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

veloe into fiercely antagonistic camps. had not the arrival of the Christmas feasting turned their minds to the more tangible themes of beef and buildings.
 Dunstan had not reappeared at home after the killing of Wildfre. Nobody wondered and nobody cared. His friends and relatives were accustomed to his periodical absences and the only emotion they felt was one of regret that he would be sure to turn up again. Of course no one had so perverted mind or so wild an imagination as to dream of connecting his absence with the loss of Silas Marners gold.
 So Christmas week passed with feast ing in the village and revelry at the houses of the village chiefs and bitter ness and despair in the stone house of the weaver. Every night he sat moan ing, with his head pressed between his hands, and, seeing him thus, no one could have imagined that this was once a man who had loved his fellows with tender love and trusted in an unseen goodness.
 I1e Sat lHuS OH NeW lear nlRHl, which was the great night of the holiday time, when Squire Cass gave his ball and began a week of entertainment to which all the people, rich and poor, were hidden. All the beauties of the neighbor- hood arrived on billions with bandboxes and boxes. The Cass house was provi- stoned as if for a siege. Dozens of great fzo in all the rooms upstairs
 Most beautiful of all was Miss Nancy Lammeter, and Mir. Godfrey, standing ready to lift her from her horse forgot for a moment that he was fettered and cursed by a squalid tie. As her light strong arms a great wave of pure and joyous affection flooded him. Then mem ory came, black and sinister, and he retired to walk with the consequences of his sin, as he had walked for two years. But every time that he thought of Miss Nancy tue curse that lay upon him seemed heavier and heavier to bear
 Even when he was breeding over it the embodiment of the curse was coming through the darkness and the cold and the snow towards Raveloe. His wife. carrying her child, was walking kith slow, unceFtain footsteps through the snow-covered lanes, planning to appear at the festivities and revenge herself upon Godfrey for refusing to acknowl- edge her.
 She had been long on the road With
 
 ing. Gradually even the animation of her yindictive purpose could not sustain her resolution. She needed comfort. and she knew but one comforter. She hesi- tated one moment. Then she felt in the breast of her dress and drew forth A bottle of laudanum. She put it to her lips and drank. When she withdrew it it was empty.
 She walked on again. A freezing wind sprang up. More and more drowsy be- came her gait and her mind. Still she clutched the sleeping child automatically. Half unconsciously she came into Raw eloe and approached the weavers house. Its geaming light did not attract her eyes. They were closing under the in llutnct Ol tiic LII uS. ouuuenlY she sank in the snow and lay down, feeling neither the wet touch of the ground nor the deadly touch of the growing wind.
 The child rolled from her arms and awoke. It gave little cry and tried to regain It's mothers arms Then its eyes were caught by the gleam of light iron, Silas Marners house. The door was open. Since the robbery the weaver had contracted the habit of looking out into the night at intervals, as if he thouebt that his money might be coming hack to him. The child, crawling along m hands and knees, came straight towards where he was standing. But he did not see it. He stood. arrested by the invis- ible wand of catalepsy. holding his door like a graven image, with wide and sightless eyes.
 When he awoke again. unaware of the chasm in his consciousness he knew on- ly that he was chilled. He turned to