The Irish standard., 1892-10-15

which had been uttered ina vein OF halfs
hayward, fanciful playfulness Almost
Immediately, however. she reused herr
self again, as though unwilling to let
lightsolne hun0r escape SO soon.
well. let us pretend that you have
married me, for better or worse, and
that it is all settled Now, where will
you take me to frst?"
where do you wish to go?"
ooh, it must be somewhere where no
body could come after us!' she ex-
claimed, with curious, subdued laugh.
.sNobody that either of us have ever
known: neither your mother, nor my
father, nor-nor-anybody! And there
we must stay always, because as soon
as we came out we should lose each
other and never find each other again.
And that would be sadder than never to
have met, wouldn't it,
.But my darling Kate interposed l.,
laughing again, where Oh earth in this
age of railways and steamboats, and tele-
graphs aud balloons are we to find such
retired spot? Unless we took voyage
to the moon, or could find our way down
to the center of the earth, we should
hardly feel safe, fe:lr!''
"Oh, well, you must arrange about
that, only it is as tell you, and you see
marrying rne is not such a simple mat
ter after all. Well, now, suppose we
have reached the place, wherever it is
what would you give me for a wedding
present."
What would YOU like?'' s
mo; you are to decide that. It
wouldn't be proper for your wife to
choose her own wedding present. you
know"
81 believe such Il thing does sometimes
happen, though, when the people are
very fashionable and aristocratic.'
''But am not aristocratic: am an
American. Now. what will you give
me?"
What do you say TO the diamonds"
wv ell, think will take the dia-
monds," she said, ,neditatively as
though weighing the question in her
mind. Yes, papa said | might wear
diamonds after | was married. But
might not your mother object?'
mot when she knows whom they are;
for, and at any rate she is going to leave
them to me in her will.
"Oh! and you expect that the news of
our marriage will kill her
1T ought rather to giys ner new
lease Of life. But you shall have the
diamonds all the same. Will you try
them on now?'
why. have you got them with you?"
''Cert;,inly-: / always carry them in
this pocket.
How carelesst You might lose them. :"
mo; the pocket buttons up-see! and,
turning back the flap Of my coat showed
her how all was made secure.
But what if robbers were to attack
your
''Then | should talk to them with
this" | rejoined, taking my revolver
from another pocket and holding it up.
''Oh, that's Derringer They have
those in America What a pretty one!
Let me look at it. y
mo" said l., replacing it in my pocket;
lit has Ii hair trigger and every barrel
is loaded. You shall look at something
much prettiar and not dangerous at all
Here, sit down on this stump and take
off your hat and I'll put them on for.
you"
The stump of which spoke stood at
the end Of the path we had been follow
ing, and within a few rods OF the brink
Of IL precipitoas gorge. which entered
the side Of the steep mountain spur
nearly at right angles. Across this gorge
(which. though seventy to one hundred
feet in depth. was scarcely more than
half as wide at the top wooden bridge
had formerly been thrown; but age or
accident had broken it down until only
a single horizontal beam remained, span
ming the chAsm from side to side and
supported by three or four upright and
transverse braces. The beam itself was
scarcely nine inches in width, and the
whole structure was a dizzy thing to
look at. My nerves were trained to
steadiness by good deal of gymnastic
experience, but it would have needed a
strong ndutement to get me across that
beam ON foot.
Kate sat down on the stump us direct
ed, but her manner had become languld
and Indifferent: the brightness and spar
kle of her late mood were gone. AS she
looked up at me her level eyebrows were
slightly contracted and the corners Of
her mouth dropped. Her hands were
folded listlessly in her lap. She was
dressed in some soft white material,
through which was visible the warm
CLEAN of her arms and shoulders; the
skirt was caught up in such way as to
allow freedom in walking, she wore a
broad bri1nmed white hat over her black
hair, a yellow sash confined her waist
and her hands were bare. | united the
ribbon of her hat, she permitting me to
do so without resistance; and then
kneeIng before my unbuttoned the
diamonds from her pocket and laid
them. in their case, upon her lap.
Now. dear, shall put them on you.
or will you do it yourself?'
She opened the case and tie gems
flashed in the checkered sunshine that
filtered down between the leaves of the
trees. The sight seemed to rouse her
ec,nawhat 2 faint s,,Ot nf ro1or showed