The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-08-19
myself are destined to be better. -
worse. acquainted" 4s
III

mySelI are OeSL1neO TO De DeLteT. -
worse, acquainted" s
CHAPTER Ill
MATT MAKES HER FIRST APPEARANCE
Eureka! have had an adventure
at last; and yet, after all, what am I
talking about? 1t is no adventure ct
all, but only commonplace incident.
This is how it happened:
81 was seated this morning before
my easel, out in open air, painting
busily, when thought heard =
movement behind me.
81 should have promised, by the way,
that Tim had gone off on another ex-
cursion into the Jones territory. on
the quest for more eggs and milk
| 81 glanced over my shoulder and
saw, peering round the corner OF my
white sun-shade pair of large, eager
eyes-fxed not upon me, but upon the
canvas was painting
'Not in the least surprised, ! Thought
to myself: AT last! The caravan has
exercised it's spell upon the district,
and the usual audience is beginning
to gather. So went TRANQUILITY on with
my work and paid no more attention
"Presently, however, fatighed with
my work, i INDUCED in great yawn,
and rose to stretch myself / then per
ceived that my audience was moro
select than numerous, consisting OF
only one individual-a young person
in Welsh chimney-pot hat Closer
observation showed me that said hat
was set on a head of closely-cropped,
curly black hair, beneath which there
shone brown, boyish face freckled
with sun and wind a pair Of bright,
black eyes and laughing mouth,
with two rows of the whitest of teeth.
But the face, though boyish, did not
belong to boy. The young person
a colored wooden shawl or scarf
thrown over the shoulders, and wore
thick wooden stockings and rough
shoes, the latter many sizes too large.
The gown was too short for the svearer,
who had evidently outgrown it; it
reached only just below the knee, and,
when the young person moved, one
caught glimpse Of something very
much resembling delapidated garter.
| THE young persons smile was SO:
bright and good humored that found
myself answering it with friendly
nod.
GLOW are you?' said, gallantly. 4
hope you're quite we'll.
! ''She nodded in reply, and, stopping
down, plucked long blade of grass
which she placed in her mouth and be-
gan to Enthusiastically, thought.
May ask you where you came
| from?' I said. i mean, where do you
live%
"Without speaking, she stretched
out her arm and pointed across the lake
in the direction Of this sea. could not
help noticing then, as an artist, that
the sleeve of her gown was loose and
torn, and that her arm was round and
we'll formed, and her hand; though
rough and sunburnt, quite genteelly
small
"'If it is not inquisitive may I ask
your name?
"'Matt, was the reply.
"'Is that all? What is your other
name?'
"I've got no other name. I'm Matt,
/ am
"'Indeed! Do your parents live here?'
| "tGot no parents was the reply
| "'Your relations. then You belong
to some one, suppose"
eyes, she answered, nibbling rap
idly I belong to William Jones'
"'Oh. to him. I said, feeling as IA
miliar with the name as if had known
it all my life. But he's not your
| father?'.
''She shook her head emphatically
but of course he's q relation?'
| Another shake of the head.
"'But you belong to him?" | said,
considerably puzzled. Where were you
born?' .-
"'I wasn't born at ALL answered
! Matt. I come ashore
''This was what the immortal Dick
Swivel}er would have called a stag
gerer' | looked at the girl again, in~