The Irish standard., 1886-05-22
THE IRISH STANDARDS SATURDAY, NAY ., 1886.

air, ana ecnOeu neaV1ly ana SLOWLY
along tie shore, and then away among
the deep ravines Of the mountains. A
little, heecy cloud. too, which but half
an hour gone, had been hardly percepti-
BILE on the western horizon, had now
rolled up in piles dark and dense to the
eastward, and passing the lighthouse,
spread far and wide over the clear sky,
Whats that?'' demanded Weeks,
turning to look in the direction of the
sound. cit is like heavy broadside at
sea, amt it?'
"Ay'' responded Else, cit is not un-
like it; but the reports of all the guns on
the say, and the channel batteries to
boot, never carried fear to as many
hearts as that. God look to the poor
vessels out there the Light; they'll need
good gear and stout arms to win through
Tory Island Gut, if this storm catches
them within thirty leagues Of the coast. :"
'sAnd what means that bright light
out there? 1t looks like fame OF burn
ing ship reflected against the heavens. y
$50, that's only from the lantern of
Tory light" said Else; "McSwine's gun
is just beyond it to the west;'' and old
the woman, in reply to her campanion's
inquiry, explained the cause of it's loud
report, assigning it, Of course; as all
such things are popularity assigned, to
supernatural agency 'It's said,'' she
added, s'by the ould people, that it niver
was heerd afore the Parliament was
taken away from us, and niyer will stop
firing the death gun Of the nation till it
comes back" -~+1
'sPsaugh!" calculated Weeks; ''what a
nation That's some of your old priests
stories, I guess. But, see here-about
the Talbot
Sand there goes the DEVILS Gulch,
too,'' interrupted Else; "look at the
spindrifts as they begin to fly across the
iron bridge. Take q friends advice,
Mr.. Weeks, and hurry home as fast as
ye can; for my word on it, if ye don't,
yell find a wet jacket afore We reach
Crohan. Good night, sir, good night"
and Else made another motion to leave.
"Say, hold on" cried Weeks, detain-
ing her by the skirt Of her cloak; 'thold
on; I can wait long enough to hear what
you've got to say about the Ta}bots.
How can they concern me--eh?''
80, not the Taste in the world; how
could they, since ye niver heerd tell of
them afo1e.''
"We1l, but still I may have been con-
nected with them somehow unknown to
me-"
'sHa, hail. laughed the old woman,
gathering the scauty cloak still closer
round her emaciated shoulders, as she
felt the first breath OF the coming storm,
and chuckling within It's folds, like one
of Macbeth's witches gloating over her
boiling caldron. ''Ha, ha! unbeknown
to ye, indeed ..
"Come, come" said Weeks; II want
no more fooling Just now. You kinder
insinewate I had some connection r
hadn't ought to with folks name Of Tai
bot
s'Hush! don't spake so loud"
stNonsensel loud! I'm an American
born, and amt afraid to speak out be-
fore any human in creation
s'That's mighty bould,' said Else;
towards sometimes speak the loudest, .
s'Well, that's my way OF doing things,
nevertheless.
s'And brave way it is too, for them
that can carry it through; but saerets,ye
know, shud be spoke in whispers. and
above oil, deep, dark sacrets;;" and the
old croue fixed her gray weasel eyes on
the face of the Yankee, and then added,
'fDon't mention that name above your
breath, for somebody might be listinin." "
"What name--I'albot?"
'Whist! say, the night is dark
Ozark! I don't care a brass cent,
woman; nonsense! Well, [ swonrie, if
this amt the greatest attempt to hum
bug met since left
fsDucksville,'' subjoined Else, i'll
low, stealthy tone, leering at him the
while from under her hood. "And SO
ye'd like to hear the sacret?'
eyes out with it, said Weeks, con-
fdingly: 81 amt afraid. IF you've got
a secret regarding me, tell it. For my
part know of no secret, and I dread
none either.l'
".And might make 1'ould to ask re
what brought We here then, ii ye
haven't?o
why, 1 came to visit my cousins"
'sHumph! and are the Hardwrinkles
yer cousins?" demanded Else; sch!
surely yer cousins?''
"Well, mother says so; she ought to
know something about it, I guess being
the only surviving sister Of the late MIR.
Hardwrinkle: and 80, feeling rather dis