The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-04-29

| in the air. She came back to her seat
quietly.
"You have burned it?''
eyes, sir" j..
Without reading it?"
"You know that"
'But it was love letter"
"From coward"
.''Why do you call him that? /
imagine T. hate the Lorimers worse than
you possibly could do, but it would
never occur to me to call any one of
them cowardly."
est does occur to me. do not hate
Dennis Lorimer-at least, did not
| nevertheless, call him coward"
"Why?"
She flung out her hands, with =
gesture of Impotence.
bah! What a detestable morning
| this has been! Are you not ready for
your game of chess, father?"
mo. Let me hear what is going on
on the place."
She drew book from her pocket and
spread it open before him. Her face
| wore it's most sullen expression.
"Why do you not mount your horse
and ride over the place yourself, father,
if you care to know anything about it?''
He made an impatient gesture. "Shau
/ have to repeat for your instruction
! my solemnly registered VOW, registered
| over your mothers coffin, grip"
"Spare me! / know it by heart. I'm
becility!' She muttered the last word
between her teeth.
Moreover, the time has gone by for
me to cope with the changed conditions
| of labor. There is nothing but defeat
and humiliation left for the gentlemen
| Of the old regime. Let the freed slaves
work out their own salvation, on the
! rental system. 1t is not necessary for
me TO come in personal contact with
! them. I should never draw a comfort
| able breath if I was compelled to be
! daily eyewitness of the ruin that has
overtaken Glenburnie. With you it is
different You have no recollection Of
it's ante-bellum glories."
| eyes, with me it is different" said
| Ida, bitterly; then she forced his wan
| dering attention in the direction of the
foreman's weekly report, as set forth in
Eyes, yes. Doubtless it is all perfect
| ly correct. What splendid business
man is thrown away in you, my daugh-
| ter! Have we not had enough? The
account is somewhat prolix."
] He concealed yawn behind his large
| white silk pocket handkerchief, which
exhaled perfume more delicate than
\ that of.any of lda's marketable flowers.
She was relentless. He should hear
her out.
+ 81 have not given you yet the num-
! Der of sacks of seeds stored for the
! next planting. And Ralston says the
| gin ought to be insured. I think he is
| right"
| "By all means insure it, then" he
was leaning back in his large chair, ca
| ressing his handsome side whiskers with
! the hand that was ornamented with his
largest solitaire.
"By the way, Ida, what is the condi-
ton of our cellar?"
"There is some sherry, claret and Ca
tawba downstairs"
She did not tell him that the flowers
from her garden had been Transmitted
into wine for his cellar.
'Send claret up with my dinner, will
you?"
1t was a note of dismissal. u he hand
ed her back the book in which she had
compelled him to keep tally while she
read from her own. Perhaps, during
the reading of it, it dawned upon him
that Ida had rather rough time of it
for handsome young woman" He grac
ciously bestowed upon her an indulgent
smile: ''Not very lucid, but as clear,
suppose, as one could expect from
woman and an uneducated foreman.
Pray, my daughter, give more explicit
directions about my mutton. 1t was
simply mess yesterday
Ida took the book away from him and
put it back into her own pocket. He
was smiling up into her face like a. child
who was vaguely conscious OF having
merited punishment of some sort. but
stood in no fear Of its immediate inhic-
ton.
aWhat manner of man was this thoo
abe was called upon to honor and 70
obey?" It was not the nfSt time that
she had asked that question in intense
bitterness of soul. The answer seeWed
farther off than ever to-day.
She had purposely tried to goad him
into sense of shame for his INDECENT
attitude and his humanity shifting OF
the responsibilities that were his upon
her weak shoulders. She had deGber-
ately and purposely been insolent to
him. To what purpose? They had
gone all around the drearily familiar
circle and drifted back to his mutton
and his wine! There was no holding
him to any serious purpose. The only
evidence Of tenacity that Ames Fair
banks had ever given to the world was
in his observance Of Spw vhich Ida
well called that old W. asl ineee.l.