The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-17


 gnarled as a disinherited apple tree, dusted into Raveloe, dogs parked at his pack of flax and children ran from his evil eye. Even the men shivered at his pale hand-spun de- meanor. Silas had belonged to a strict religious sect from the north ard but the brethren had drawn lots and declared him guilty of a crime he had not committed, and his girl had married his pal. Silas had lost faith in mankind and woman kind, and centered on collecting Der ries.
 For Is years silas' daily life a. Raveloe consisted of weaving fancies into linen, and hurrying home after selling it to add the gold to his daily sweetening pot, which he kept buried under a stone in the floor of his hut at Stone-pits.
 In spite of the fact that there was no income tax collector to darken Silas' door, the neighbors knew he had money, because he never speE. any. Slas kept aloof from the peo- pie of his community. but presently an incident occurred that connected his life with the lives of the people of Raveloe.
 WIld Oats ana a HOrse
 AS usual. Dunstan and Godfrey Cass, sons of Squire Cass of the Red House, were having quarrel. .-pun- stan had found out about a secret marriage Godfrey had negotiated with Mollie Farren, lady who was addicted to home brew and other woolly habits. Dunstan blackmaiied his brother into paying him 100 pounds that Godfrey had collected from one of the Squire's tenants for the Squire. The irascible father had called for his ducats, and Godfrey rather than face the paternal ire. agreed to let Dunstan sell his last possession, his horse, Wildfire. Blithe and gay over his victory DunstaE rode Wildfire to the hunt next morn ing, knowing that he could get an offer for the horse from the sports men. On the way he passed Silas Marners cottage. and another in- spiration smote him.
 "Godfrey's tapped every money lender in town" he chuckled, but this old goat has kept money so long that spinach has grown on it. I'll make Godfrey tap him next after the horse is gone, so I'll have more money to spend on the la-la dodo birds"
 At the hunt Dunstan was offered 1z0 pounds, to be paid on safe delig- cry of the horse, but he took one hurdle too many, and poor Wlldfire hroke her neck.
 The Manner I'll is Cracked
 Dunstan, conscious of the gibes that would be cast at him, made his way back on foot through the gatl.- ering fog. It was dark when he reached the neighborhood of the cot tage of Silas Manner. and the mist had turned into rain. Hoping to coerce ths old weaver into lending him some money. Dunstan knocked on tho door, but Silas was not at home. He went inside. easily discov- cred tho hiding place of the mfser's gold-and departed. leaving his foot prints to be washed away by, the beating rain.
 Silas Marner came in soon after, discovered his loss. and wished he'd taken burglar insurance. He ran to the Rainbow Inn yelling thieves and perdition, but nobody knew where his money had gone.
 Meantime. Godfrey Cass had gone to the ball. where he had waltzed Iong and often with Miss Nancy LAmmeter, whom he loved and would have wed had it not been that he feared to commit the trifling crime of bigamy.
 Weeks passed by, and neither Dun stan nor 6ilas' gold returned. Pub licity brought the sorrowing Silas friends from among the Raveloe peo- pie Mrs Dolly winthrop. the wife of the village wheelwright, followed by her small son Aaron, brought him some cakes on Christmas Day, but 1t only made Silas uncomfort- able, since he liked to moan out loud ~f n1 ha was lost.
 On New Years Eve Godfreys wifes Mollie, tanked up on the opium solu- ti6n that she knew so well, and headed for the Red House where biz party was being perpetrated. Mollie felt that the appearance of herself and Godfrey's two-year-old child would be a joyful surprise at tho holiday session. Everybody paused at Silas Manners cottage, and Millie paused to take another drink. It was the last drink the poor girl drank.
 Her child wandered to the lights of Silas' cottage, and Marner. seeing . mass of golden hair on his door step, forgot his nearsightedness and could have sworn his missing gold had returned. He found it was baby instead, and outside he saw Mollis lying still in the snow. He notified the party at the Red House Godfrey Cass came and took a look.
 "Yes, I've seen the poor woman before" he said, and hurried back to propose to Nancy Lammeter.
 THE STONE PIT EXPLAINS
 THINGS
 Sixteen years passed unmolested, and silas followed the triple calling of weaver, and mother and father to the child he had adopted. now known as Eppie Marner. Godfrey, whoss marriage to Nancy had not been blessed by little Casslets, begged her in vain to adopt the waif at -Stoue-pits. but without telling her that 1t was his own child Godfrey now . rich property owner. had ac- qufred the land all about Stone-pits, | and had decided to drain 1t. In the process, one of the stone pits near Stlss' house went dry as Mainc and what should be lying at the bottom but the skeleton of the missing Dun stan! Nearby lay Slas Manners money, which had stayed there all those years without interest.
 Godfrey hurried home to tell the | news e Nsncy. and in the excitement