The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-03-24

bis clothes, live by bis side. and Keep
his fireside bright and warm.
| Uneasy at Owens absence that even
! ing, seeing that they had many things
to talk about in connection with their
marriage and journey, Mauree?n yet did
the next days work cheerfully and
about sunset saw at last her lover COM
ing across the fields to lcok for her.
The girl had been working for hours,
binding sbeaves, and now made pic
ture standing in the sunlight with her
arms full Of the ripe corn, a bunch of
! the wild peoples that overrnn the fields.
| in her hair
After the first glance at his face the
light of joy and welcome faded from
her eyes and lips. Owen was SO changed
she could scarcely recognize him. What
could have happened within the space
ct day aud night to give his face that
corpselke pa!lor. his eyes that stony
stare? She naG seen him suffer many
kinds OF misfortune and never with a
countenarce like this. He looked like
a man who had come out of he carnage
OF a battle, and was still living in the
horror of it.
Owen, for Gods sake tell me what
is the matter with you!'' faltered the
girl.
''Dar|ing,' said Owen, hoarsely, "the
day after to morrow was to have been
our wedding day. I've come to tell
! you now thai it cannot be. A strange
tiling has happened that will prevent
It,"
! Maureen dropped her sheaves and
slowly lowered her face between her
! hands.
| Look as goe, Maureen, { am in
| troubles
~ see you arc in trouble. Oven. Is
; il because you are afraid / shall be q.
burtl,en on you? Cheer up, then, and
80 without me. [ would rather never
| see you again, than think / could bring
such q look to your face, could bring
such trouble to your heart
| ooh, ray dear, luv dearest, as * you
could ever bring trouble to my heart.
Would to Coa could take you in my
arms this MON enc and fly with Sou
! But this is something you c;snnot ur-
derstanh and / must not explain. You
must trust me. Maureen, and believe
| i'll NE, even il l. am forced to behave
like yillaLn-"
"Thatyou will never lo. And I will
trust you, il you we're to kill me-
ssHusi,! WHO spoke Of kili,ns?" said
Owen. and {: more despairing darkness
crept iuto his eyes and settled; about the
lines OF his mouth,
And no7v, my love. T. must bid you
good night, for have many things to
d., and have no more time To spare.
Good night, good bye, my only dear On
earth ~
Alaursen fling herself weeping into
lis arms. lie pressed her 10 his heart,
stroked her hair. as If she had been a
child, and kissed her once. And then
he snddenly put her from him aud was
gone.
Maureen tIlrew herself on her face in
tha stubble and wept till she was blind.
The world without Oven was AL i'm.
possibility to- her. After u time she be-
came better able to think, and, having
q good Intelligence, she gave it all 10
the consideration Of this unexplained
aud unexpected misfortune. Some ter
rible mystery tad suddenly surrounded
him. If she could OILY discover the
the nature Of it, might she not be able
to heip him out Of difficulty? lwi~
light gathered and night fall, while she
atl!l lay montionla3s where she had
thrown herself under the shelter of a
hedge, from which few spreading
bushes dropped and covered her.
When it had lo,lg been quite dark, and
She had made UP her mind tnat at all
events she mast force herself to get up
and so home, she was stayed by hearing
the sound CT Footsteps at the other side
Ut the hedge, and CT voices that spoke
in strangely distinct whispers.
AT first she did not attend to the
meaning Of the words tha1; came to her,
but gradually the idea grew in her mind
that plot was ON foot to end the life
OF the landlord, whose cruelty WAS set
fox The destruction OF the people OF the
Banshee's Glen. But even this horror
she did not counect in any way with
her lovers trlbu!ation, till she heard
one terrible sentence, which instantly
put her in possession Of the truth.
"Owen is the man to fire the shot,
said ons of the whispering voices,
though he has only consented because
he dare not refuse. He is leaving the
country in any case"
sae lay still behind the hedge afraid
to breathe till the sound Of footsteps
moving away assured her that she might
venture to creep homeward. ALI that
night she thought over the terrible re-
violation that had been made to her.