The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-05-20
neither he gained much whom he gained Ne

Maude musingly.
mot 80" he replied "his descendants OF
| lawful Inheritance. As / have just said, the
! true heirs arc scattered far and wide, and will
| never be known till the day of judgment. But
l do think that one duty In incumb bent on
those who sit in their places, and that is to
protect tho interests OF their Catholic tensntry,
remembering that but for an act of insoient
Justice, the more bitter because planned by an
| irish heart and executed by an lrish hano'
| they would have lived under Catholic pro-
prietor. If my story, which 10 no secret here,
but familiar a household world, shall pave
had the effect of inclining your heart IN iavor
| of those among your people who profess the
good old faith, shall not have told it In Vain.
ut is needless after that to inquire whether
you are o Catholic, DIR. O'Meara," said Maude,
smiling
She little imagined how painfully her
words Jared upon his ear, revealing az they
did only too plainly what an utter stranger he
was to her.
II am, by the grace of God" he replied very
quietly; "do you pity me%
81 DO not; for some things even conEratu-
late you"
"That just because she is n rank Ritualist,
DOCTOR cried Fanny. Il am sure l pity you
from the bottom of my heart, and only wish
I could convert you."
$50 do !, Miss Fanny" Dried q voice behind
her, and turning round she beheld the bright
face of Father Donovan, who WAS advancing
towards her with ex xtended hand, followed by
the professor.
40, OF" cried the latter, as soon as be caught
sight of the doctor, this is how we come to
look for fossils, is itf So nobody but DR..
O'Mesra has the key of the cabinet like
that idea im mepsey. Where's the tootn, you
rascal aye, and where's the specimen =" And
as he spoke he smiled upon the little group
till his blue eyes twinkled again with mis-
chief
The rest Of the party soon followed, and we
need not say how thoroughly Mr.. Nevllles lit
tie surprise was appreciated. Nor need we
tell how gallant the "old fogies" grew as they
it's appearance in the good old fashioned way,
nor how we'll Maude presided, though she did
make q few blunders through accepting the
DOCTORS assistance.
suring their host that hiS specimen" was all
that he had described-"exoept," objected
Father Donovan, that she belongs to a genus
fast becoming extinct"
agree with me. my dear Father Donovan"
said Mr. Neville, "the next time you visit any
large oity;" and he described with horror
certain "giris of the period" W hom he had en-
oountered in London.
"And who will pass away with the period,
my dear sir said the priest, like the
grotesque fashions they patronize. No, God
will take care of u.s. and as long as the world
shall last the race of good, earnest, and
pure-minded women shall never become ex-
tinct"
ants feast met with the heartiest appreciation n
from MIR. Neville. who, however, was of
opinion that it had better be put off for day
to give more time for the preparations. But
the doctor, who etarted then and there in
search of Mrs. Barton, soon returned with the
intelligence that she believed they could man :
age 1t for the day itself; and in face of such
an authority Mr.. Neville could say more.
As the doctor sat that night in his own little
parlor, O very bright smile lighted mp bis good
natured face. His problem had been solved,
and solved most charmingly; for not only had
he encountered the formidable Miss Neville so
long the object of his dire forebodings, but he
had found her far more bright, more beautiful,
and more gentle than any woman he had ever
awake half the night thinking of tomorrow, :,
and that when he fell asleep at last it was to
dream of Maude Neville.
CHAPTER XII.
st. Patrick's-dsy dawned clear and bright,
and was welcomed as usual throughout the
length and breadth of green old Erin with q
universal shout ofjoy But brightest whore all
were bright was Richard o'Meara as he re.
turned from Ballycross, where he had been to
Mass, picking his way over the still boggy
meadow6, and turning over in his mind the
now fast Frightening future.
He had just left Father Donovan, like him
self, almost too much delighted to realise the
happy turn events were beginning to take.
summoning the guests for the evening, and
the priest had charged him with . message
| for Mr.. and Miss Neville, expressing his re-.
gret at having found note on his return
long-standing promise to preside at o tenn
perance meeting, to be held in q town about
| fifteen miles distant, on st. Patriok's-nig ght.
! This promise he was of necessity bound to
keep, but he bade him assure them that he
should compromise matters by leaving quite
half his heart at Neville Court
The doctors first proceeding, after his
breakfast, was to COLLECT around his garden
gate about two dozen urohins OF ell ages,
sizse, and degrees of rSggedness, and stimu-
lating them by earnett money in the shape of
halfpenoe, and promises of no end of good
cheer tomorrow morning, to dispatch them to
! all points of the compass with q general invi-
ta:ion. Never since the days of the " fiery
cross did messengers run with fleeter foot or
better will and the result was q state of
hubbub and stir throughout the whole of
allyoross, such as had never been seen there
in for many long day, and which bothered
Mr.. COlquhonn more than he cared to show.
Not that anything was said or done to alarm
the fears OF the agent more than any one else,
| but the whole thing betokened o change in
existing institutions highly distasteful to his
slready perturbed spirit.
About eleven o'clock the doctor arrived at
Neville Court, and after another long consulte-
| tion with Mrs.. Barton and old Mile, he made
his appearance in the morning. room flourishing z
in his hand an enormous ecron of " Welcome