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

Was TSauN 10 take mouse ana GU o.
land and to take up cattle if she would
but say the word to him."
"Well?"
"Well, yer honor, Norah first shook
her head and said that now Miles was
dead twas as we'll for her TO die, too.
At this Owen spoke out and asked where
was the use of grieving so since for
many months before his death Miles
had been a married mani Well, when
Owen said this Norah never spoke a
single word, but her 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 moon
light 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 manl'
As Shawn finished, the hall clock
chimed five; the last spark faded from
my cigar, the turf fell low in the CRATE;
so went to bed to think over the story
alone.
During the three days which followed
this midnight adventure, Storport was
visited by Il deluge OF rain, but on the
fourth morning looked from my win
dow to find the earth basking in sum
mer sunshine. The sky was a vault of
throbbing blue, tlecked here and there
stretches of sand grew golden III the
sun-rays, while the saturated hills were
bright as if from the milling Of the sky.
The sight revivltied me, and as soon as
my breakfast was over | whistled up
my dogs and strolled out into the air.
How bright and beautiful everything
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 suck
ing up the moisture from the bog.
Everybody seemed to be out that day,
apd 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 | stood, the
turf-cutters were busy.
| stood for while and watched them
at their work, and when | turned to 60
been alone. Not many yards from me
stood a figure watching the turfcutters
too.
A young man dressed like grotes-
que figure for pantomime: with high
boots, felt hat cooked rakishly over one
eye, and n vest composed of all the col
ors of the rainbow. His big brown iing-
ers were proiusely bedecked with brass
and steel rings, a massive brass chain
swung from his waistcoat, and an equ-
ally snowy pin adorned the scarf mt his
throat. When the turf-cutters, paus-
ing suddenly at their work, gazed at him
with wonder in their eyes, ne gave pc.
peculiar smile and ask ed with a strong
Yankee accent if tney could tell him
where one Norah O'Connell lived he was
II stranger here and brought her news
from the States In moment dozen
fingers were outstretched to point him
on, and the stranger, again smiling
strangely to himself, staggered away.
| stood for time and watched him
go. then ! too sauntered on. | turned
off from the road, crossed the bog, and
made direct for the sea shore.
l had 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 bropzed and weather-beaten, but
his features were finely formed, and
chestnut hair. He was flushed as il
with excitement; he cast me hurried
glance and disappeared.
Five minutes after, as | still stood
wondering at the strange behavior Of
the man, my ears were greeted with a
shrek which pierced to my very heart.
Running IN the direction 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 halffainting
form OF the lovely girl whom | had last
beheld IN the moonlight. While stood
hesitating as to the utility of descending,
saw the girl gently withdraw herself
from his aims, then, clasping her hanGs
around his neck, fall sobbing on his
breast.
"Well, Shawn, what's the news?' |
asked that night when Shawn rushed
excited into my room. For time ne
could tell me nothing, but by dint of
few well-applied questions | soon ex-
tracted from him the whole story. it
amounted to this, that working for two
years like galley.slave in the black
pits of Pennsylvania, with nothing but
The thought of Norah to hello him ON.