The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-19

denly among them and stood sasping and speeches.. staring at them crazily. Bit by bit they became convinced that he was alive and then that he was telling 6 true tale.
 Before the next morning every soul in Rayeloe had heard the news Two hundred and seventy-two pounds twelve shillings and sixpence had been stolen from Master Marner-an incredible sum. to be sures but the weaver's dec- laration was too exact to admit doubt. The squire and his fellow magistrates sat la grave counsel. The villagers aided the cause Of justice yaliantly by testifytng to suspicious strangers who had been seen by them. Unfortunately no one persons description tailed with that of any other. Soon everybody was in a dispute with everybody else; and Silas Msrner's loss might have ended in dividing the people of Rave- Joe into dercely antagonisfic camps, had not the arrival of the Christmas feasting turned their minds to the more tangible themes of beef and pud- dings.
 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 a mind or so wild an imagination as to dream of connecting his absence with the loss of Silas Marner's 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 hto A1 aA 1.t one could have imagined that this was once a man who had loved his fellows with tender love and trusted in an un. seen goodness.
 He sat thus on New Years night. which was the great night of the hoI. iday time, when Squire Cass gave his ball and began a week of entertain ment to which all the people, rich and poor, were bidden. All the beauties of the neighborhood arrived on pillons with bandboxes and bUxes. The cass house was provisioned as If for a siege. Dozens of great featherbeds were brought out and spread in all the rooms upstairs.
 Most beautiful of all was Miss Nancy Lammeter, and Mir. Godfrey, standing ready to lift her from her horse. for got for moment that he was fettered and cursed by a squalid tie. As her light form rested for brief instant in his strong arms a great wave of pure and joyous affection flooded him. Then memory came. black and sinister, and he retired to walk with the con- sequences of his sin. as he had walked for two years. But every time he thought of Miss Nancy the curse that lay upon him seemed heavier and heavier to bear.
 Even while he was breeding over # the embodiment of the curse was com- ing through the darkness and the cold and the snow toward Raveloe. His wife, carrying her child. was walking with slow, uncertain footsteps through the snow covered lanes, planning to appear at the festivities and revenge herself upon Godfrey for refusing to acknowledge her.
 She had been long on the road. With each step her foot became more hesi- tating. Gradually even the animation of her vindictive purpose could not sustain her resolution. She needed comfort. and she knew but one com- forter. She hesitated one moment. Then she felt in the breast of her dress and drew forth . bottle of laudanum. She put 1t to her lips and drank. When she withdrew 1t 1t was empty.
 She walked on again. A freezing wind sprang up. More and more drow- sy became her gait and her mind. StIll she clutched the sleeping child auto maticaIly.
 Half unconsciously she came into Raveloe and approached the weaver's house. Its gleamlng light did not att tract her eyes. They were closing un- der the influence of the drug. Sudden ly 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 a little cry and tried to regain It's mothers arms. Then It's eyes were caught by the beam of light from silas Manners house. The door i was open. Since the robbery the wea- yer had contracted the habit of looking out into tue night at intervals as if he thought that his money might be coming back to him. The child eraw- ling along on hands and knees came straight toward where he was standing