The Irish standard., 1893-05-27

secrets into his long, silky ears, but
thorn in his flesh, reminder of his
miserable matrimonial defeat? Why
should the dismissal of her bonnie be re-
ported to him?
Eyes; had to send her away" Ida
stood before him, twisting her hat rib
bons about nervonsly, as confused and
tremulous as a shared bird.
John Lorimer looked at her with
polite attention.
''Oh. it is nothing but cowardice that
makes it so hard for me to repeat her
vile threats. And yet you ought to
know: Perhaps you can find a meaning
to them that | cannot
'You are agitated, Miss Fairbanks.
Pray be seated"
He brought chair, but she waved it
aside and plunged into her story with
impetuouo earnestness:
II was agitated. I feel calmer now.
It is not easy to repeat such miserable
things. When Celeste found that she
had lost her place she rallied out at me
with a tempest of insulting words.
Some things she said seemed to throw
some light on--on-:'
MRS. Lorimer's hight?" John asked,
steadily.
Eyes. That is why am here. She
came into my room IA ter her box was
gone, and, standing before me. with her
bad, bad face working with passion,
fairly shrieked into my face: I am not
done with the Fairbanks yet. have
loved and hated them by turns, and the
good Lord has put it into my power to
hurt every one of them. You pass for
saint; no one but Celeste Bougereaux
knows that it was because of you that
John Lorimer's poor young wife was
driven to despair. It was [, the de-
spised Celeste, not he, the man who had
sworn to love and protect her, nor you,
the saint who can do no harm, that re-
ceived her back, wet and shivering and
heartbroken, that night - the night
that Then she broke off with that
fendish laugh that always made me
shudder, adding: 'Ah, we'll! that will
keep until have use for it. Celeste
Bougereaux has a storehouse for family
secrets. 1t is very full, but there is
room for few more Then she rushed
from the room, but as Cato was driving
her from the door could hear that
hideous laugh of hers
John looked at her uncOmprehend-
ingly. There was no more to tell, ap-
parently. She stood before him flushed
and silent.
''Well? l always knew that the wom-
an was devil. I wondered at Mrs.
at the child's aunt employing her.
suppose she had her own reasons for it.
But what.are her rawlings to you or to
me?"
"By themselves, perhaps, nothing;
but one link discovers another. Do you
remember, Mr.. Lorimer, the evening
you were so good as to take me to old
Isham's cabin to meet Dennis, my hus-
band that is to be?''
Perfectly"
A wintry smile fitted over his grave
face, she had raised her young head
with such proud gesture of defiance
as she asked the question.
Something strange happened the
next morning. II meant nothing at all
to me until after Celeste's outburst.
Old Isha1n came TO me with fve-dol-
lar gold piece in his hand, and asked
me il hadn't made a mistake When
told him did not know what he was
talking about, he said: Missy, didn't
you think you was giving me quarter
for seeing you cross Dry bayou, stead
of which you give me this?' When
told him he must be dreaming, that I
had never given him anything, he said:
Missy, you needn't be 'fraid old lsham,
would tell on you.
John Lorimer made gesture of i'm
patience. Why should he be called on
to sift the utterapces of an inturiated
French nursery maid and an imbecile
old negro to find the clew to his own
misery? The best of women were SO
prolix.
stWell?"
'.Don't you see? Can't you see?' Ida
asked, impatiently.
''See what?''
''That the poor little thing made
mistake! How she must have suffered,
Mr. Lorimer! Perhaps" she went on,
blushing entrancingly, ''she may have
seen you plotting me through the briers
and the gullies that night. Perhaps
she got it into her poor little bewil-
dered head that-don't you see?-that
you cared for me, the wrong way. If
she had known me''-with a proud
flush on her pure young face
ssshe could never have fallen
into such hideous error. But,
nh, how she must have suffered! Tell
me where she is, that may make haste
to beg her pardon for my ignorant share
in her wretch edness."
s.Do understand I to under
stand that my wife knew of your visit
TO the Dry bayou 10 see Demise"
Il. ..sBut. what else? Why should she
have come back to, the house broken
hearted? Who was it that old Isham
piloted home in the dark?"
.tBy Jove, it was shabby treatment OF
me!''
I There was scarcely any uplifting Of
the shadows. II Nora had stopped to
p1ay the spy on his movements, # she
- s - l;<xlo 41.,raf In him as all that,