The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-01-14
Sally O|@Ms.
aAQ aHgf- war R0MaNeQF
Ns5%S>@p TmE @0w1Az><:{$S
%&BRET HARTE.=
~ BRET HART Is
COPYRIGHT. 1892. ar naf AUTHOR

COPYRIGHT. is
MISS Keens dark eyes glanced SIDE
3 ways at the handsome face and elegant
i figure beside her. Something like
4 saucy smile struggled to her thin lips.
ssThere mightn't be much to choose,
a eo'nnle."
5s ssI admit it. We should both &C.
y knowledge our mistress and be like wax
\ In your hands"
"Yo' ought to make that pooty speech
to Sally Dows-she's generally mistress
around here But" she added, sud-
!. denly fixing her eyes on him. chow
y does it happen that yo' amt walking
with her instead of that Englishman?
Yo' know that it's as plain as day that
he took that land over there just to be
4 near her, when he was no longer agent.
But CORTLAND was always master OF
himself and quite at ease regarding
Miss Sally when not in that lady's pres
ence ''You forget" he said, smiling
ly, sfthat I'm still stranger and know
little of the local gossip; and, if did
know it, am afraid we didn't bargain
to buy up with the land Mr.. Champney's
personal interest in the M:adlady."
s'Yo'd have had your hands full, for
/ reckon she's pooty heavily mortgagged
In that fashion already" returned
Miss Reed, with more 6adSnage than
spitefulness in the suggestion. "And
Mr.. Cha1npney was ruin poorly close by
French cousin of hers when he was
here. Yo' haven't got any French
81 1ooxr xr>5O
Paw says you read heap of French,
and find it mighty hard to keep up may
practice since left the convent at St.
Louis, for paw don't know what sort
of books to order, and reckon he
makes awful mistakes sometimes"
The conversation here turning upon
polite literature it appeared that Mss
Octavia's French reading, through IL shy,
proud innocence and an imperfect
knowledge of the wicked subtleties of
the language. was somewhat broad and
unconventional, for young lady.
Courtland promised to send her some
Ebooksand even ventured to suggest some
American and English novels not in
itensely 'tno'th'n'" nor metaphysical
according to the accepted southern
beliefs A new respect and plying in
tterest in this sullen, solitary girl,
lcra1nped by tradition and crushed rath-
Ter than enlightened by sad experiences,
came over him. He found himself talk
ing quite confdentially to the lifted
head, ached eyebrows and aquiline
nose beside him, and even thinking
what handsome high bred brother
she might have been to some one.
when they had reached the house, in
compliance with the familiar custom,
he sat down on one of the lower steps
:. lof the veranda while she, shaking out
Iher skirt, took seat q step or two
above him. This enabled him, after
the languid local fashion, to lean on his
lelbow and gaze up into the eyes Of the
young lady, while she with equal
;languor looked down upon him. But
lin the present instance Miss Reed
LEANED forward suddenly and darling a
sharp quick GRANGE INTO MS very con-
seriousness, said:
sAnd yo' mean to say, connie, there's
nothing between yo' and Sally Dows?"
Courtland neither flushed, trembled,
lgrew confused nor prevaricated
ssWe are good friends, I think" he re-
lplied, quietly, without evasion or hest
itatiou.
Miss Reed looked at him thoughtful
lily. II reckon that is so--and no
moro. And that's why you've been so
lucky in everything" she said, slowly.
81 don't think quite understand"
returned CORTLAND, smiling SIS this
paradox-or a consolation?"
tits the truth," said Miss Reed, grave
ly. ''Those who try to be anything
more to Sally Bows lose thei,: luck"
s.That is-are rejected by her. Is she
.really so relentless?" continued Court
land, gayly. ...
81 mean that they lose their luck in
ievelything Something is sure to
Happen And she can't help it, either. :"
lis this Sybilline warning, Miss
'Reed?"
mo. It's niger superstition. 1t
came from Nanny Judy--Sally's old
nurse. It's part of their regular hoo
doc" Iuegro witchcraft; voo-doo, prob
,ablyl. ''She bewitched Miss Sally
when she was a baby, so that every
body is bound to her as long as they
care for her, and she isn't bound to
TEEN in any way All their luck goes
to her as soon as the spell is on them"
she added, darkly.
81 think know the rest" returned
& CORTLAND, with still greater solemnity.
''You gather the buds of the witch
hazel in April when the moon is full.
You then pluck three hairs from the
young lady's right eyebrow when she
isn't looking"
tsYo' can laugh, connie. for yo're
/ lucky because yo're free.
A..I'm not sure of that he said gal
lantly, ''for ought to be riding at this
s. moment over to the infirmary to visit
my Sunday sick. Ii being made to
. leasantly forget ones time and duty
lis . sign of witchcraft am
q afraid Nanny Judy's entertainments
4 were not confined to only one southern
young lady
The sound OF quick footsteps on the
al natt, causei them both to look