The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-02
CASTLE DAILY:
Story of an Irish Home Thirty Years Ago
(Continued.)
THE

ting forth to work OIL his discomfort by soii-
tary walk in the rain. Az soon az be was fair
ly ont OF sight, Connor's figure dashed across
the road in the direction of the Maynards'
house, closely following In the wake of the post
to her work Of spreading delicate fronds Of
seaweed on wet paper to send to eonstn Anne,
~ addition to the Happy. go Lucky Lodge
collection of works Of art. As her needle Ia
boriously separated and arranged the minute
pink and white fbres, her thoughts made rapid
excursions from one subject to another. II
only the boys would not quarrel; II only she
could once more see cousin Anne, ana help her
to arrange her Heterogeneous possessions. If
only she could learn the secret art by which
Lesbis kept the boys so pleasantly engrossed
that in her presence such jars as had occurred
this morning seldom fell out. She ianghed over
tho foolish squabbles with Connor, but they
always left little sting, a pin-prick wound,
in her heart, that made her uneasy and re-
of ooaxing would have won such an avowal
from Connor, abe knew quite we'll that 1t was
the ssmo with him. 1t was as necessary for
him rs for herseif to bask in the good will and
appreciation of those he lived among, and she
knew by many little signs that nothing ever
elated Copnor more, or made him more com
Portable with himself, than when some rare
chance brought an unusual mark OF conf
denoe, or O word that could be twisted into
approval from Pelham, his way. And Pelham,
too, why did he Vince 30 under Conhor's little
ssroasm and her own careless speeches. and
brood over them SO long, If he did not. at the
bottom of his heart, care more for Connor's
good opinion and hers than he ever chose to
showf Surely she must be q very bad mana
ger, o very inefficient sister, not to have
brought about greater harmony between these
two, and made them understand each other
better before this. How the rain pattered
down, and how still the house was within
Soon Ellen heard her father open the dining
room door, and take in the letters which Con-
nor had left on the hall table, and shut himself
in to read them five minutes after, the door
of the lower room opened hurriedly and her
fafhar'a vnfca w heard calling her mother In
como down stairs. 1t was not q usual thing for
Mrs. DAILY to leave her bedroom In the morn
ing. How feeble her step on the stair was
now, how slowly and reluctantly she seemed
to novel Ellen halfrose to help her, and then
sat down again. II her father had any un-
pleasant business to discuss with her mother,
should talk it out frst alone. and she must
hold herself ready to comfort each separately
after wards. In diemmas her father was apt
to turn to her for counsel instead otto Pelham,
something in the aspect of this day that re-
minded Ellen of another day at home, q day
that had brought trouble and change. Was it
the patters Of the rain Strong heavy rain
where everything seemed to be done more
thoroughly and heartily than here. Ellen shut
her eyes and tried to conjure herself back in
thought to Castle DAILY, and to believe for q
moment or two that when she looked up she
should find herself surrounded by old familiar
things. The touch of . wet cheek put close to
neTq EOub6u nor, Anu 0u0 Op6uou u6E 6y6S
quickly to the sight of Counor leaning over
the back of her chair, with laughter in his eyes,
and bright raindrops trickling from his
drenohed hair down upon her face.
"What are you thinking OFF, he began.
"Have You not been cracking your sides with
laughter over the fine disclosure we have had
this morniugT
"Wh0t do You meant"
Don Pomposo in love-"
"Oh, nonsense. Why did you go ont into
the rain and get yourself sn wet r
What question for q ConnemaEa girl! To
post my love-letter, of COURSE"
"Oh, Connor, have you really ~
"And indeed have. The joke Is, that had
to take one of PelhAm's envelopes with his
Oeized from his desk the first that came to
hand, directed 1t to Miss Lesbia, and rushed
out after the postman to drop it into the May
nards' box with their other letters. only
noticed the big P. D., above the seal after 1t
he'd slipped through my fingers. But it's an
excellent joke"
"It is not fair: she will think Pelham wrote
"Will shei Won't her heart tell her better
than that, don't you thinki'
"Connor, do believe you are very oonoeit-
ed"
you'll have to believe her very stupid if she
is to give Pelham the credit for writing what
she's reading this minute. wish i could see
her eyes, tho darling jewels that they are, eat
themi Pelham write suoh VERSES as those TO
her. indeed" !"
"Perbaps she would prefer to think they were
Pelhsms. She has seen almost much of him
as of you and he is very handsome, you must
allow"
$50 is that old gold 6sh in the vase there,
but who ever sGcceeded in getting up a tender
interest in the dumb beAutyf 1t looks we'll in
= room, but nobody hngs q thought to it. It's
the blarney that wins the hearts, all the world
ever"
ats q shame that it should when it is suoh
thorough going blarney as yours, Conner
dear. L don't think you should have sent
those verses to Lesba. She does not know
you as we'll as /, and perhaps she'll believe all
that farrago you wrote about your love being
o gold throne for her to sit upon for ever and
your thoughts her slaves following her in
chains. Oh, Connor, Connor, when 1 know
what erratic creatures they are-it makes me
laugh, but she might possibly take it serious.
Jy,"
"And lite heavens truth she'll be taking inif
Bhe does. / don't know why you won't believe
me, Ellen, for I've been saying the same thing
to you for the last six weeks without breath
of change. A man may be Yin love, and keep
. little fun and life in him. He need not look
black death and thunder at all the wOrld like
Pelham, l should hope; and have loved that
littl0 darling in the red hOnRa vOndar aver nj