The Northwestern standard., 1886-04-10


amount Of shrewdness- was the very
i reverse with him; sshrewdness was not
an Ingredient to mix with the mercury
/ of his nature at all. But the strangers
4 conduct was SO palpably suspicious, thai
! he could not for an instant resist the
/ idea of some plot between him and Elise
1 Curley. In the first place, the man had
been only two days in the country when
i lie found the old woman out--nay, went
as straight to her cabin as if he had been
/ sent there on message, and since that
time visited her every day, remaining
with her often whole hours together. AZ
for his pretext Of fishing, it was the
fi1niest in the world; for no one who
saw him cast line III water could ever
imagine he cared a gray coat for the
pleasure it afforded Then his close and
1 frequent inquiries about the Lees, and
his knowledge of certain private affairs
of the family, already communicated to
Else Curley, these, we say, put togeth-
er, were clearly suggestive Of some Sc
cret on his part, and quite enough to
raise suspicion in minds far less con-
| structive than I.anty Hanlon's. Besid-
es, Mr.. Lee was himself stranger in
the place, having resided but eighteen
months, at the lighthouse, and during
\ l. l. L,
The peasantry Of the neighborhood, in
deed, looked upon him at first as one
who disliked society, preferndng a quiet
lie at home to making and receiving
visits Hence they seldom troubled
1 him, except on matters Of business, and
then only as little as possible. 70 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 trotting down in
| that direction, with his saddle-b bags bob
ing behind him; but Mr.. Lee was o
| 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 Lough 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
what above the rank of common light
keeper, for Tom Petersham was the
crack gentleman Of the county and
Though sometimes reduced himself) al
ways felt a peg or two above associating
with the squires and newly-fiedged bar
onets Of the district. So they concluded
after various speculations and gossip on
the matter, that Mr.. Lee must have
been once real gentleman, whom re-
verse Of fortune had obliged to accept
his present humble situation as a last
resource. And 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 bust
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 no 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 blackest stranger
in the kingdom!
Young, active, and fond of recreation,
Lanty always found Araheera Head a
capital spot to indulge in his favorite
pastime of cunning and fishing, and
shortly after Mr.. Lees arrival found
that gentleman quite as fond of the sport
as himself. And thus an intimacy grew
up between them All at once-a an intimacy,
by the way, which each felt it bis inter-
est to cultivate; Lanty for the sake Of
the light-keeper's influence with the
neighboring genty, in whose power he
often unfortunately found himself, and
the lighf-keeper for the sake eff Lanty's
skill as a sportsman, in his frequent ez-
cursions on Lough swilly. Besides
Lanty kept pair OF black greyhounds,
the best ever ran on four feet, and the
terror OF all gamekeepers IN the three
baronies. These enabled him tosupply
his friend with sshares ear for his flies,
and il the truth must be told, with
haunches for his table too, occasionally,
without troubling his conscience greatly
about the infraction Of the game laws
Then he was moreover an excellent shot
with either rife or birding piece, and
could bag brace of grouse or wild
IS