The Irish standard., 1886-04-17
CHAPTER IV.-Continued.

H~---""~~ A~'
For reasons such Us these, and others
quite nun ecessary to mention, Lanty
soon became constant and welcome
visitor at Araheera Head, and indeed
finally grew to be so special favorite
With tie light~kseper that he could hard
ly prevail on himself to take his bont or
his gun without LanGy 81 his elbow. He
even offered hin, salary larger than his
limited means could we'll afford, to live
with him altogether; but Lanty inyaria-
oly refused, preferring free loot on the
hillside after lis dog, ana ramble on
tfae sea-shore with his rife. to a'l the
inducelnent he could offer. These ram
s,les, however, often brought him into
Trouble; but if they did, he always de-
panLed ca hlr. Lee TO get him Out Of it.
On such occasions the honest light
keeper would bluster and swear as stout
~ as Dutch burgomaster never to
e,peaic another word in the Villains be-
nalf should it save him from the gallows.
and often even went as far as to order
s:Ae members of his family never to let
glle scoundrel inside his doors again; but
somehow oi other these resolutions
aaver held out - I'll his Indignation
seemed to vanish in his sleep; and be-
fore che sun got up on the following
morning, he was sure 80 despatch note
TO Tona Petershan. or some other gen
ale,nal Of the neighborhood, to beg their
interest in the unfortunate fellows be-
half. I.anty, III fact, was never out Of
scrapes for week together since Mr..
.iIee fast saw him. He had fallen foul
Of bailiGf, or beaten policeman, or
crr7gelled gane-keeper, or spread a
salmon By torehlight, or stole game
cock, something WAS always sure to
be wrong, whenever he was absent three
days at q time from Araheera Light
house.
Intimate, however, as Lanty was with
the family, ho knew nothing Of their
history save what he picked up from an
odd word BOW and then between Mary
Lee and the ligh5-keepec, or between
himself and Roger O'Shaughnessy, when
they went up the tower OF an evening to
chat and trim the lamps together. What
he learned from the latter, however, was
never very satisfactory, for Roger con-
siaered himself too respectable and i'm
portaut parsonage to hold much con-
htiential intercourse with light-headed
scatterbrain like Lanty Hnnion. But
whilst Roger said little Of the family
connections directly, he indulged fire.
slnently III little sneers ut the protein
nio11s OF the Donegal aristccracy, won
dered where i'll the world they found the
ar,ns Of the carriage panels, and il they
didn't one und all Inherit their gentle
blood from sShemus Sallagh" or Oliver
Cromwell. This contenptuous way Of
speaking about his neighbors was plain
enough, and Lanty understood it. The
nobler families Of the south was a sub
ject OH which Roger loved very much to
deacant i'll q sorS Of soIiloquial tone,
,yhen he sat down OF summers evening
in the lantern to bu1nish up The reflect
tors, with Lanty at his side. Many q
dong sigh would he draw, talking over
the old times, when real lords and ladies
used to throng the halls Of 81 certain
castls i'll the south (sarrounded by their
servants in splendid }ivariea, to drink
Ilsa choicest vines Or dance to the music
OF the old family harp; and if his COM
panson ventured to inquire the name Of
tie castle or Of it's owner, littls informa-
tion would heget from Roger O'Shaugh-
messy. Still, stupiously averse as Roger
was to the revelation OF family secrets,
he could not hide from his Quick witted
companion the conclusion warranted by
his frequent though indirect illusions.
Besides, Roger always wore q curious
coat when serving dinner,
which contributed more, perhaps, than
else TO enlighten Lanty as to
the eniecedents Of the family. This coat
was one bottle-green of fine texture, as
might be seen by those shady little cor
ners here end there, where the sun had
not been able to peep, nor the wear and
teav Of hall q century entirely to reach.
With "a few redeeming spots like these,
however, excepted, the rest of the gar
ment was faded, threadbare, and polish
ed as the cuff Of a sailors jacket. The
high. stiff collar, the buff facings, and
the long tails would have plainly showed
it had once been livery, even if the two
lonely gilt buttons on the high waist be-
hind, bearing the family crest, had been
lost end gone with the rest of tho
brotherhood. Every Gay, before tho
little bell rang for dinner, did Roger di-
vert himself Of his working-dress, brush
over the few white hairs that still re-
manned to cover his polished scalp, and