Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1894-11-30

5.s III
y &ssSase ~. wv steps were not from
ssssSs languor, but {
-' mere reluctance tc
going indoors and again putting
architectural barriers between me and
the free airy undulations of the sea
sons breath.
"Please, mum, can ye tell me where
st. Patrickses Church is?"
The voice had in it some of the clear
rustic jubilant ring of the sleigh bells
under the star-lights. 1t was liquid
with laughter as the bob-o-link's &c
static twitter over meadows of butter
cups and daisies. The face of the
speaker was OF the h-American
type. The curves of her mouth rip
pied into smiles; her limpid eyes re
minded me of the eddying pools of 6
trout-brook in their fascinating un
certainly of depth; and the warm
rich color came and went in hel
plump cheeks like the flashes of flame
in a midwinter aurora.
"Please, num-" she began again. ]
must have gazed in her face too long,
for the question was repeated.
''St. Patrick's!" replied, medita.
lively. "Do you know what street il
is on?"
ooh, yes; they tells me it's on
Tenth, between 'F' and c. but ]
don't know how how to find any oi
these Streets" A perfect trill OF
laughter followed this confession, as
though her own ignorance of Wash
ington topography were the rarest
Joke in the budget.
"Ah, remember. I can show it to
you from the next corner" and
turned in upon "H" street and sig
aalled to her to follow.
"But the trouble I'm giving We,
num-" A little touch of alarm shaded
her face for an instant.
"You can't have been long in Wash.
ington"
"Oh, yesI It's going on two years.
But don't step my foot in the street
but once a month, and I'm that stupid
I don't just git on to how they CO."
"Your mistress ought to give you a
holiday oftener than that" I said,
with sudden stir in the blood that
4uickens the indignant pulse of there
lormer when new case of tyranny
ZONES to his ear.
Again she laughed, setting all the
mirthful possibilities of her face into
brisk concerted action.
"She's me own mother, mum, but
shes sick in her mind, daft like, since
she got hurt. Why, she's wild if I'm
put of her sight, so I almost never
leave her."
"How could you get out to-day ?"
[ asked, not without inward remon.
Itrance at my own inquisitiveness, but
J felt myself to be in touch with a
rare character and longed to deter
mine its constitutional elements.
you'll laugh when I tell you, but
she's havin' another weddin' day and
thinks I'm after the priest" Indeed,
| would have laughed long and loud
If anything could have infused the
music into my tone that echoed
through hers with such infnity of
sweet variations.
"You speak as though she'd had
wide experience in wedding days.
She'll know how to make her daugh-
ter's a brilliant one later" I said,
with most reprehensible familiarity.
The sleigh-bell ring in her voice
deepened to the dignity of cathe-
dral chime as she answered.:
"No, mum. It's likely shan't never
get married myself. I can't leave her
while she lives. Larry, he's promised
to wait, but something may happen.
Ye can't tell" should have looked
in vain for a blush on her already
rosy face, but she went on simply with
the story of her mother.
'It's the 10Th of the month and Ann
Ryan's always at home when they stop
the mill to clean it. She comes in to
stay with mother. She looks like my
mothers bridesmaid, they say. Some
way she always puts mother in mind
of that day. The minute Ann Ryan
comes in mother gets out her old we'd
din dress and puts it on. We stick up
the old paper flowers over the mantel
and pin sheets over the chairs to make
everything look nice for the bride.
She kind O. forgets about me then,
and while Ann sings The Bride of
Killarney and The Four-Leaved
Shamrock To- Glenore' I slip out for
an hour. That's how it is, num-"
Doesn't she get impatient for the
guests to come or for the service to be
read" / asked, feeling the intense
pathos of this dried-up and withered
mind clinging so tenaciously to its
one supreme memory. Chow does it
I'll end?"
Elegantly, always. She alwAxs