The Irish standard., 1893-01-21


ton of his Indifference to her and his
consequent half condolences added
poignancy to his story. There seemed
to be only one way to extricate himself
and that was by quarrel Whether
he did or did not believe Clsampney's
story, whether it was only the jealous
exaggeration Of a rival or Miss Sally
was actually deceiving them both-his
position had become intolerable.
81 must remind you, Champney," he
said, with freezing deliberation, that
Miss Miranda Bows and her niece now
represent the Drummond Company
equally with myself. and that you can
not expect me to listen to any reflec-
tons upon the way they choose to adj
minister their part Of its affairs, either
now or to come. Still less do care to
discuss the idle gossip which can affect
only the private interests of these ladies
with which neither you nor ! have
any right to interfere
But the naioette of the young Eng
lishman was as invincible as Miss Sal
ly's own, and as fatal to Courtland's at
titude. ''Of course haven't any right.
you know" he said, calmly ignoring
the preamble of his companions speech,
''but say-hang it all-evenif fellow
has no chance h6mself he don't like to
see girl throw herself and her proper
ty away on man like that
zone moment, Champney," said
CORTLAND, under the infection of his
guests simplicity, abandoning his form
er superior attitude. "You may say
you have no chance. Do you wish me
to understand that you are regularly
sutton of Miss Dows?"
''Y-e-e-s,'' said the young fellow-but
rather than evasion. "That is-you
know II soos. But don't you see it
couldn't be. 1t wouldn't do, you know.
IF those. clannish neighbors of hers
that southern set--suspected that Miss
Sally was courted by an Englishman,
don't you know-a poacher on their
preserves--it would be all up with her
position on the property and her influ-
ence over them. ] don't mind telling
you that's one reason why I left the
company and took that other planta-
ton. But even that didn't work; they
had their suspicious excited already
ssDid Miss BOWS give that as reason
for declining your suit?' asked Court
land, slowly.
eyes; you know what a straightfor-
ward girl she is. She didn't come no
rot about not expecting anything OF
the kind or about being a sister to me, ,
and ali that, for, by Jove, she's always
more like fellows sister, don't you
know, than his girl. OF course it was
hard lines for me, but / suppose she
was about right" He stopped and
then added with kind Of gentle per-
sistency: ''You think she was about
right-don't you?"
With what was passing in Courtland's
mind, the question seemed so bitterly
ironical that he leaned half angrily
forward, with an unconscious move
ment of attempting to catch the speak
er's expression in the darkness. 81
should hardly venture to give an
opinion" he said deliberately. ''Miss
Dows' relations with her neighbors are
so very peculiar. And from what you
tell me of her cousin it would seem that
her desire toplacate them is not always
to be depended upon"
''I'm not finding fault with her, you
know" said Champney, hastily. I'm
not such a beastly cad as that; /
wouldn't have spoken Of my affairs at
all, but you asked, you know. I only
thought if she was going to get her
self into trouble on account of that
French,nan you might talk to her;
she'd listen to you because she'd know
you only did it out Of business reasons.
And they're really business reasons,
you know. I suppose you don't think
much of my business capacity, colonel,
and you wouldn't go much on my judg-
ment-especialiy now-but I've been
here longer than you and" he
i W1r%