The Irish standard., 1886-09-04
THE IRISH STANDARD: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER a, 1886.

could he be! NO man. but Lanty III tne
three baronies would dare to play such
trick.
.sLanty Hanlon,' screamed Baby
Deb, in semi-hysterics; 80 my grac-
ious.''
s'Don't be alarmed said the cap
tain; 'syour sisters in safe hands"
go, no, no, captain; that man will
murder her.
::Not he; not hair Of her head,
ssWhy, you surely mistake, captain, .
said several Of the company. ''Lanty
Hanlon's the most notorious robber and
wrangler in the whole n eighborhood.' y
ST can show you a wound he gave me
on the top of the head, captain" J" said
the colporteur, sneaking into the room.
"What, you! Out Of my house. you
scurvy vagabond,' shouted the burly
captain, collaring the Bible reader, and
sending him head-foremost from the
room. 'Ho, there, fellows, James,
Thomas, bundle out that snivelling ras-
CAL BY the Lord Harry, if he come in
my sight again, I'll horsewhip him."
"Nyell, but, captain. you must be mis-
taken about this Hanlon,' said one; lit
was he who beat my gane-keeper.
THE same fellow robbed my salmon
box" said another.
"Aud poached on my premises" said
q third.
eyes, and by crackie, it was that tar
nation villain druggad me first with po-
teen whisky, and then danced me tc
death. at the wedding" put in Weeks.
sHe's the most provoking rascal, too, ]
ever met, for he keeps as cool as Gu
cumber all the while.''
Gentlemen, said the captain, ';you
may say what you please Of Lanty Han
Ion, and think what you please, too, but
I know h1rn better than the whole kit OF
you put together; and by the Lord
Harry, he's one of the best specimens Of
I. his class i ever saw. He's an honest
hearted, reckless, rollicking, light
hearted Irishnan. who likes his bit Of
fun as we'll as the best of us, aud Will
have it if he can; but tell me the man
ever knew Lanty to do q mean thing.
He may have speared your salmon, and
shot your game, and broken your bail
ifs heads; but where's the harm in that?
Can you call it o crime to kill the
trout that swins in the mountain brooks
or tile black cock that feeds on the
mountain heather? What right have
you to forbid a man to catch the trout
that Jumps in the stream before his own
door, or kill the game that feeds on his
own pasture? May the devil take such
game laws, says I, and may the man
that respects them never know the taste
of white trout at breakfast, OF black
cock at supper. AS for you, Mr.. Weeks,
you must have said or done something
10 provoke Lanty, OF he never had put
you through the coarse hacble in that
way. Besides, you didn't matriculate
here yet; you're green in the country. u
''Gentleman wishes to see Mr..
Weeks,o said servant. interrupting the
speaker.
Mr.. Weeks followed, and was con-
Quoted to the breakfast parlor. As the
door opened, the visitor advanced to
Imeet him, with an open letter in his
hand.
Ha! Mr.. Lee, glad to see you, sir
how dye do?"
"Good evening. sir, " replied the light
keeper, stifay. s.Pray, Mr.. Weeks, is
this your handwriting?"
t'My handwriting?"
eyes. sir;;'' Miss Lee received thai
letter this morning through Tamny post
office; it bears your SIGNATURE
| "Why, what's the troub1e?"
s'Do you acknowledge it yours, sir?''
t'Well. yes, 1 reckon SO; what's the
matter? you seem kinder put out about
it,
ssMr. Weeks" said the light keeper
'tyou have managed in some way TO ge1
bold Of my note of hand; may now ass
how you came to know Of the existence
Of such paper--or was it through Mr..
Robert Hardwrinkle you discovered
itt??''
Weeks bowed his assent.
'eAh, I thought SO. Well, sir, having
bribed an old woman to play the black
foot between you and my niece, Miss
Lee, and not having succeeded as soor
as yon anticipated, you directed your at
torney to mark a writ against me fo]
debt; aud now, at the heels of the writ
Miss Lee receives that letter, making
her proposals Of marriage, and assuring
her at the same time of an account a
your bankers OF hundred Thousand
dollars. What does this mean, sir?''
ssIt amt the first letter, ! guess-i
| it?''
"Not the first you sent. sir, but tn