Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-07-30


in a wreath Of golden hair. on which
the moonlight frightened and darkened
like the shadows on wind-swept sea
Large, lustrous eyes, which gazed' earn
estly seward, then filed with strange,
wand ering, far-of look, as they turned
TO my face. A young girl, clad in a
peasants dress with her bare feet washed
reverently by the signing sea- her half
parted lips kissed by the breeze which
travelled slowly shoreward; her cheeks
and neck We're pale as alabaster, so were
the little hands which were still clasped
half-nervously behind her; and as she
stood, with her eyes wandering rest
iessly first to my face, then to the dim
enlng with sudden splendor, wrapt her
from head to foot in mantle Of SHIN
menng snow.
For moment she stood gazing with
far-away look into my face; then with
a sigh she turned away, and with her
face still turned oceanward, her hands
still clasped behind her, wandered
slowly along the moonlit sands.
As she went, fading like spirit among
the shadows, | heard again the low
sweet sound of the plaintivc voice
which had come TO me across the ocean,
bnt soon it grew fainter and fainter, I'M
til only the echoes were heard.
| turned to my boatman, who now
stood waiting for me to depart.
Wen, Shawn, Is 1t a mermaid?' /
asked smiling.
He gravely shook his head.
mo, yer honor; It's only poor col
leen wild broken heart !"
| turned and looked uuestioningly at
him, but he was gazing at the spot
whence the figure of the girl disap-
peared.
God Almighty, risht the dead" he
said, reverently raising his hat but
him that brought such luck to Norah
O'Connell deserved His curse, God
knows"
This incident, coupled with the
strange manner of my man, interested
me, and | began to question him as to
the story of the girl whose lovely face
was still wildly before me. But for
some reason or other he seemed TO
shun the subject, and so for a time |
100 held my peace. But as soon rs |
found myself comfortably seated in the
coy parlor of the lodge, with bright
turf fire blazing before me and hot
punch steaming on the table at my
side, | summoned my henchman to
my presence.
Now, Shawn" | said. holding forth
a steaming goblet that made his eyes
sparkle like two stars, "close the door,
draw your chair up to the fire, drink OF
this, and tell me the story of the
lovely colleen that we saw tonight.
would yer honor really like to
hear?'
81 would; it will give me something
to dream about, and prevent me from
thinking too much of her beautiful
face"
Shawn smiled gravely.
Eyer honor thinks her pretty? Well,
then, yell believe me when / tell we
that ii We was to search the country
at the present moment we couldn't find
colleen to match Norah OConnell
When she was born the neiehbor5
thought she must be fairy child, she
was so pretty and small and white; and
wnen she got older, there wasn't boy
in Storport but would lay down his life
for her. Boys wild fortunes and boys
widout fortunes tried to get her; and,
begging yer honor's pardon, l went my
self in wild the rest. But it went one
way wild us all: Norah just smiled and
said she did not want to marry. But
one day, two years ago now come this
Serapht, that lazy shaugraun, Miles
Doughty God rest his soull, came over
from Ballygally, and going straight to
Norah, widout making up any match
at all, asked her to marry him."
"Well?"
Well, yer honor, this time Norah
frightened up, and though she knew
well enough that Miles was a dirty black
guard widout a penny in the world
though the old people said no, and there
were plenty fortunes in Storport waitin
on her-she just went against every one
of them and said she must marry Miles
The old people pulled against her at
first but at last Norah, with her smiles
and pretty ways, won over Father Tom
who won over the old people, till at
last they said that ii Miles would 60 for
awhile to the black pits of Pennsylvania
and earn the money to buy house and
a bit of land, he should marry her."
He paused and for time there was
silence. Shawn looked thoughtfully into
the fire; | lay back in my easy chair
and carelessly watched the smoke which
curled from my cigar, and as did so l
seemed to hear again the wildly plain
tive voice of the girl as | had heard it
before that night:
- | have called ny love, but he stll sleeps on,
And his Fps are as cold as clay
And as the words of the song passed
4 rn,,r.h ~, 4. ~, Id thou nnn.,, Cd 70 Anll