The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-10-04

officers, and had once or twice been
offered commission in his corps but,
with reticence there was no breaking
down, had declined it. He very seldom
spoke, and never saw smile disturb
the wave OF that heavy black mustache.
Ireton, though he looked young, was
fully fifty.
"Ireton, the messman will give yon n
basket Of provisions follow up the
stream to the outlet Of the like, and
leave it in the cove for Miss Martin.
Slip blanket OIL your mare, aud do not
mention the character OF your mission
to any one. Here is your pass, and the
word is Water, the countersign loo. ;"
have previously reverted to the evi.
dences OF the fearful famine which was
beginning to pervade the whole land
from Skibbereen to Galway. The Irish
potato-that succulent which constituted
| the solo subsistence Of the Irish peas.
antry-had been destroyed by disease
that fell rs blight upon the crop be-
fore it Ind half matured. Tho Irish, in
those days, had no other conception OF
food but potatoes and milk, chickens and
q hog, the latter OF which were devoted
to paying rent and tho priest. The
spread OF the pototo disease was rapid
and no general. the INSTRUMENTATION
with the interior so defective, md the
government of Great Britain so shame.
fully neglectful, that hundreds had
starved 10 death in Connaught before
Downing street had received any intima-
ton OF the terrible distress that had be.
fallen poor Ireland. What private re-
sources could do-what such men as fill
ed the official rank Of the army then in
Ireland, in tho institution Of soup kitch-
ems. and endeavoring to instruct the
wrctched people how TO mike bread
was done. know we took the allow
ances OF outs for our horses, half tho
ration, from tho men, and stopped our
own mess, to provide the soup kitchens
with material. For all that, We were
under heavy escort duty, and We shared
very nearly the common lot around us.
So, in our terrible escort work, We
would enter once thriving village, and
meet funeral procession Of living
skeletons, bearing some stifiencd enact
alton Of humanity to its grave, and sit
ting in the sunshine, propped for very
weakness, would be poor little children
i'll the last apathy OF utter starvation,
smiling and even laughing to them
selves. The sight OF such scenes would
have melted heart Of steel, and I have
seen grave, bronzed old soldiers cry like
women over sucll hapless, but common,
Illustrations Of famine it was beyond
our power to relieve. Often, indeed,
did We dismount and try and induce
these poor little things to accept food,
but they were past the effort to swallow.
Despite our soup kitchens, our forays
among tho wild fowl and game, and the
active benevolence Of such women rs
Miss Martin, the famine increased, and
with it agragrian outrage became rife
among the Conlemaras. We were in
great perplexity, and the mon and horses
suffering from hunger, and yet the gov.
ernment seemed insensible to the ex-
tremitv. had sent Ireton to thcmoun.
tain lake, and l observed his name was
absent at muster.roll tho same night,
aud the sergeant Of the glard could give
no information. Now, for q mnn Of Ire.
toms regular habits. this seemed
strange. 1 sought Sir William Russell,
and hu highly disapproved my sending
Ircton to the lake. In fact, high words
passed between us. It was late ut night
TINT started, Of my own volition and
contrary to our orders, to search for Ire.
ton. In the abrupt, hasty conversation
with Sir William, 1 had CLEANED n clew
to Ireton's actual identity, and l was
filed with alarm for his safety.
Ny horse, though n thoroughbred,
had great difficulty in carrying me to
the cove whero / had parted with Miss
Martin. 1t was n brilliant moonlight.
and l tcthered him some little distance
below the old trysting place. I could
plainly hear voices in tho distance loud
in alteration. A pistol shot, and then
II horse dashed through the brrshwood
towards me. knew the dark bay OF
glance, and calling her by name she
came up to me, looking wild and alarm
ed, nnd snorting rs horses do when
startled by some hidden danger. I
quietcd her and secured her by the hal
tor chain. Then I run rapidly to the
lake margin and could soc the silvery
path made by boat vigorously propell-
cd from tho shore, but too obscure to
distinguish whom il might contain. A
stifled groan attracted my attention to
the fallen tree where, on my previous
visit, l had met Miss Martin, and mp.
proaclling nearer found her kneeling,
her fnco covered with her hands, and in
her lap lay tho head Of man. Half
petrificd with horror, l bent over it and
recognized it rs Ireton's, quito dead.
"Miss Martin, l exclaimed, putting
my hand on her shoulder. "who has
done this Internal work." But she gave
me no reply, merely looking mp with
silly smile, md said "How handsome
my lord looks even in deaths"
Her intellect was gone. The silver
corl was snapped, indeed, for them
both.
The explanation Of this terrible
tragedy was subsequently given by the
confession OF the murderer and tho
secret knowledge possessed by osr
commanding officer, and in subsequent
years confirmed by Miss Martin when
eventually sho recovered her reason.
Ireton was really Lord Dunston, who
for some unexplained reason had ell
listed and rcnonnced his title and social
position, He Ind met Miss Martin, and