Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-08

humming to himself, beneath his breath,
the gracious IRISH rebel tune, 'aThe Shan
Van Vocht." Helooked as mixedly gallant
and depressed as an olden knight in bad
luck, for he was as handsome young Irish
man as ever wandered from Ireland in quest
of fortune. His costume was departure
from civilized garb toward the picturesque
dress of q cowboy. By the side of the
rickety chimney-piece square OF printed
paper had been lately stuck up, and on this
square Of printed paper the eyes Of the
gentleman frequently rested, and whenever
they did so an amused light danced in them,
and the humming sped at blither gait 1t
is a custom in that region to advertise in a
particular newspaper with very big type,
such things as cattle ranchefs desire to buy
or sell, and this clipping was typographie-
ally bold in the conventional way, but its
matter was novel if its manner was not It
read:
VTYANTBD "A GENTLEMAN WHO
w speaks French, and is perfectly familiar
with the Rocky Mountains regions, to act as
guide and guard to lady on prospecting
tour. Address N. h. at this ONCE
The gentleman had posted the advertise
ment on the wall, as if to see, by regarding
IT,.
which it offered. He was out Of money, and
nearly out of hope. Therefore, any source
of immediate income was to be apprecia-
lively considered. But he was something of
an aristocrat at home, and therefore the job
of q courier was something which he had
never before thought OF as possible TO him.
Whenever the gentleman's eyes rested on
the bit of paper they frightened, still, when
they turned again to the glowing FIRE they
gloomed. and "The Shan Van Vocht"
tagged markedly. For the fire was full of
pictures, as all fires are TO the observant,
and the pictures they painted now to their
watcher were melancholy enough. He saw
the ruins of his family estate in Ireland; he
saw gallant gentlefolk of ancient name
wandering wearily in foreign lands. Desc
late, pathetic pictures. But the fire pic
lures he studied were chiefly personal-lit-
tie pictures in which two persons played
prominent parts. He was one Of the actors;
his cousin, Gregory o. Carroll, was the other.
The last thing he had heard of concerning
Gregory was that he was seeking the hand
of Kitty Mellish, the beautiful girl with
whom he had danced measure on the night
before he Quilted his Irish home to seek q
better fortune in American. She was
q handsome girl he remembered, scan
ming his dream-picture in the glowing
Goals. Would she be sorry, he wondered, if
he never returned? Would she be glad if he
went back enriched7 What would she think
of him-of Talbot Power, scion of the ruined
but still proud Power family-if she knew
that he would hire himself out as a courier?
slShe ought to think it better than cattle
stealing or stage robbing," he said to him.
self; ''and those are the alternatives, so far
as can see. So 60 to N. R., whoever she
may be, and she may have me If she will"
His preparation for the visit was singu-
lar. It consisted of shaving off his beard and
mustache. The beard was of American
growth, but the mustache had covered his
LIP and overhung his mouth since he was 20.
The clean shave was in the whimsical ma
ture of disguise. He smiled bitterly as he
surveyed in the glass his face as smooth as
that Of an actor or lackey. he saw, too,
that change had come over his expression
during his days of Western struggling. A
line crossed his forehead, his cheeks had be-
come thinner, and his whole face had grown
harder.
In an hour he was in the presence OF Mrs,
Mira Relitska, Russian countess, wealthy
and adventurous. who had come to America
on a pleasure tour He had made up his
mind to retreat if the stranger proved to be
disaoreeable. But her mode Of reception
astonished him so much that it was long be-
fore he regained the sense of reality. At
the end OF the hotel room in reclining
chair lay woman Of 80 or IS years. She
had been very beautiful; but in spite of her
comparative youth her face appeared old
upon closer inspection, because Of the many
fine wrinkles covering the temples and neck.
Her gray eyes were wandering, dull and
coloriess Only her heavy blonde hair and
white teeth kept the beauty Of youth,
though her delicate hands showed her noble
birth.
"Ah is it you, Monsieur" she said in
French, in lingering voice. Pardon me
if 1 do not rise to receive you. I am i'll, SO
illl''
The young man responded with an appro-
pirate bow, took chair and sat TRANQUILITY
down. Then be looked at Mrs. Relitska,
and waited fQE her to begin. Hia. hard- di. ]