The Irish standard., 1886-09-11
MARY :! LEE,
THE YANKEE INK IN IRELAND. A
nv PAUL PEPPERGRASS. ESQ.
Author Of s.shandy McGuire,'' ''The sp8-
Wife," etc.
CHAPTER XX-(Continued.)

Olympus, I'll catechise you, my me
fellow? ana the right way, too. Your
villainy's discovered at last, sir. Else
Curley has revealed to me all your
plots and schemes"
"Well, but you needn't get into such
fuss about it, my dear man, y respond
ed Weeks, quite coolly; ''if you amt
disposed to let me have the girl, Why
don't, that's all; but you've got to pay
the face of the notes, or go to1all-"
e:scoundre], lot you have the girl!'
ssAi,'t I good enough for her?''
s'You!'
:sWhv. yes. I'm al American born
= good enough, I reckon, for the best
Irish girl ever stood in shoe leather
all fired proud as they are"
sAnd why didn't you ask her like a
man, if you thought SO? No, you
hadn't the courage, sir. Your rneanness
Of soul wouldn't let you. You preferred
to scheme and plot with Else Curley,
and to sneak about my house Gay after
day like hungry spaniel. BY George,
if L suspected what brought you there
when YOU first came, I'd have flung you
neck and heels into the Devils Gulch.
What! because I'm poor, you tried to
compel my niece to marry you through
fear Of my incarceration. Begone, sir!
let me never see you within q league OF
the lighthouse again, Or if you do, I'll
horsewhip you as I would dog"
essay, don't get into such fury about
it,"
stFury!" repeated the ight-keeper,
buttoning up his coat, and darting 81
look at the crest-fallen Yankee SO full Of
contempt that the latter covered under
il. stPaugh, sir,' he added, '.you're
beneath my scorn. Had you the slight
est pretension to the character OF gen.
tlsraan, I should have compelled you
before left this room to apologize for
the insult you offered-but coxcomb and
a coward as you are, [ let you pass.''
Coward! guess you're mistaken
amt you?" replied Weeks, showing lis
hands down into his breeches pockets,
and hitching up his shoulders.
ssYou're disgrace, sir, to the name
OF America continued the light-keeper,
without noticing the reply. ':Your
country is noble country, sir; your
heroes Of the revolution rank among the
first soldiers of the world; your orators
xad statesmen have already eclipsed
some of the first celebrities OF Europe;
your people, in the main, are high
minded, generous people; but you, sir,
and such sneaking rascals as you, with
your goddess liberalism, and your ma
tional vanity, are enough to bring your
country into contempt wherever your
90. have loved America ever since I
was able to lisp the name; but if you be
fair specimen of your countrynen, l
would rather be dog than an Ameri-
can. If you're Yankee, the New Eng
landers must have sadly degenerated
since the revolution. Go, go!"
'Well," said Weeks, 'tcan't say SIS to
that; but rather guess they're leetle
ahead of the Irish YETI
:'Yes; you and such as you, in vend-
ing hickory hams and wooden nutmegs,
may be somewhat smarter, I suppose.
But snartness, without either honor or
principle, is q poor recommendation.
Go home, sir, 60 home again, and tell
your countrymen-that class Of them at
least to which you belong-that huck-
sters and speculators are less respected
here in Europe for their smartness, than
despised for their love Of gold. Tell
them you failed in your own specula-
tion in matrlmony, because you relied
too much on your low cunning, and
valued too lightly the character OF the
people on whose simplicity you came to
practise. Tell them you saw in Ireland
q poor muu pIOuo- uPI Ill Cf0AJ
thing but honor-who, reduced to beg
gary and Jail, would rather see his
child mated with the poorest peasant on
his native hills, than give her ped
ding, specializing foreigner. with a
hundred thousand dollars at his bank
er's. There, sir, be added, finging the
letter in Weeks face, ''take back your
vile proposal, and begone. I came with
brace Of pistols here in my breast, to
demand the satisfaction due from one
gentleman to another; but you're too
contemplate scoundrel to smell an
honest mans POWDER" and so saying
the light-keeper flung on his slouched
hat and left the room.
Weeks stood full three minutes gazing
at the door through which the light
keeper passed, without moving mus
cle-his hands, as usual, thrust into his
pockets. He seemed completely con-
founded at what had taken place. "Wel,