The Irish standard., 1886-06-12
THE IRISH STANDARD SATURDAY, JUNE l2, 1856

III lhl0d 0l l1ANDAnD.
not well be otherwise but what of that
there were no smart men amongst them
Smartness to him was everything. /
was the embodiment of all the virtues
moral and intellectual only qualit,
4 for which man deserved admiration O
respect. The estimate he formed of hi
neighbor's moral worth was not in pro
portion to his integrity Of character, bu
to his ability for speculating and dr1v
ing hard bargains. The man who con
tented himself with o competence and
quiet life at home he dispised; but til,
| jobber in stocks, who was smart enough
to make a lucky hit on change, though
he risked half q dozen mems fortunes OF
the chance, was the man after his heart
such were Mr.. Weeks sentiments. No
was he much to blame for them either
for he was bred and born in the midst O
speculators. Every man he met in tht
street. from the newsboy to the judge
from the policeman to the governor, wai
speculator in something. He begar
himself, in his very infancy, to speculate
in marbles and hobby-horses; and if he
made but cent week, his father pat
ted him on the head, and prophesied his
future greatness. When arrived al
mans estate, he found himself in the
company Of young men, whose solestudy
was to make money in the easiest manner
and shortest time. He saw them everywhere
engaged in some kind Of tratic,-nc
matter what, if it only happened to be
profitable Whilst in other countries
each grade in the community had its
own leginlate trades and occupations, il
was the very reverse in the States.
There it was universal scramble, in
! which everybody snatched at what came
handiest. The tailor dropped his nee
die and mounted the stump; the lawyer
burned his briefs to trade in molasses;
the shoemaker stuck his awl in the
bench and ascended the pulpit; and the
shopboy flung his yardstick on the coun-
ter and went off to edit Sunday news
paper. Surrounded on all sides by
such influences, what could Mr.. Weeks
have possibly been but what he was-a
speculator in chances-a man of one
idea one subject-one aspiration
money? Learning was nothing in his
estimation, if it failed to realize money;
nay, the highest mental accomplishment
waa only valueless, but contemplate
without money. In this respect Mr..
Weeks represented large class of his
countrymen Of New England;-we say
a class, for it would be unjust to say
more. He was not an American gentle
man, by any means, either in habits or
education. That was plain the instant
he spoke word OF moved muscle, and
and those of his fellow-citizens who
could rightfully claim that distinction
would never have recognized him as one
of their number. H. was, in short, a
Yankee,-a man to be met with every
day and everywhere--on the sidewalks
at the banks,-in the theatre-in the GOES
standing at hotel doors picking his
selling soap at cattle shows--or
lobbying for a patent right behind his
agents back at the Senate House. But
to return.
With such views and sentiments as we
have here ascribed to Mr.. Weeks, it
may be easily conceived with what as
surance of success he landed in Ireland,
and with what confidence he entered on
his plans and speculations. The pos
session Of Mary Lee aghis lawful welded
wife was the great secret of his journey.
Why it was SO the sequel must tell. It
appears, however. he had but certain
time to accomplish his designs, for
hardly had he reached Crohan, when he
called to see Else Curley. The reputa-
tion she had acquired, all the country
round, and the wonderful stories told Of
her power Of the spirits of the neither
world, led him TO think he could win her
to his interest by tempting her cupidity,
and that she, as secret agent, might do
what it would otherwise require q long
courtship to effect. How his expecta-
tons were met in this respect, will be
seen in due course Of the story. For
the present we must leave him to battle
with the story as best he may, after his
desperate but disastrous renconnoitre
with .:Nannie,n and follow Elise and the
stranger to the "Cairn.'
CHAPTER x.
The OUTLAWS IyrERv1Ew wrrH ELSE
CUR1EY .-HnR HATRED OF THE HARD
WRINKLES, AND ITS CAusE.-BARRY
EvADEs THE DEFECTIVE OFFICERS.
When Else had nIaced q r17sh 1ipht in