The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-07-21

| OOOf, ana thaG q woman tOlQ mo sue uAu
caught ont of,the creek this morning in her
| petticost. It's poor kind of fish, Pm afraid ;
| bat it will be something to eat. had it pot
into . basket, and hired boy to run after as
! with it, and be has just arrived"
"How clever Of you, Pelham; You sre worth
. hundred Of Connor and me for foresight:
suppose these purchases will have made
great hole in next weeks allowance. and some
one win have to pinoh for them but, never
mind, We won't grudgs. Well have two
dishes on the table, and piles OF buttered
| toast, and Tor four or five hours we'll fancy
ourselves In the lend Of plenty again. RI do
my best with the Il ,h to mako it pass for
dainty, and don't suppose either Of the
ThorDleys has much discernment. should
little Babetts who was going to sup with US !;
I could make her think We were having pic.
MIC, and erj Dying ourselves immensely but
you know there is q degree of uncertainty in
that quarter now. left little Babstte in my
room, dressin in my old pink silk that she
used to covet rather last year but it may be
the great heiress. Miss Maynard, who walks
into the dining ROOM"
81 don't at All know what you moan have
never seen anything of the difference you
speak Of"
yourself ever TO be snn bbed but what in-
duced you to invite them here, aud why did
they come I"
II met them on the road between Good Peo-
ple's Hollow and Lenane. They had been
spending the morning with Anne O'Flsherty,
and said that they had intended to call on our
mother, but had been detained at the Hollow,
discussing relief measures with Anne. It was
raining fast, and Eagles Edge was nearer
than the Castle, so proposed that they should
come on with me and stay the night. l hard
ly expected they would have consented; but
Thornley, said that he had business to discuss
with me-snd 1 certainly thought that she
that he, / mean-in point of fact, that both of
them rather caught at the idea of coming
here"
"Ah, wonder if she can have heard" The
words escaped from Ellen's lips involuutarily,
aud then look of perplexity crossed her face,
and she stopped short.
"What is the matter What do you sup
pose she can have heardp
"Nothng-nothing don't look at me like
that, Pelham; you know soy silly things
often"
He oame close to her, and detained her
when abe would have escaped, by holding her
wrists tightly, looking down into her chang
ing face, with eyes foil of dark fire.
hear this What have yon got in Your mi nd
You have no business to have suspcons of
her that you are ashamed to speak ont"
s'No, know ought not. Dear Pelham, 1
so hate myself for being such sieve, that
should like to bite my tongue ont 1t was
only that l had letter from Connor this
afternoon, aud wondered whether by chance
want to talk to me about him."
"By chance! 1 wish by chance you would
give straightfor ward answer. How could
Miss Maynard possibly know anything about
a letter of yours that only arrived this after
noonf You don't mean to insinuate, do you,
that she and Connor correspond
"No-of course not. Please let me go. Pei,
ham; 1 know 1 am very silly-I wish l could
hold my torgue"
"That 10 not the chief thing to be wished
what wish is that you would not concoct
Counor and you that makes you alwsys seem
to be living in q web of plots. 1 suppose you
like it but it Is perfectly hateful to me to
live among people whose dongs can't under
AZ and \ heU that ak all WON'T
draw into your mysteries thoss who naturally
prefer straightforward ways. at least, don't
ipsinuate stratagems that don't exist, as If you
could not believe in suoh a thing as truthful
person"
The indignant tones and looks were very
hard to bear the color flew to Ellen's face
and an eager vindicstion of her own straight
forwardness rose to ber lips. Then she re-
membered Connor's letter, and the secret
sympathy she bad that afternoon resolved to
give to him aud his friends. II have crossed
the Rubicon now, and don't think you are
the girl to shrink from any consequences you
may have to face on my account" The inev-
liable opcealments-the having to seem q
traitor to household confidence, would bs to
her the worst of these consequences; but
since she had resolved to run suoh risk. the
best homage she could pay to truth would be
not to attempt any self just then.
The indignant flush faded out of her face, as
Pelham continued to look ut her, and tears
welled up and drowned the anger in her eyes.
She felt very unhappy and helpless. but there
WAS mourning TO DO 6alu. Eeluhm EelhAeu MS
hold On her wrist.
you think me very savage" he said. "and
I suppose am. Ellen, am sorry have made
you cry. l did not think You cared enough
for any thing 1 said to be made unhappy by il;
but have SO much distrust and dislike shown
to me out of doors, that can't help feeling
it hard when you and Connor put such mist
of secrecy between us, that don't know
whether you are sy m pathising with my enemies
o. my friends."
oh. Pelham, how could wesympathzs with
enemies of yoursf"
The Trornleys are my only friends, and my
friendship with them is counted as q crime by
the stupid people here, who, because they
choose TO believe that our father met his death
in Thornley's stead, transfer to him oil the
horror due to the actual murderer"
No, not all the horror you would not say
80 if you knew more Aboat it,"
There now, another mystery"
pelham, can't help it; il people tell me
secrets that have life and death in them; |
can't betray unhappy wretches that trust me" /"
Perhaps not, but you can help giving all
your sympathy to the wrong side: You ought
to ackno wledge that the Thornleys are be-
having nobly, and to be indignant at the
monstrous ingratitude shown TO them say
| tbpir fp