The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28

/ INNnfTs I uDU Y hN0WN NAN I eNNE TEWEmUEN =
fox from Pouinaroe taking that lire before"
"He wasn't a Pouinaroe fox. said Peter.
"IGont know that said Jack and then they
debated that question hotiy.
Our horses were very tired. and n was late be
fore we reached Mr.. O'Conor's houss. That get
ting home from hunting with . thoroughly
weary animal who has no longer sympathy or
example 30 carry hin on, Is very tedious work.
In the presant instance I had company
with me; but when q man IL alone,
when his horse toes at every ten stepe,
when the night IL dark and the rain
pouring. and there are yet eight miles Of road 20
be conquered.-at such times q man IL apt 20
swear that he will give M hunting.
At last we were in the Castle Conor stable
yard for We had approached the house by
some back way; and ss we entered the house by
q door leading through q wilderness Of back
passages. Mr.. o'Conor said out loud: Now.
boys. remember I cit down to dinner in twenty
minutes" And then turning expressly to me-. be
laid his hand kindly upon my shoulder asd
said. II hope you will make yourself quite at
home at Castle Conor. and whatever you do.
don't keep us waiting for dinner. You can dress.
in twenty minutes, I suppose Z"
I'm teni' said I. Rlibly.
THAT'S we'll. Jack and Peter will show you
your room" and 80 he turned away and left us.
My two young friends made their way into the
great hall and thence into the drawing room.
and I followed them. We were all dressed In
pink. and had waded deep through bog and
mud. I did not exactly know whittier ] was be-
ing led In this guise, but I soon found myself in
the presence of two young ladies and Of a girl
about thirteen years Of age.
NJ sisters" said Jack. introducing me very
laconically. Miss O'Conor. Miss Kate O'Conor,
Miss Tizzy O'Conor."
MY name Is not Tiz2y.'' said the younger;
" it's Eliza. How do you do. sir2 l hope you
had a fine hunt! Was papa well up. Jack 2"
Jack did not condescend to answer this ques-
ton, but asked one OF the elder girls whether
anything had come. and whether a room had
been made ready for me-.
"oh yes!" said Miss O'Conor; "they came. 7
know, for I saw them brought into the house;
and I hope Mr.. Green will find everything COM
Portable" As she said this I thought / saw a
slight smile steal across her pretty mouth.
They were both exceedingly pretty girls.
Fanny the elder wore long glossy curls. for I
write, oh reader, OF bygone days, as long ago as
that when ladies wore curls II IL pleased
them so To do. and gentlemen danced In pumps,
with black handkerchiefs round their necks
yes, long black. or nearly black silken curls;
and then she had such eyes-I never knew
whether they were most wicked or most bright:
and her face was all dimples. and each dimple
was laden with laughter and laden with love.
Kate was pro ,ab.y the prettier girl Of the two.
but on the whole not so attractive. She was
fairer than her sister. and wore her hair in
braids. and was also somewhat moro demure in
her manner.
In spite OF the special injunctions of Mr..
O'Conor, senior, 10 was impossible not to loiter
for Ave minutes over the drawing room fire talk
ing to these hours more especially as I seemed
to know them intimately by intuition before
half Of the five minutes was over. They were
so easy. so pretty, so graceful, so kind, they
seemed to take II 80 much a. a matter OF course
that ! should stand there talking in my red coat
and muddy boots.
"Well; do go and dress yourselves" at last
said Fanny, pretending TO speak to her brothers.
but looking more especially at me. "You know
how mad papa will be. And remember. Mr..
Green. we expect great things from your dancing
tonight. Your coming just at this time is such
a godsend." And again that soupcon OF a smile
passed over her face.
/ hurried up to my room, Peter and Jack
with me to the door. lis every
thing rightf" said Peter, looking among the
towels and water jugs. They've given you a
decent fire, for 4 wonder" said Jack, stirring
up the red hot turf which blazed in the
CRATE. "All right as a trivet." said /. And
look alive like q good fellow" said Jack. We
had scowled at each other In the morning. as
very young men do when they are strangers:
and now we were intimate friends.
| Immediately turned to my work. and was
gratiiied to find that all my things were laid out
ready for dressing; my portmanteau had, OF
course, come open, as my keys were In my
pocket, and therefore some of the excellent SER
wants OF the house had been able to save me all
the trouble OF unpacking. There was my shirt
hanging before the fire: my black clothes were
spread upon upon the bed. my socks and collar
and handkerchief beside them; my brushes
were on the toilet table, and everything pre-
pared exactly as though my own man had been
there. How nice!
Immediately went 10 work at getting off my
spurs and boots, and then proceeded to loosen
the buttons at my knees. In doing this ! sat
down in the arm chair which had been drawn
Tor me opposite the fire. But what was the
object on which my eyes then fell-the objects.
l should rather say.
Immediately in froot OF my chair was placed.
Just ready for my feet, an enormous pair of
shooting observation-disclosures, made to lace up
round the ankles, with thick double leather soles,
and each bearing half a stone OF iron 10 the shape
OF nails and heel pieces. ! had superintended
the making Of these shoes In Burlington Ar
cade with the greatest diligence. l was never
a good shot: and, like some other sportsmen.
intended 10 make up for my deficiency In per- |
by the excellence of my shooting ap-
parel. "Those nails are not large enough" l had
said; mot nearly large enough" But when the
boots came home they struck even me as being
too heavy, too metalsome. He. he, he"
the boot boy as he turned them up for
me 10 look at. IL may therefore be imagined of
nature were the articles which were thus
set out for the evenings dancing.
And then the way In which they were placed.
When | saw this the conviction flew across my
like a flash OF lightning that the prepare
had been made under other eyes than those
Of the servant. The big heavy boots were
placed so prettily before the chair. and the
strings Of each were made to dangle down at
he side, as though just ready for tying. They
seemed to say, the boots did, Now, make haste.
at any rate, are ready-yOu cannot say that
you were kept waiting for us" No mere SER
hand had ever enabled a pair OF boots TO
laugh At one 81 completely.
But what was | 10 dor i rushed at the small
DOrtmanteau, thinking that my pumps also
might be there. The woman surely could not
have been such a fool as To send me those tons
1f iron for my evening wear! But alas, alasl no