The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-05-28
Copyright, 1893, by
the Author.l

So accustomed to
/ It, SO after II second or two hardly feels
1T. This little cabin is as familiar to
her as her own home-"the big house."
as the peasants around call it.
Are you in. Biddy?" cries she, in her
clear, fresh young voice, that has now
a note OF angry defiance in it.
An is it you, darlin'::' cries Mrs
Mulvany, coming from the room be.
yond-if it can be called separate
room, being only divided from the
place where Molly is standing by the
dresser that holds the china cups and
bowls-the pride of the irish peasant.
Yes" says MoAy. She stands still
in the middle of the earthen floor and
looks at Bridget Mulvany. "IIe's comet"
says she, in n low but tragic tone.
Save nsi' cries the former, crossing
herself. An what are We to do now,
Miss Molly?'
m not going to stay at home to re-
ccive him, anyway says Miss Carew,
sinking upon n thrcc-lcggcd stool, and
casting determined glance ut the de-
voted Bridget. Nothing shall make
me civil to him. He may be my cousin
only Il second cousin, by the way
and he may b, modern Crusus: and
he may have tho audacity to come
down here To ask me to marry him be-
cause his mofhrr wishes him to do so;
but OH" She breaks off suddenly
and clnsping her hands over her knees
looks up nj Bridget solcmnly. Fancy
anyone doing anything just because
their m0thcr''-wth infinite scorn-
told Them
''Wcll, me dear, mothers a mother"
!,-1,.
mother herself, ana perhaps is afraid
OF giving herself away too much.
Patsy. beyond all doubt, is listening
behind the dresser, and Nora Is, hiding
under the settle "l.ut understand
yc''
I'm certain he knows all about it,"
says Molly. Nothing would make me
believe otherwise; and rather than
marry hiDl--I,' standing up and speak
Ing defantly, 81 would run away from
home" She walks to tao door. Outside,
she picks up the light fishing rod She
had laid against the side of the door on
entering. "Good-by, Bddy. I'm going
fishing IN TIE river up above. If any
one asks You where l am, don't tell
them. I've made up my mind not to go
dome before the first bell"
She runs lightly up the road, and is
presently out of sight. Almost as She
turns the I'LL, Il young man in dark
gray tweed energies from the off-sdc OF
the cabin, and goes swiftly after her
His mind is IN tumult of curiosity. in
iignation and aStonshiHent. Has his
mother really sent him here with view
to marrying him to his cousin?
lie knows there was an old compact
between the two branches of the fam
ily with regard to this Internal thing,
If he had had even the faintcst linking
OF it he would never have come No
wonder tho girl was annoyed. But, by
Jovc, how sl.c had gone for him! He
had been about TO enter the cabin
(having been sent in search of her by
her mother, who knew very well whc,n
she was to he found), but, hearing his
own name, had paused. 1t was di.-
graceful OF him certainly, but he had
listened only for IL minute on two-hc
had been too surprised tn move away.
iii, royal highncss,' she had called
him. lie laughed at that. How clear,
how sweet, how indignant were the
beautiful tones. lie did not notice the
delicate touch of broguc, having indeed
very generous touch of it hi msclf.
Well. he viii follow her, if only To sec
whether the face is rs charming as the
voice.
'You onght to throw it n little more
up stream. There! that's better IIa.
you've got a bite there"
Considering all things, they are now
on excellent terms, though Brian can
only hope this is his cousin Molly. She
has no idea about him at all. except
that lie is Il Strange young man, evil
IDENTIFY a conference.-the had come up
to her just IL time to save her cast that
had got hung up in an alder. He had
extricated il so successfully that she
felt quite friendly towards him after
wards, and had set him down in her
own mind as one of the young men
from the barracks at Dulrane who were
forever coming to spend day at Lady
Blantyre's.
She has landed her trout now, and
her eyes are flashing with delight She
looks up to find her new acquaintance
gazing at her curiously.
you are wondering why am SO ex-
cited over a mere fish," says she, laugh
ing and blnshing
''No, not that. | was only thinking
how different you look now to what
you did when first saw YOU
''Ah. no wonder. | was in despair
about my cast then"
81 saw yon before that. You were
leaning on the brid ge over there-look-
ing little sad. thought"
cone must lc sad sometimes, says
She, signing. Her joy at the capture
of her trout seems to have evaporated.
''.Some people. But you-must you?"
asks he.
OWN, sbn,,id I ho n A1:. ..,