had struggled hunger and privation | to reach @ position where, in his own person, he should be able to make the | name of Brandon powerful again. It was not for honor's sake that he | dreamed the dream. Honor was an Idle thing to his stern. disdainful creed that was based on supreme contempt I for all mankind His one motive was | that of fiery, worldly pride. When he saw the Chief Justiceshfp 1 of England before him. with a title that he might hand down to his de- l scendants. the only shadow on his cold, saturnine delight was that he had none And then there arose the ghost of the past and with 1t the new wild hope. It came upon him suddenly while he was in court pressing a frightened evit- ness Driven into a corner where the | fellow perceived that his own collar would soon be in danger the man said in low voice that reached the law yer's ear alone: AK MT. Swoppem, the pawnbroker, what I sold to imtwenty- l three years agoi"
 Brandon's lips grew white instantly His hands clenched convulsively. Sc negligently did he continue the trial 20 purposely were his questions anC cross examination. that the case wal ruined and the jury returned verdic of mot guilty"
 The moment he left the court tn, witness was clOseted with him. Thei he sought out the pawnbroker person ally. That person admitted that twen ty-three years before the witness ha' sold him number of articles of silve and jewelry. Most of them had O
 course, been sold again long ago, bu
 few stray trinkets were found afte
 search through his motley stock He bought them eagerly Lockinl
 himself into his library, he sat dow and stared at them. They were in scribed w. B. to Judith"
 The poor, cheap ornaments brough
 up before him his past life like tn phantom show of a witch's incanta ton The stern, implacable man say himself young again-young and fl
 .ove. He laughed bitterly at the recol
 lection. Out of the shadows of hi breeding thoughts there shone nk something startling real and alive, woman's face. Rarely beautiful 1 was fascinating like the face of a sor 2 ceress, and as false He saw tha check to his ambitions. when he hat renounced his worldly hopes dreaminl ! In one brief fever of poetry that comei to all men. of living forever in the par . adise of love
 He lived again through those frs few months of bliss. Then cana m
 waning passion. the gradual with.
 drawal of each from each. and then re-awaIE ening of love when their bo,
 was born to them.
 But behind the bright child,s fac
 William Brandon's eyes staring int thA nast. Eaw a kAan- handsorna. ,asl