The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-17

DdIHdy HeSltdleu ana Stdnlmefeu. - I Ou have acted as if you do,' he said. at last,
 '.but don't think you do." T don't think I do. either.' said MT
 Carton. "I begin to have a very good
 opinion of your understanding" | Nevertheless" said Darnay, ringing | the bell, there is nothing in that, 1 hope,
 to prevent my calling the reckoning, and
 our parting without i'll blood on either side"
 'Nothing in llfe," said Darnay. DO
 you call the whole reckoning?n
 When he answered in the affirmative.
 Carton said to the waiter: "Then bring
 me another bottle of the same wine, and
 come and wake me at 10.''
 When Darnay had gone, he took up a
 candle and went to a mirror. Do you
 particularly like the man?" he muttered
 at his image. Why should you par ? | ticularly like a man who resembles yeu?
 There is nothing in you to like; you
 know that! A good reason for taking to
 a man, that he shows you what you have | fallen away from, and what you might have been! Change places with him,
 and would you have been looked at by
 those blue eyes as he was, and commis-
 erated by that agitated face as he was? l Come on, and have 1t out in plain wordsl
 You hate the fellowi
 1 He resorted to his wine for consolation,
 drank 1t all in a few minutes and fell
 alseep on his arms. with his hair strag-
 gling over the table and a long winding
 sheet in the candle dripping down upon
 him.
 | When at last he awoke and went into
 the street, the night was cold and sad, I the dull sky overcast, the river dark and
 dim, the whole scene like lifeless des- ert. Climbing to a high chamber in a well of houses, he threw himself down
 in his clothes on a neglected bed, and it's 1 pillow was wet with wasted tears. | Sadly, sadly, the sun rose. It rose on no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, in capable of his own help and his own happiness, sen- ! sible of the blight upon him, and resign ing by itself to let 1t eat him away. Yet from that night there were some evenings every week when he did not l lie drunk across some tavern table. They wer, evenings that he spent In Dr. Man. cites house. He did not shine there. Sometimes, when he cared to talk, he talked well; but mostly he was no more than a morose and moody lounger Still, though he was so silent when he was there, he did care something for the street that environed that house. Many md unhappy And often Lucie thought that she saw a softened, less reckless, look in his face.
 Once, when that look was particularly plain, she ventered to remark on his man. ner of life and to hint at her hope that he might change it. There were tears | in her eyes, and she was amazed when she saw that there were tears in his.
 Ut is too late for that!" said he. T shall never be better than I am. l shall sink lower, and be worse"
 "Oh, MT. Carton.p she cried. Think again, Try again!'
 l He shook his head. Since have known you,r said he, 'I have been troubled by a remorse that I thought would never re- proach me again. and have heard whis- pers from old voices impeling me up- ward that I thought were silent forever. I have had uniformed ideas of striving afresh. It is too late. l know myself to be quite undeserving But l entreat you. Miss Manette, to believe that for you. and for any dear to you, l would do anything. Oh, Miss Manette, when happy husbands face looks into yours, when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there Is a man who would give his life to keep a life you love beside you''
 If there was any permanent change III him after that, he kept it hidden. lie lived with the same companions hVed the same helpless, hopeless life, was content to play jackal to the more eher- aetic and shrewder Stryver by prepar- ing his cases for him and letting him take the glory of winning them, and oou,d not resist the liquor with E-hich his chief piled him.
 If there was any pain within hlm when Lucie Manette became engaged to Charles Darnay, he kept 1t hidden. Never again, to man or woman, did the Honorable Sydney Carton speak Of any thing that was deep within him. The nearest he ever came to 1t was after I.ucie and Darnay were married, when he said to Darnay:,
 If you could endure to have fellow of such indifferent reputation coming and going at odd times, l should ask that I might come and go as privileged nerson here I doubt if I should abuse the permission It Is a hundred to one ii I should avail myself of it four times in year"
 twill you try?' said Darnsy, heartily, in reply
 He tolc his wife that evening of Car tons request and said something about him, not unkindly, not meaning to bear hard on him. but as anybody might who saw Carton as he showed himself
 q fear he is not to be reclaimed" said Lucie. "There is scarcely a hope that anything in his character or fortunes is reparable now, But I am sure that he is capable of good things gentle things, even magnanimous things" She laid her head on his breast and raised her blue eyes to him. "Oh, remember how strong we are in our happiness and How weak he is in his misery!'
 The supplication touched her husband home. "I will always remember it, dear heart" said he. q will remember it as lcng as l live!'
 Carton did not claim the privilege p,,t