The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-11-11
"FROM MY BRIEF

one of those haTd-faced, lOng-lppeu, To-
bacco-chewing young persons who gather
together to lounge at the street corners
on Sunday afternoons, and who are per-
haps endowed with the faculty of being
able to admire each other. His father,
Daniel Leary, was q hard-faced, long
Tipped member of some religious sect-l
forget which, but no matter. How, as
an Irishman, he happened to be this, L
don't know; but his three passions were
sanctity, the wrongs of Ireland, and horse
trading. These three mingled wonder
fully. Micky was not fully developed
when last heard from, but it is said that
wherever there was platform speech on
ireland" he attended.
He was an energetic member of young
mems society that had band, ostensibly
for the purpose of producing muslc-a
society which wasted fortunes in green
silk, surreptitious whisky and chewing
tobacco, and also much time in secret
night meetings and public professions
dimly connected with the cause of Ire
land. For Micky to conspire, to walk IN
the dark, to become secret, omnlpo-
tent, and if necessary, deadly power,
seemed more desirable climax for life
than any other, and he was in the habit
of following people at night IN the hope
of being able secretly to terrorize them
afterward.
His half sister, Norah Carney, was very
different, She had been born in Ireland
and brought over as an infant to this
country, where her mother, after John
Carney's death, married Daniel Leary.
She had remained Roman Catholic and
Norah was brought up in that faith.
There was a strange religious mixture in
that house: the husband, sometimes,
with his friends in the front rooms, pray
ing for the conversion of all people
while the priest coming in at the back door
gave consolation to the wife and Moran In
the kitchen. Both husband and wife felt
that the other of them was going, finally,
to a warm place-beliefs which, after a
hot religious discussion, moved toward
appreciation of the general fitness of
things. Norah came from that part of
Ireland, where, long ago, the Spaniards
settled, and while in every instinct Irish,
she had that dark, warm, soft warm
beauty, suggesting Madrid, or something
Moorish, Oriental
Late one night she was walking near
the Deer Park estate, and that always
chal ming old story was being told again,
perhaps for the tenth time that month,
by Paul Beamish. He was fine, tall
Young Canadian, under whose massive
shoulders and arms pillow would almost
break when it veered on striking a snag,
and lie had long Strengthened face
that grew pale instead of red under sud
den access of excitement, and kindly,
kindling gray eye, that could be as dan
gerous an eye as ever saw.
~ don't know about you, after all,
Norah! I'm certain you have been a
tlirt!"
''Ah, yes Why notP Who had a bet
ter right until you came alongp And now
seem to have more than l can do tc
make you love me enough. And you
know" she said, drawing herself closer
II want you to love me till-oh, just til
you won't know yourself"
"Well, keep on about in this shape and
wouldn't wonder if you'd have luck
But what about the confession you have
to make?"
M"Oh, think have been pretty bad al
girls seem to 60. Why were not othel
girls made as bad as l was? They are al
as good as pie. OF course l like them
but feel as if can't be bothered will
them. Now, with men it is different o.
course don't do so now; but, tell me
wasn't 1t very bad to like to have half ;
dozen men in love with me?"
'What, all at once?"
Eyes, all at once. L never seemed u
really live unless someone was making
love to me. | liked the sound of theil
voices, though l would not give grea
big two dollars for any of them until the
night you came along, and as soon as
saw you | was afraid. 1t was mean o
YOU not to give me chance to tormen
you for while. just an introduction
and a walk to the other side of the veran
III ms
horrid of yOu!'
,'But nothing new to you, apparently,
he said, with lovers mingled jealous!
and delight.
at was. How dare you say so! NJ
man ever kissed me except One-no, TIVE
well, | won't lie, three. But then
never kissed anybody but you-never
And the first two only let Try just t,
see how it went: and the third was Tor
renee Maher, and he kissed me befor
father and mother. The coward! HI
did not dare try it outside, where yol
did I'd tear him to pieces"
Eyes; I'll owe him one for that" salt
Paul, gritting his powerful teeth, land
mark you, when the chance comes he'll
get it. BY the way, what is the prizes
trying to do for him now?"
''Ob, both he and mother, and evel
father, are determined Cnab Shall MARI
him. His father is so rich, and Fathe
Burns thinks the money ought to be KEEP
in the church. He is afraid TeTrenc
will marry Protestant. Ofcourse mothe
daren't say word"
II don't see why your stepfather, beini
of different religion, should be so de
termired on the marriage"
Irish respect for parents was with he
a hereditary creed. However wrong, tn
doings of parents and loved ones, the
must not be held up for contempt. Sh
knew her stepfather had only agreed +
the marriage after he had seen his wa
to profits in the future. But he was tn
only father she had known, and eve
now, when she was herself the subjeC
of his nefarious schemes, she excuse
him to herself because of the almos
demigod license for action and eve
wrongdoing that the mind of an Iris
child allows TO its father. She RENAME
silent as to this, but continued after
while: Eyes, am to be turned out c
this house the first time am known
have spoken to you. We all had ba
time yesterday going over the whol
matter. Of course, father was awfu
Paul looked at her curiously, restrain
ing because Norah was suffering, d.
sire to smile. A doubt arose in his min
as to whether it were wise to risk hi
life's happiness in marriage with thl
lOvelv fanatic This tornado of love an