The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-05-05

splurge, or go ahead and do up the matter
quietly like sensible peoples"
"Oh, keep every thing quiet urged
Carol, shrinkingly, only just beginning to
realize what she had taken on herself.
What would her friends say if the fact of
her engagement to this man were noised
abroad? What would they think?
The light in which one OF them would view
it was TO be made known to her sooner than
| she expected.
The bountiful dinner served to the three
was over. The gas was Lit, but turned to a
moonlille glow by the softening globes.
Caro-! walked to window, and, lifting the
curtain, looked out.
There was q holiday aspect to the street
even in this quiet corner. Young couples
passed arm i'll arm. with happiness III tlaei1'
looks; children troopea by laden with the
spells Of the day; vehicles dashed back and
forth filed with merry groups. The house
fronts were brilliantly illuminated, and The
lights 5lone out into the night with a cheer
and brightness very pleasant to see.
Suddenly Carol half turned.
| "Somebody is stopping here; I do be-
| ieve it is Althea. Yes, that is the Ever
leigh sleigh; that is their driver. How
queer, yet how good Of her to come this
night Of all pights in the year.''
! Dropping the curtain, she ran into the
hall to meet her friend. Lyman bit his lip
| with annoyance, though an eager glow
burned in his eyes. He had told Carol
nothing of an informal invitation to dine at
the Everleigh's, which he had declined for
both Of them. It was queer that Althea
should come there--how queer he alone
! could feel--yeU her errand was very
simple one
aI was SO unfortunate in my invitations"
she began to explain. 6 Even Norris disap-
pointed re by having previous engage
mcnts, so turned cut at last and gathered
UP d miscellaneous party which I find my
self scarcely able to manage, and [ ran
away to beg you to come and help me enter
tain them for an hour or two, Carol. Don't
wait tt, ask questions. I'll tell you On the
way. The gentlemen may follow it they
like to make themselves useful; but l give
fair warning that will have no drones in
| the hive tonight 1t is not full dress oc-
casion and you will all dc very well as you
! are,' she added, with q mischleVous smile.
ssIt's very wise Of you, Miss Everleigh, to
take US i'll, fo, whatever Lyman might say,
L certainly would object to having this
young lady run away from me tonight.
I've got enough interest in her now to keep
a sharp watch on her proceedings" pro.
claimed Mr.. Ingot, With certain amount Of
purpose in making the state OF affairs
known to his employers daughter.
"She's been doing her prettiesb to make
up a match between my girl and that fellow
Bergman. She's not the least i'll Love with
him, though Cnilder may think SO, he's
been blind as a bat not to see her drift all
along. want her to know that WON'T
$S11n
| has always treated me like the mud under
her feet, but now she has got to take me On
an equal footing with them,' ran his
| thoughts, while he watched the amazed
expression which daWned in the young Ia
/ dy's face.
) LYMAN came TO the rescue by telling his
! sister TO get her wraps. He had declared
once that they must break off their friend
! ship for the Everleighs, but he could not
resist the temptation thus offered him,
though he mentally determined that it
should be for the last time, nor could he:
without absolute rudcness, refuse to let
| Carol go.
| He handed the two girls into tho sleigh
and tucked the robes around them, pronlis-
! ing gaily to be with them within half an
hour When they were fairly OFF, Althea
turned to look her companion severely IN
the face.
CIV hat did that MAN mean by his talk,
| Garcia Surely YOU have not promised Lin
any thing to give him reason TO speak as he
did? I want you to be frank with me, Tor
have been giving hope to another lover OF
yours, quite fundamentally, if there is any
thing i'll this
! Carol held up the hand on which flashed
Ingot's gift.
! s;This is from him. Althea.f'
"And YOU have given up Norris foe
this man-lneyer would have believed it
| + can not believe it now. What car you see
in him. coarse, vulgar: 40 more to be COM
pared with--oh, Carol! what have you done!"
"My duty, hope" mursnured Carol, in
heart-broken tones. "Don't talk OF Ii;
please. I'm afraid / shall cry. and Ly-
| man hates tc see me with red eyes. Dh,
Altaea I an unhappy. and 1t will be worse
if you are angry with me. we can be TRENDS
| just the same, can we nots''
"With that man between us? doubt it.
But at any rate I can'5 afford to quarrel
with you tonight. Here we are, and there
are nv visitors, wondering what has be-
come of me.''
| It qcns miscellaneous party Miss Ever
leigh had gathered in, whether from some
passing whim, or a growing thoughtfulhess
and charity which believed in bringing
these starved lives within the lights and
color of her OWN. There were about twenty
boys and girls Of varying sizes and degrees
of raggelness, two or three bent and
wrinlzletl crones and q pale, pretty girl OF
twenty, who was telling the story OF the
Glass Slipper to such as chose to give their
attention to her.
| "Cinderella had no trouble in putting ii
on, so she married the prince. and-Iommy
Burke. if you throw another peanut shell, |
will see that you get no orange to take
home tonight Meggggy, what are those two
midgets Quarreling overa You can't bring
that pipe cut here, granny; Miss Everlelgh
would not like it. Ask the girl for another
cup of tea II you want it to brace up your
nerves Now, young man, caught you
pulling Sissy Darlze's hair. Aren't you
| ashamed, when you were asked here: like a,
| gentleman, just to show you what Christ
mas is like. Oh. Miss Everleigh! have
done my best to keep them amused"
| "But they have been almost too much tor
you, have they, Julie2 Come, children, did
You ever play fox-and-gease2 Carol, this is
| Jn|ie Streng. who sews for me sometimes.