The Irish standard., 1893-01-21

S&sr-f>M -TG OF d local ldWyo
@~zVhldS5aaEE@(SM and justice of the
ifY.fLl[8llIf Z fG61hYi peace - was not
NNMzN EEl large, but had an
MWHlSsssee9- imposing portico
& .sa sl1s@ss of wooden doric
columns which
extended to the roof and fronted the
msin street. The all-pervading creeper
closely covered it; the sidewalk before
1T was shaded by row Of broad-leaved
,aijantus The front room, with French
windows opening on the portico, was
used by Col. Courtland as a general
Fofice; beyond this sitting-room and
IdiAing-reom overlooked the old-fash-
Toned garden with it's detached kitchen
laad inevitable negro cabin. 1t was
close evening; there were dark clouds
coming up in the direction of the turn
pike road, but the leaves Of the ailantus
hung heavy and motionless in the hush
of the impending storm. The sparks Of
lazily floating frefies softly expanded
and went out in the gloom Of the black
foliage, or in the dark recesses of the
eAEce, whose windows were widely
open, and whose lights CORTLAND had
distinguished when he brought his arm
chair to the portico for GOODNESS. One
of these sparks beyond the fence, al
though alternately glowing and paling,
was still SO persistent and stationary
THAT CORTLAND leaned forward to watch
lit more closely. At which it disap-
Ipeared and voice from the street said:
'sIs that you, Courtland7"
eyes. Come in, won't you?'
The voice was Champney's and the
light was from his cigar. AS he opened
the gate and came slowly up the steps
|of the portico the usual hesitation of
his manner seemed to have increased.
la long sigh trilled the limp leaves of
the ailantus and as quickly subsidized. A
few heavy perpendicular raindrops
crashed and spattered through the
foliage like molten lead.
'sYeu've just escaped the shower"
lsaid CORTLAND, pleasantly. He had not
|seen Champney since they parted in the
cemetery, six weeks before.
eyes. I-l-thought I'd like to have
ia little talk with you, Courtland,' said
iChampney. He hesitated a moment be-
fore the proffered chair, and then added,
with cautious glance towards the
street: Hadn't we better go smsSdc'"
Gas you like. But you'll find it woe
fully hot. We're quite alone here;
there's nobody in the house and this
shower will drive any louugers from
though their relations to each other in
regard to Miss Sally were still so unde-
fined as to scarcely invite his conf
dence.
Howbeit Champney took the prof
ferred chair and the glass of julep
which CORTLAND brought him.
s'You remember my speaking to you
|of Dumont?" he said, hesitatingly
;'sMiss Dows' French cousin, you know
;Well-he's coming here; he's got prop
erty here-those three houses opposite
the courthouse. From what, I hear
he's come over with a lot of new-fangled
French ideas on the niger question
rot about equality and fraternity, don't
Iyou know-and the highest education
land highest offices for them. You know
what the feeling is here already; you
know what happened at the last cleo
!tion at Coolidgeville; how the whites
wouldn't let the niggers go to the polls
and the jolly row that was kicked up
lover it. Well, it looks as if that sort of
thing might happen here, don't you
know, if Miss Bows takes up these
ideas"
'sBut I've reason to suppose mean,"
lsaid Courtland, correcting himself with
some deliberation, shat anyone who
knows Miss Dows' opinions knows
these are not her views. Why should
she take them up?" (
Because she takes ham up" returned
Champney, hurriedly, "and even if she
didn't believe in them herself, she'd
have to share the responsibility with
him in the eyes of every unreconstruct-
ed rowdy like Tom Higbee and the rest
of them. They'd make short work of
Eher niggers all the same"
ssBut don't see why she should be
made responsible for the opinions Of
her cousin, nor do exactly know what
| taking him up means" returned Court
land, quietly.
Champney moistened his dry lips with
1.-THE julep and uttered nervous laugh.
Suppose we say her husband, for that's
what his coming back here means.
Everybody knows that you would too,
|M you ever talked with her about any
thing but business"
. A bright flash Of lightning that lit up
the faces of the two men would have
revealed Champney's flushed features
and Courtland's Lack Of color, had they
been looking at each other. But they
were not, and the long reverberating
crash OF thunder which followed pre-
vented any audible reply from Court
land, and covered his agitation.
For without fully accepting Champ
ney's conclusion he was cruelty shocked
at the young mans utterance Of them.
He had scrupulously respected the
81 wishes Of Miss Sally and had faithfully
1though never hopele held back
my Of his own love since
their conversattio il the cemetery.