The Portland daily press., 1892-09-10
THE FLOOD.


found dead at his evening meal; the girl
buried side by side. This caused much
scandal, for the man was holy, and the
girl, as many women said, was probably
evil altogether. At the graves, when
the minister's people saw what was be-
ing done, they piously protested, but
the Factor answered them gravely that
the matter should go on since none
knew but the woman was as worthy Of
heaven as the man. Vending CHANGED
to stand beside pretty Pierre.
.Who knows!'' he said aloud, looking
hard at the graves, "who knows! She
died before him, but the dead can
strike"
Pierre did not answer Immediately,
for the Factor was calling the earth
down on both collins, but after mo-
ment he added, Eyes, the dead can
strike" And then the eyes of the two
men caught and staid, and they knew
that they had things to say to each other
in the world.
They became friends. And that per-
haps was not greatly to Weddings
credit, for in the eyes of many Pierre
was an outcast as an outlaw Maybe
some of the women disliked this friend
ship most, since Vending was a hand
some man, and Pierre was never known
to seek them, good or bad, and they
blamed him for the others GOODNESS, for
his unconcerned yet respectful eye.
"There's Nelly Nolan would dance
after him to the worlds end" said Shon
McGann to Pierre one day, .''and the
Wildly jerome herself, wild her hamin
cheeks and the wild fun in her eye,
croons like babe at the breast as he
slides out his cash on the bar, and over
on Gansonby's fiat there's"-
"There's many fool" sharply inter
jected Pierre as he pushed the needle
through button he was sewing on.
sBedad, there's pair of fools here
anyway, say /, for the women might
die without lift at waist or brush of lip
and neither of ye'd say, Here's to the
joy of us, goddess, me own"
Pierre seemed to be intently watching
the needle point as it pierced up the
button eye, and his reply was given with
a slowness corresponding to the sedate
passage of the needle. Vending, you
think. cares nothing for women? Well,
men who are like that cared once for
one woman, and when that was over
But, pshaw! will not talk. You
are no thinker, Shon McGann. You
blunder through the world. And you'll
tremble as much to a woman's thumb
in fifty years as now"
by the holy smoke" said Shon,
Though tremble at that, maybe I'll not
tremble as Vending at nothing at ALL
Here Pierre looked up sharply, then
dropped his eyes on his work again.
Shon lapsed suddenly i1to moodiness.
Yes" said Pierre. ''as Vending at
nothing at all? Well?''
well, this, Pierre, for you that's
thinker. from me that's none. | was
walkin with him in the Red glen yester-
day Suddenly he took to shiverin and
snatched me by the arm, and mad
look shot out of his handsome face.
'Hushr says he listened. There was
a sound like the hard rattle of a creek
over stones, and then another sound be-
hind that. Come, quick, says he, the
sweat standin thick on him, and he ran
me up the bank-for it was at the begin
min of the glen. where the sides were low
and there we stood pantin an starin
fat.at each other.
.''What's that, and what's got its
hand on We, for y'are cold as death an
pinched in the face, an you've bruised
my armr said l. And he looked around
him slow and breathed hard, then drew
his fingers through the sweat on his
cheek. I'm not we'll, and | thought |
heard-you heard it; what was it like?
said he, and he peered close at me.
Like water said I; "a little creek near,
and food comm far off, Yes, just
that said he; it's some trick of wind
in the glen, but it makes man foolish,
and an inch of brandy would be the
right thing | didn't say no to that.
And on we came, and brandy we had
with wish in the eye of Nelly Nolan
that'd warm the heart of tomb. And
there's cud for your chewin, Pierre"
During this Pierre had finished with
the button. He had drawn on his coat
End lifted his hat, and now lounged.
trying the point of the needle with his
forefngee. When Shon ended he said
with a sidelong glance, "But what did
you think of all that, Shon?"
..Thinkl There it was! What's the
use of thinkin? There's many a trick in
the world with wind or with spirit, as
I've seen often enough in ould Ireland,
and it's not to be guessed by me-" Here
his voice got little lower and trifie
solemn. For, Pierre, spoke he, "there's
what's more than life or death, and sorra
wan can tell what it is, but we'll know
some day when"--
when we'y5 taken the leap at the
almighty ditch" said Pierre, with a
grave kind of lightness. Eyes, it is all
strange. But even the almighty ditch
is worth the doing-nearly everything
is worth the doing; being young, grow
ing old, fighting, loving-when youth
is on-hating, eating, drinking, working,
playing big games-all are worth it ex-
cept two thkngs."
"And what are thew hedad5"