The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-12

| held out pair of handcuffs, saying: Tn l the name of the King, blacksmith. want your services. We're after two ! escaped oonviets on the marshes yon- der, and this pair of irons needs some re- pairs"
 In a iiffy Joe had his apron on and was tinkerng away. The job done, he suggested to Mrs. Joe that he would like to accompany the soldiers and see the hunt. Mrs Joe, anxious to know all about 1t. consented sourly. and the black smith started off, with Pip on his shoul- der
 I'd give shilling." whispered he to Pip, If they had cut and run
 For a time 1t seemed indeed that they had done so Tho soldiers spread over the marshes anu searched them without result. They gathered again. disappoint- edly, when suddenly there came the clamor of two voices from the mist. "Mur- der! Murderi" screamed one voice, plain ly in mortal terror.
 "Conwicts sGuardsl This way for the runaway cohwictsw sounded another voice, as if in fierce triumph.
 Cooking their muskets the soldiers ran through mud and water. They jumped into a ditch and dragged out two men. One was Pip's convict. He was holding desperately to the other and saying, q took himl Mind that! give him up to you!"
 Tt won't do you much good my man." said the sergeant, handcuffing him.
 q don't want it to do me good" said the convict with a greedy laugh. T took him. He knows it. That's enough for me-
 The other convict, who had livid bruises. looked at him with terror that was ghastly to see. He tried to murder me" gasped he.
 "Try and not do it?" said Pip's con- vict. T was clear. I got rid of my irons. would ha' been away by now if I hadn't discovered that he was here I not only prevented him from getting off the marches. but I dragged him this far on his way back"
 Fall in," said the sergeant. March"
 Pip succeeded in catching his con vict's eye, and slightly moved his hands and shook his head to assure him of his innocence. The convict looked at him and understood.
 Before I go." said he T want to save any danger of suspicion along O me. I took some vittles and file from the house of the blacksmith yonder." Looking at Joe, he continued: You're the blacksmith, ain't you? I'm sorry to say I've ate your dinner.'
 God knows you're welcome to it-so far as 1t was ever mine" said Joe, with a saving remembrance Of Mrs. Gargery We wouldn't have you starved to death, poor miserable fellow creatur, would us, Plp?"
 The queer sound came into the mans throat again. He turned his back. The soldiers got into motion and Pip saw the sombre little procession melt into the mist.
 For a long time his conscience trou- bled him sadly, and he awoke at night in terror of being found out and sent to the Hulks for robbing Mrs. Gargery. But gradually the recollection faded and at last it was supplanted by new and overpowering experience.
 Uncle Pumblechook, who was a ten ant of the famous Miss Havisham. re- ceived word from her that she wanted a boy to go to her house and play there. The old humbug, who had never hnan narTnfftad fn sham face to face, and who was quite unable to conceive what her strange request meant, forthwith drove to Mrs. Joe and announced pompously that Pip's fortune was made. With a more fdiotic stare than usual he impressed on Pip the need of being grateful to his relatives, who did him good de- spite himself. With equal solemnity he delivered Pip at the great. dismal brick manor house with its darkened and barred windows.
 Uncle Pumblechooks dignity was sad ly ruffled however when very pretty and very proud young lady opened the gate to the courtyard and admitted Pip, after which she slammed the gate in 'Un- cle Pumblechooks face, telling him that no one wanted to see him.
 She addressed Pip haughtily as boy" and led him into a room that was so cur tained and closed as to admit not a ray of the bright daylight outside. It was lighted, instead, with candles. By a draped table with a gilded looking glass sat the strangest figure Pip had ever seen. It was woman dressed in rich satin and lace, all white. She had a long white veil pendant from her hair and she had bridal flowers in her hair; but her hair was snow white, too. Ev- anywhere lay rich materials, but like her dress and her veil, they were all faded, like the woman herself, in whom there was no brightness left save the bright ness of her sunken eyes
 Long afterward Pip learned her story. She had been engaged to a man who had won her love merely to rob her. Having succeeded, he sent her a letter telling her that he was already married. It reached her when she was dressing her self for the wedding.
 From that moment she never saw the sun again; and she suffered no hand TO touch the rooms. but kept them just as they had been in the glad turmoil of the approaching ceremony. Only one human being was permitted near her. It was a young girl whom she had adopted as an who had admitted Pip and who was