The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-08-06


looked after the heavy rain The ground
was spongy to the tread the dew still lay
heavily upon the heather and long grass ;
but the sun seemed to be sucking up the
moisture from the bog. Everybody seemed
to be out that day; and most people were
busy. Old men drove heavily laden
donkeys along the muddy road; young
girls carried their creels Of turf across the
bog; and by the roadside, close to where l
stood, the turf-cutters were busy.
/ stood for a while and watched them at
their work, and when 1 turned to go | saw
for the first time that | had not been alone.
Not many yards from me stood a figure
watching the turf-cutters too.
A young man, with high boots. felt hat
cooked rakishly over one eye, and a vest
composed of all the colors OF the rainbow.
When the turf-cutters, pausing suddenly in
their work, gazed at him with wonder in
their eyes, he gave a peculiar smile and
asked il they could tell where one Nora
OConnell lived he was a stranger here and
brought her news from the States In a
moment dozen fingers were outstretched
to point him ON, and the stranger, again
smiling strangely to himself, walked away.
| stood for a time and watched him go,
then too sauntered on. | turned off from
the road crossed the bog, and made direct
for the seashore.
Ihad been walking there for some quarter
of an hour, when suddenly huge shadow
was flung across my path, and looking up
again beheld the stranger. His hat was
pushed back now, and | saw for the first
time that his face was handsome. His
cheeks were bronzed and weather-beaten,
but his features were finely formed, and on
his head clustered mass of curling chest
nut hair. lie was flushed AS ifwith excite
ment; he cast me a hurried glance and
disappeared.
Five minutes after, as | still stood won
dering at the strange behavior of the man,
my ears were greeted with shrek which
pierced to my very heart. Running in the
direction from whence the sound proceeded,
| reached the top of a neighbOring sand
hill and gazing into the valley below me
again beheld the stranger. This time his
head was bare-his arms were outstretched
and he held upon his breast the half-fainting
form of the lovely girl whom had last be-
held in the moonlight. While / stood hesi-
tating as to the utility OF descending, | w
the girl gently withdraw herself from hs
arms, then clasping her hands around his
neck fall sobbing on his breast.
"Well, Shawn, what's the news?' | asked
that night when Shawn rushed excitedly
into my room. For a time he could tell
me nothing, but by dint of few well APP.
piled questions soon extracted from him
he whole story. 1t amounted to this that
alter working for two years like galley
slave, in the black pits of Pennsylvania
with nothing bnt the thought of Nora 10
help him on, Miles Doughty found himself
with enough money to warrant his coming
home that he was about To return TO StOr-
port, when unfortunately, the day before
his intended departure, a shaft in the coal
pit fell upon him and he was left for dead
that for many months he lay i'll, but as soon
ls he was fit to'trayel he started for home
Arrived in Storport he was astonished TO
lind that no one knew him, and ne was about
to pass himself off as a friend of his own,
when the news of his reported death and
Norah's sorrow So shocked him that he de
termined to make himself known at once.
"And God help the villain that told her
he was married." concluded Shawn, for
he swears he'll kill him as soon as Norah-
God bless herl-comes out o. the fever
that she's in tonight"
Just three months after that night, found
III 1SOll SlllIliS lii NiG llui hnNIG 4NOIdi
| O'Connell dwet. The cabin was illumin.
ated so brightly that it looked like spot
of fire upon the bog; the rooms in The
house were crowded; and without, dark
| figures as thick as bees in swarming time
| Miles Doughty, clad rather less gaudily
than when first beheld him, moved amids
the throng, pausing now and again to looh
affectiorately at Norah, who. decorated will
her bridal flowers, was dancing with one o
the straw men who had come to do honor L
her marriage feast. When the dance wa
ended she came over and stood beside me
! "Norah," / whispered, "do you remem
ber that night when | heard you singing
songs upon the sands"
Her face flashed brightly upon me, thel
it grew tgrave-then her eyes filled will
| tears.
"My DEAR" 1 added, never meant t.
pain you. l only,want you to sing a seque
TO those songs tonight %
She laughed lightly, then she spok
rapidly in Irish, and merrily sang the well
known lines;
"Oh, the marriage, the marriage,
With love and my bouchal foI me;
The ladies that ride in a carriage
Might envy my marriage to thee"
Then she was laughingly carried off t
join in another dance.
Joined in the fan till midnight; ther
though the merriment was still at its height
l quietly left the house and hastelssd home
As l left the cabin / stumbled across
figure which was hiding behind a tur1
stack. BY the light of my burning turf
recognized the features of Owen Macgratl
He skunk away when he saw me, and neve
since that night has he been seen in Stol
port.-Belgr0Via.
A Big Trunk.
corresnondent of the New Yor