The Irish standard., 1893-05-06
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Some one halted him as ne reachec
the small gate. Nora could see letter
handed over the pickets to her husband.
On the other side of the gate stood q
very old man. He was bent with age.
She could not recall ever having en-
countered him in any of her walks or
drives.
The matter of note handed to her
husband by one of the people on the
place would not have cost her second
, thought, had not John behaved so curl
ously about it.
She could see him conceal the white
envelope between his two large hands
while he glanced in every direction,
taking the lower partof the house in
with furtive sweep; after which hel
seemed to make a point of securing
himself against observation while he
read it. He planted himself squarely
in front of the gate, with his back to-
ward her point of observation, and held
the paper at close range. After the
reading, a hurried colloquy ensued be-
tween him and the man on the other
side of the gate, who hobbled away at
its close, leaving John standing in the
same spot, evidently sunk in profound
revery.
He had leaned his gun against the
gatepost while reading the letter. He
picked it up presently, examined the
lock abstractedly, and passed slowly
out through the gate, closing it absent
~ upon the noses of the three dogs.
They ran yelping and protesting against
! this piece of Inconsistencies, until a
low place in the fence furnished them
their opportunity, when they vaulted
over it, and, with their bruised noses
close to the ground, soon disappeared,
running in the direction John had taken.
| Johns wife turned away from the
! window, now that there was nothing
more to be seen, conscious Of very
| lively curiosity touching the note which
had, before her very eyes, transformed
her husband almost instantaneously
from quick-stepping, CARELESS, whist
ling huntsman into grave, slow-mov-
ing, profoundly distracted man.
''He had forgotten all about the dogs,
. evidently, and he stopped whistlingi 1t
takes a decided shock to make John
break off tune in the middle
But whatever might have been the
condition of his nerves when he passed
through the gate going, to all seeming
they were in admirable order when he
entered her room some hours later, in a
terribly despatched condition, but radi-
ant over his modicum of success.
mine snipe and three rabbits! How
is that for two hours hunt, Mrs. John,
by a man who hasn't had his finger on
trigger for a year?''
sit is miracle, if I am to take my
cue from your face, dear"
She was scanning him curiously.
Would he tell her anything about the
note? She let her eyes drop slowly from
his face to his 1nud-spattered ankles.
elbow does one contrive to get so
muddy in such dry weather, John?"
"Snipe,-swamp birds, you know.
No end Of trouble to secure them. But
I fancied they would be treat to you
and Ninette Where is the monkey?"
''Celeste and she are out together,
somewhere. She will be in presently"
No; it was evident he did not intend to
tell her anything about that note. She
had scarcely expected he would. On the
other hand, she did not intend to tell
him of Ninette's visit to Glenburnie.
Was she in position to cast stones? A
secret for a secret.
The dinner-ben rang while he was
still busy with the wisp broom, Kidding
himself of his forest accretions.
''You are not going to dinner in that
rig?"
She turned from the mirror, where she
had been putting the last precise touch
es to her own dinner toilette, to ask
this question, as there was no sign Of
Johns doffing his corduroys.
81 think must to-day. l will apollo
gize to mother"
81 don't think Mrs. Lorimer accepts
apologies very gracefully. She prefers
your not offending"
Il know it; but have to take anoth-
er tramp after dinner, and she will have
to take me as am this time"
''More snipe?"
'.Yes-ne; that is, of course, I shall
take my gun along; but you mustn't
always count on my being SO success
full" His evident nervousness increased
with every word.
81 never count on anything she said,
systematically, as together they de-
scended the stairway to the dining
room. Just as they reached it, she tried
an experiment:
eff you will wait for me to slip into
flannel dress after dinner, will tramp
with you. lam splendid walker
II could not think, Of such thing"
he said, with, irritated emphasis; lit
would wear you literally out
''As you please" she said, cool1y. II
faneied you would like to have me co.
''Under any other circumstances-1
mean, at any other time-that is"
''You are foundering, John, dear,
abo1ninably."
They were in the dining-room now,
and John was excusing his hunting
garb to his mother.
Going again, after dinner? It gets
dark very early, you know, John. like
to have you all about me when the
lamps are lighted, John
Z +. 4