Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-03

vidually, hey do noe saHs u anna sAsa
solves to answer her: and thin ( they ars
Glad. indeed 70 l~ave the house after Z
thorough search las been made; and w
are glad, We know, to hear the last clatteR
Of their horses hoofs die away in the dis.
lance.
Moreen makes up my humble couch again
(for even this has been turned topsy-turvy
in the fruitless scarcely and 70 TO sleep in
spite Of myself. Noreeu assures mo that
Mr.. ONeill must surely have gone On to
Moneymore with the driver, O'Flaherty.
TO zee for himself that . fresh horse and
vehicle would be In readiness in the morn
ing, 90 that we might 20 comfortably on
our way to Bann Castle
Christmas morning in Ireland-shall
ever forget it, I open my eyes to the
| sparkling light of . CHEEKY sunbeam that
reflects itself over and over again in some
tin platters on q shelf just above my bed
see the fire burning on the hearth, smell
| the appetizing aroma Of the usual roasting
potato, hear the bustling about Of the busy,
| tireless Moreen, and looking towards the
box-chair, discover-yes, as surely as
live-the figure that looks as much like E
| bundle Of rags as ever-poor old Granny
Maginnis! Is she q fixture, then. night
AMI day' close my eyes dreamily and
pair of lips touch Line. "Archier muir.
| muir
Christmas gift, We lazy little cra.ther"
cries musical voice above me. Here
| am I wild me arruns full to overflowin'
wild iligant prisints bought at Moneymor6
this blissed morn-and it's tin to wan If yc
| have aiven thought 70 give to me-fegA
bu; I'm left, the dayv'
"Oh. Archie, did dream itV.
".Drame it" says she! "But, there,
cushia, ak me "a aisy wan"
why, Archie, l mean all that abou!
Shane Magroo-and the soldiersl Where
were you, sir, all that time! Your wife
; you - you -"
"Was spindin' me last ha'penny on me-
ongrateful little wife! There. there, Mary
mine, don't We be maxim such awful eyes
at me! Why, sure. nothing could harm We,
We beautiful wanl Wan sight av that
shwatc, pitiful face would melt the heart
Of a statue O. stone intoirelyr'
1t is no use. l can never be angry long
at Archie. The rich, tender. mellow tones
Of his voice when he speaks to me are like
some ravishing melody that soothes while
it charms. And with this Irish voice he
tells me where he has been, and Of the
news that has come to him. that none Of his
kinsfolk are at Bann Castle, but are
wintering in Du bin. So we need not con-
tinue upon our fruitless journey, but
hurry across Tough Neagh and catch the
Belfast steamer bound for Liverpool on the
following Wednesday.
Isay goodbye to Moreen Maginnis re-
Iuctantly, after having, with his consent,
shared with her the most Of Arches
Christmas presents; spring into a close
carriage and am driven rapidly back over
the rough road leading to Moneymore.
After all don't know that am so deep
ly disappointed at not seeing Bann Castle.
Could I have had my choice, I'd have
chosen rather the romantic episode OF SO
novel a character IS that 1 experienced in
the Maginnis shanty; and the hearing,
with my own ears, the story of the noble
youth who befriended the tenantry at the
risk Of his life. shall always feel near
ness to Shane Magroo since / have CHANGED
to be mixed up in the very search for him;
and so I muse and muse and muse.
.
Out at sea- Car good boat has plunged
through the waves Of the North chan mel,
we have dipped down past the Isle of Man,
and Ireland is being left miles upon miles
behind US My bridegroom's arm is about
me as we sit. sheltered from all human
observance in a curtalned nook of the
well furnished cabin of the little channel
steamer. Iuse the word human advisedly
in this instance, since / am sure the angels
must be near, 80 much a state Of heaven Is
it, and am content to hear the musical
Irish voice murmurin4 pretty nothings
and exquisite something's into my listen
ing ear
"whist, Mary. ashore! Wake up, my
darling! Is it asleep that you areP'
mo, indeed. Archie; but 1t seems like a
dream to look back over the last three
days. Ishall never forget my Christmax
in Ireland"'
"And which part Of it all seemed the
most wonderful to you. Mary. dear"
Honestly, Archie-don't laugh-it was,
think, to see how poor old Granny Ma
ginnis sat at her post. Do you think II
chronic, Arch,e!"
"Chronic'-what might you mean b.
that, Maryp
THAT box-chair; does she ever leave it'
"She left it that night you were there, |
Mary"
"That's just what she didn't do, Archi
bald, dear"
"Come, now, let me explain Can u |
kape o saycrit!" 1t will have been no |
IN. o. II |