The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-30

how could she!
And wear his kerchief--the prettiest girl
in Kilgarnock-those were his words, and
now she knew what he had meant. Oh,
why had not Aileen stsid away And
now Gerald was gone frem her entirely.
Slowly she made up her mind that she
wou..l be brave Ne one, not Aileen nor
Gerald. should ever know the truth. Ger
aid should never know she was sorry now,
and so he would be happy She murmured
him a farewell in soft Irish words, Ger
aid, aroon ma Gerald"
The slow tears trickled down her cheeks
and cleaned upon the grass like diamonds.
The moonlight lay over the PROSTATE fig
ure in broken patches. Gently the breeze
lifted and let fall again each dark ring of
silky hair curling over her head and down
to the white neck that shone all the winter.
The moon reached the middle of her jew
eled course. The nightingale sang, all I'M
conscious of the silent grief beneath him.
The lashes lay over her flushed cheek like
a dark shadow; in very WEAKNESS and
worn out with her misery she had fallen
asleep.
The bird at last hushed his sweet treble
AID few away. He had heard hasty step
over the grass. But Mona heard not, saw
not. Somebody came down to the river
bank almost on a run, and stopped short
at sight of the little figure lying there so
motionless. He knelt down beside her.
With quick eye Gerald noted the tear
stained cheek, the parted lips, whence came
long drawn sobbing breath.
Without word he gathered her up in
his arms, asleep as she was, but Mona
stirred and then started from him wide
awake
"I-you-oh, Gerald"
"They are all ahunt for ye," he an
swered. 'Ye have scared the heart av me.
An why did We come down here"
Don't" she whispered, trying to re-
member her resolution. 81 will go back
now" She stood up and then swayed a
little, diZzily.
"Mona, mavourneenp said Gerald, hold
ing her close.
She struggled to release herself and stood
back from him pitifully defiant.
Eye shall not touch mel" she cried. go
back to Aileen. Go back to her and spake
your words. Tell her that same mavour-
neen story. She will believe We. Let me
pass. l can go home. Pll not need'-
But the proud curve of the lips weakened,
and the eyes commenced to brim with
tears. She turned away her head and tried
to spring past him. Gerald stood motion
less at first, looking at her in surprise, and
then he caught her by the arm.
Mona, stop bit" he said almost stern
ly. what is this come to We? What av
Aileen to me2 Are ye dhramin', child?"
LET me co." she whispered; "let me
60"
"No, I'll not let you 90. Spake to me,
Mona. What is 1t? Nay, We cannot 60.
Tell it to meP'
She faced him then, and her eyes flashed
through the tears.
AN we would talk to me, would YEP
An We would wait for me to market; an
ye would sing to me under the thatch at
night; an ye would tell me We love me!
Och, it is not thrue at all, at all. Ye know
1 am spakin' but the truth, an ye will
make me say it. An, but the heart of We
is black Aileen is there dancin' tonight;
Aileen is there waiting for We with your
kerchief round her neck-the pink kerchief
We showed me and said twas for the
purtiest gurrl in kilgarnock; go to her,
go"
The little figure was quivering with
wrath and emotion; then she remembered
Gll at ONCE llldI Sllt llcii blOhtn iCI plOnA-
Use to herself, but having broken it she
was not going to yield an inch.
"Shure. tits not that ! care for ye; tits
the base desate | hate. Let me pass now,
if ye plaser
"An' don't phase, Mona" he said. "Is
that all? Now We shall listen to me. Ye
would never hear TO me afore, Mona; tits
not my fault. / do love We an We wrong
me when We say no. Shure, mavourneen,
love the very ground We walk on, and the
sound of your voice is as music to meself.
The 'kerchief-aroon, are We angered with
the poor pretty thing? See, have it yet
for the purtiest and smartest gurrl in Kill
garnock. An won't We wear it now? i
knew not even did Allen wear one, an
twas not mine she had on her neck. Ave,
bide your head; tits here on my heart is the
right place for it, No tears, Mona; Mona,
mavourneen, tits all right now. An won't
We wear the poor 'kerchief, colleen"
He drew it around her neck, and held
the ends close up under her chin. Pres
emily she looked up at him, shyly, from
under lowered happy lasEes.
"Ah, Gerald, tits too beautiful for mel
George Wilson Prescott in TimesDemo-
crat.