The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-30
PART III.

y It found her bewilderingly miserable,
Ibut delivered from the panic fears that
had beset her, while the world was
BLACK and white, and she stole out of the
vellow-mounded haggart ON to the high
;road close by. She hardly noticed that
she was hungry and cold and damp
with dew as she resumed her journey,
tupon which the July sun soon began
Ito glare strong and fierce. The way
bvas much longer than she thought, and
she heightened il by missing it several
times, finding intricate directions all
lthe more puzzling because she was
dazed for the want of food and sleep.
Two women Of whom she had made in
quiries and who told her of terribly
many miles gave her a drink of milk,
ibut that was all she had the whole day.
With her gaudy hat and her carelessly-
wisped-on shawl and bedraggled pink
gown, her curly hair tossed and ruffied
and her eyes wild and woebegone, she
had become forlorn, strange-looking
figure, which passers-by eyed curiously,
and on which they sometimes made re-
marks. This alarmed her greatly, for
solitary wanderings were a new expert
ence to her. She made up her mind
never to be ballad singer, and her
hunts house grew more and more de-
sired refuge. At last, wher the shadows
stretched very long and the sunbeams
had relaxed their scorching grip, she
came to bit of road that seemed fa-
u1iliar to her. Round the next turn, Il
she was not mistaken, stood the little
white cottage at the foot of steep
Held, in the angle where two lonings
met-she remembered the place very
well.
And. sure enough, round the corner,
bust AS she had hoped, the little white
cottage came into view, sight which
for q few moments she beheld with
much comfort of heart. But she had
not taken many quick steps towards it
befoto she perceived that something
was amiss. On the brown slope of the
thatch q thick cloud of smoke was
broodfng, dull and pale, and, as she
looked, thicker black clouds came roll
ing up through 1t in great, heavy puffs,
pierced here and there by sharp thrusts
Of flame, which even under the sunset
OF the sky cleaned strong and red.
Very clearly the house was on fire,
which was q dreadful thing; but what
struck Rosanne with still more dismay
was that there seemed to be nobody
about to mind It. Three small stranger
boys were sitting on the triangular
grass plat between the two lanes Just
In front of the cottage, but they were
busily playing some game with bits Of
broken crockery and taking no interest
In the fire. Nobody else was to be seen.
Rosanne ran up to the children in q
breathless scare. "Where's all the Ma
honys?" she said; "sure, they can't be
In II, wild the roof blazin' over their
heads?" One of the boys glanced at
her indifferently. "Och, the Mahonys
was put out of it Yesterday for the
rint." he said, "and the colonel's burn
Ing the ould bad houses to hinder the
people of comm back to them, and
Bqnatters, and tramps, and all manner.
Give me the blue-edged bit, Billy"
"And where's me uncle gone to?
baid Rosanne.
II dunno" said the boy. sunless It
mas to the Union below Mt Hewitstown."
"Sure, not at all" said Billy; II heard
them sayin' Pat Mahony was gone to
his Brothers place, away at Tully-
lough."
The first boy, who was freckled and
tlue-eyed and red-hcaded, put out his
tongue In acknowledgment OF this cor
rcction, and the third, who was like
him, said: "No, he isn't. They've all
took or to the States" Rosanne