The Northwestern standard., 1886-04-10

1
amount of sll'ewdness-it was the Very
reverse with him; .shrewdness was not
an Ingredient to NIX with the mercury
Of his nature at ALL But the strangers
conduct was so palpably suspicious, that
1 he could not for an instant resist the
I idea of some plot between him and Else
/ Curley. In The first place, the man had
been only two days in the country when
/ lie found the old woman out-nay, went
as strai ght to her cabin as if he had been
/ sent there on g message, and since that
time visited her every day, remaining
with her often whole hours together. As
for his pretext Of fishing, it was the
| fimiest III the world; for no one who
saw him cast q line III water could ever
I imagine he cared a gray coat Tor the
| pleasure it afforded. Then his close and
4 frequent inquiries about the Lees, and
! his knowledge Of certain private affairs
c. the family, already communicated TO
Else Curley, these, We say, put togeth-
er, were clearly suggestive Of some Sc
cre5 on his part, and quite enough to
raise suspicion in minds far less con-
structive than I.anty Haulon' s. Besld-
es, MIR Lee was himself a stranger III
| the place, having resided but eighteen
months, at the lighthouse, and during
! / 1,.1
The peasantry Of the neighborhood, IN
/ deed, looked upon him at first as one
who disliked society, preferrlng quiet
| lie at home to making and receiving
visits. Hence they seldom troubled
! him, except on matters Of business, and
then only as little as possible. 10 be
sure, the officers of the ballast board
called on him three or four times a year,
/ but that was on their tours OF inspection
around the coast, and Father John was
seen. too, sometimes trottlng down Ii
! that direction, with his saddle bags bob
ing behind him; but Mr.. Lee was q
/ Catholic, and Father John was the priest
/ of the parish. All this was very natu-
raj But it soon began to be whispered
about that Captain Petersham, OF Castle
Gregory, was seen occasionally stepping
! ashore at the point when out yachting
on Tough Swilly, and, what looked
stranger still, taking Miss Lee with him
MP the Tough to visit her sister. This
latter circumstance led the good people
/ by degrees, to regard Mr. Lee as some
keeDer, for Tom Petersham was the
crack gentleman OF the county, and
| (though sometimes reduced himself) al
wavs felt peg or two above associatlng
| with the squires and newly-hedged bar
onets Of the district So they concluded
sitter various speculations and gossip on
| the matter, that Mr.. Lee must have
| been once 81 real gentleman, whom re-
verse Of fortune had obliged to accept
| his present humble situation as a last
resource. Ard SO they continued ever
after to regard him, saluting him with
every mark Of respect when they hap
pened to meet him about the lighthouse
and never presuming to intrude on his
privacy except to settle their little busl-
ness transactions, or when he chose to
employ their services about the light
house yard
Now, Lanty Hanlon saw all this long
ago, and regulated his intercourse with
/ the family to suit the case precisely. He
/ asked no questions, make ne apologies,
came and went just as he pleased; and
yet. as he often was heard to say him
self. knew as little about Mr. Lee, or his
private affairs, as the blacklist stranger
in the kingdom
Young, active, and fond Of recreation,
Lanty always found Araheera Head a
capital spot to indulge III his fayorite
pastiI0e Of cunning and fishing, and
! shortly after Mr.. Lees arrival found
thai gentleman quite as fond Of the sport
rs himself. And thus an intimacy grew
up between them all atonce- an intimacy,
/ by the way, which each felt it his inter,
est to cultivate; Lanty for the sake oi
/ the Iiglt-keeper'a influence with the
1eighboring gently, in whose power he
often unfortunately found himself, and
the light keeper for the sake ef Lanty's
skill as a sportsman, III his frequent ez-
c1rsions on Longh Swilly. Besides
Ilanty kept pair Of black greghounds,
1 the best ever ran on four feet, and the
i terror OF all gamakeepers in the three
i bsronies. These enabled him 10 supply
his friend with hare 8 ear" for his flies,
and if the truth must be told, with
hauncbes for lis table too, occasionally.
without troubling his conscience greatly
about the infraction OF the game laws
/ Then be was moreover an excellent shot
with either rife or birding piece. and
/ could bag brace of grouse or wild
/ IL.