The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-12-28

white MANI And it seemed to me
that she Rwaited his answer anxiously.
Yes, lady, Ihear, ~ heB teplied with
alaugh, land Adouh tt1Hss itvdstiai frhe
enough, and I4shaHi leavef luy homes
yonder among your countFynRns Well
SO be it:sI have determined to go. and.
goI will, since ] am too idle to change
my mind. Also, it seems to me that
after this days; business; there is more
danger in staying here than in pushing
forward
YOU eo.of your own free viii, "sb she said.
smiling. MAY our fears be confounded5
and your journey and ours prove pros
porous, And now let us rest, for, you
must be very weary, as / am, and we
should be stirring before the dawn"
- Next morning at the first break Of
light we started on our journey, riding
on three Of the mules that
we had captured, and leading.
the fourth laden with our goods
and. water skins. Very glad were
all Of us to see the last Of that ruined
temple. and yetft. was sad to me to
leave it, for there. hidden beneath some
of the masses of the fallen masonry, lay
all that was left of my friend and fos-
ter brother, Molas, he whose bravery
and wit had saved our lives at the cost,
of his own. s#e
Our plan was to avoid villages ,where
we might be seen by men, and keep tRqa1l r
selves hidden in the. forest. for WE
feared lest we should be followed and
brought to account because of the
death Of Don Pedro and his companions:
and this we were able to do, since hav-
ing guns and ammunition in plenty we
shot birds and deer for our daily food.
Travelling thus on mule back soon
our strength, returned to us, even to the
old man Zilbalb bay, who had suffered
the most from fatigue and from i'll.
treatment at the hands Of the white
we had passed through the inha bited
reach of the white man, and now were
journeying through the forest toward
the great sierra that lies beyond. .-.
The senior was never weary of ques-.
tioning the silent Zilbalbay as to the
history or rather the legend of the land
through which we journeyed, or OF lis
tening to the lady Maya's description of
the City OF the Heart, till even she
grew. tired and begged him to speak in
stead of the country across the water
where he was born. of the ceaseless
busy life, and the wonders of civiliza-
ton.
Strange as it may seem, who watched
them beth from day to day, know it to-
be true that she was in mind the more,
modern of the two, SO much SO indeed
that in listening to their talk I might
have fancied that she was the child Of
the new world, filled with the spirit Of
to-day, aud he the heir of proud and
secret race dying beneath its weight Of
years.
81 cannot understand you.' she would
say to him. t'Why do you so love his
tories and ruins and stories Of people
that have long been dead? hate them.
Once they lived, and doubtless were
well enough in their place and time,
but now they are past and done with,
and it is we who live, live. live" and
she would clasp the sunshine to her
breast.
81 tell you," she went on, ''that this
home of mine of which you are SO fond
of talking is nothing but great bury
ing place. and those who dwell in it are
like ghosts who wander to and fro
thinking of the things that they did, or
did not do, thousand years before.
"Did my father but know it, he wastes
time and trouble in making plans for
the redemption of the People of the
Heart, who think him mad for his
pains. They cannot be redeemed. If
I could have my will while ! am still
young, I would turn my back upon this
cityswhich you so desired TO see, taking
with me the wealth that's useless there,
but which it seems would bring me
many good things in other lands, and
live out my time among people who
have a present and future as well as
a past :.
Then the senior would laugh. and
argue that the past is more than the
present, and that it is better to be dead
than alive, and many other such follies;
and would grow angry and reprove
her for her words which shocked me,
whereat she would yawn and talk of
something else, for and my discourses
wearied her. Only Zibalbay took no
heed, for his mind was set upon other
things, even if he heard us, which I
doubt. '