The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1879-10-03

said, turning to Shawn and when lie
looked puzzled, | added, che died and
she is mourning for him"
"Yes, yer honor, he died, but if that
was all We would forgive him, What broke
the poor colleen's heart was that he should
forget her when he got to a strange land
and marry another colleen at the same
time he should have married her; after
that it was but right that he should die. !"
"Did he write and tell her lie was
married ?"
"Write devil the bit, nor to tell her he
was dead neither. Here was the poor
colleen watching and waiting for him for
two years, and wondering what could
keep him but few months ago Owen
McGrath, boy who had gone away from
the village long ago on account of Norah
refusing to marry him, came back again
and told Norah that Miles was dead, and
asked her to marry him. lie had made
lots Of money and was ready 10 take a
house and a bit of land and to take up
cattle if she would but say the word to
him."
"Well ?"
"Fell, yer honor, Norah first shook her
head, and said that now Miles Ras dead
twas as well for her to die, too. At this
Owen spoke out and asked where was the
use Of grieYing 50, since for many months
before his death Miles had been a mar
ried man. Well, when Owen said this
Norah never spoke single word, but Aer
teeth set and her lips and face went white
and cold as clay, and ever since that day
she has been SO strange in her ways, that
some think she's not right at all. On
moonlight nights she creeps out Of the
house and walks BY the sea, singing them
strange old songs; then she looks out as
If expecting him to come to her, and
right or wrong she'll never look at
another man."
As Shawn finished the hall clock
chimed five the last spark faded from
my cigar, the turf fell low in the CRATE,
SO I went to bed to think over the story
alone.
During the three days which followed
this midnight adventure, storport was
visited By deluge Of rain, but on the
fourth morning looked from my window
10 fnd the earth b4sking il summer
sunshine. The sky was vault Of throb
Ding blue, fecked here and there with
waves of summer clouds, the stretches Of
sand grew golden il tAe suns rays, while
he saturated hills were bright as il from
he smiling Of the sky. The sight revived
ne, and IS soon as my breakfast was over
whistled up my dogs and stroIled out
INTO the air.
How bright and beautiful everything
looked after the rain The ground Tas
spongy to the tread the dew still lay
heavily on the heather and long grass
but the sun seemed to be sucking up the
moisture from the bog. Everybody seemed
% be out that day, and most people were
busy. Old men drove heavily laden don
keys along the muddy roads young girls
carried their creels Of turf across the
bog and BY the roadside, close TO where
| stood, tie turf cutters were busy.
| stood for while and watched them
at their work, and when turned to 80 ]
saw for the first time that had not been
alone. Not many yards from me stood 9
fgare watching the turf cutters too.
A young man dressed like a grotesque
figure for a pantomine with high boots,
! felt hat cooked rakishly over one eye,
Ind vest composed Of all the colors Of
she rainbow. His big brown fingers were
profusely bedecked with brass and steel
rings !; massive brass chain swung from
his vaistcoat, ard an equally snowy
pin adorned the scarf at his throat.
When the turf enters, pausing suddenly
1t the work, gazed at him with wonder il
heir eyes, he gave q peculiar smile and
asked with strong Yankee accent If they
could tell hlnn where one. .Norah 0'ConnelI