The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-31

prisoner, but broke down completely 1n- deed. the case for the Grown was farci- cal, till final witness was called who swore that he had seen Darnay, in 1775, collecting information in a garrison and dock yard town just before starting across to France.
 The prisoners counsel much perturbe1, was cross-examning this witness with poor results when his associate, a dissi- pated, handsome fellow, who had been sitting with his hands in his pockets and his legs stretched out, staring indolently at the ceiling, tossed him note.
 The lawyer started and looked sharply at the prisoner and then at his bewgged friend.
 You are sure" he turned smartly on the witness, that it was the prisoner you saw. and not somebody who looked like him? Did you ever see anybody like the prisoner"
 No indeed" said the witness unhes- itatingly.
 ! The bewigged gentleman stood up and took off his wig Not only the witness but the court and the spectators gazed with surprise.
 Despite the slovenly debauched appear ance of the honorable MT. Sydney Carton, the close resemblance between the two men was so close that it smashed the identification like an eggshell. Shortly thereafter the jury brought in verdict of acquittal. That evening, when MT. Carton had as usual, taken enough wine to be half drunk, he sud- denly took up candle and walked to a mirror. "Ah. confound you" he nut tered at his own image. "A good reason for taking to man. that he shows you what you might have beenl'
 He drunk the rest of his wine and fell asleep on his arms, with his hair stray- gling over the table, and long winding sheet in the candle dripping down upon him.
 Sadly, sadly, the sun rose. It rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions. incapable of their directed exercise, sensible of the | blight upon him and reslgning himself to let it eat him away.
 l Lost Lost Though with his first sight of Lucie Manette there came to him a re- i morse that he had thought would never reproaeh him again, and he heard whs- pers from old voices impelling him up- ward that he had thought were silent for ever, he knew 1t was too late '"Too late" | he said one day to Lucie 'I shall never be better than I am. l shall sink lower and be worse. But for you. Miss Manette. for you or for any one dear to you, I 1 would do anything Oh, think now and l T .wsx. his life to keep life you love beside you!" ..a,ss
 Lucie cried as he spoke To all outward seeming Sydney Carton remained the dis solute. careless, brilliant hopeless fellow he had always been. But thenceforth there were many evenings when he sat quietly in Dr. Manettes quiet house, in- stead of lying drunk across some tavern table.
 He did not cease his attendance, even when the man whom he had saved be- came the accepted suitor. but congratu- lated his rival with none of his habitual reckless indifference and with more sim cerity than Darnay had ever seen in hls face.
 On the day of the wedding Darnay re- mained for a long time closeted with Dr. Manette. When they emerged the doctor was deadly pale. There was an air of his old dread in his face. Deadly pale he re- mained, during the ceremony. Scarcely had the young couple left for the short wedding trip before he retired to his room MT. Lorry and Miss Pross, Lucis Manette's faithful old nurse and com panion, waited anxiously for his reap pearance. When two hours had passed they went quietly to his room.
 They found him sitting at his bench. with the old, lost, wild look in his face, making shoes.
 For ten days he worked, worked, work ed, in silence. Then one morning MT. Lor- ry, who had watched him hour after hour | saw him awaken as from a heavy dream. Quietly he put away the bench and dressed himself in his accustomed clothes. His face became calmly studious and at- tentive again It was evident that he had come to himself once more, and that with the putting away of the bench he had put away all knowledge of his relapse. Very deliberately, fin pursuance of Q plan thought out by him during his long hours of watching, MT. Lorry presently 1 said: My dear doctor, 1 am anxious to 1 have your opinion on a curious case in which I am very much interested 1 Dr. Manette glanced at his hands which were discolored by his late work. He ! looked troubled and listened attentively. i Tt is a case,'' said MT. Lorry, drawing a deep breath, "of a severe mental shock 1 from which the sufferer recovered But unfortunately there has been a slight re- lapse.''
 1 In low voice the doctor asked for a minute description of the relapse l T do not think said Dr. Manette at l lapses. There has been a strong and ex- | traordinary revival of the train of thought and remembrance that was the first cause of the maady. It is possible that there had long been a dread turk 1 ing in his mind that those associations | would be recalled on a particular occa- sion. His quick recoverey after the cloud had burst and gone would make me hope that the worst was over. If during tho relapse, he returned to a certain occupa-, ton, let us say blacksmithing, in which he used a-a little forge, let us assume 1t | would better be removed while he is 1 away. The poor man once yearned so