The Irish standard., 1896-03-07

"a.
saying something or sending word"
She seated herself behind the coffee
urn and touched the bell for Aunt
Nina. 4>,, .,s.t4. i.
."Oh, / don't know about that re-
piled her husband carelessly. taking his
place opposite. :, "a mans liable to do
anything when He's a badly hipped as
Hugh is
please, Tom, tell me all about it.
won't you? can't get word out of
Hester, and Hugh goes about looking
like man who had lost all his friends
in a single night"
"Idon't know anything to tell, except
what is evident enough to man up
moderately tall tree. go: Hugh has
about as pronounced a case as. ever
saw develop in SO short time, and it'll
go hard with him if he doesn't win. If
Hester should refuse him, shouldn't
be surprised to have him leave us
without word; it would be very much
like HIM" So much od-natured Tom
Ludlow ventured on. the chance. that
Ringbrand had carried out his threat.
why should Hester refuse him.
"Bless my soul: how should know?
I'm not in the young woman's conf
dence; and, besides, I don't know that
she has" &"
Ludlow hurried through his break
fast and breathed freely again when he
''I'm a lucky mani" he chuckled; five
minutes more, and she'd have. had the
whole story. out of me, and really
mustn't tell her that--not yet awhile;
it ID be cruelty to animals. I'd like to
know If that anticipated rascal has
actually taken French leave must
try and find out from the colonel it he
comes down today"
The colonel did come down, but Lud-
low learned nothing more than that
Ringbrand had left "The Laurels''' quite
early in the evening, that he had in
sisted upon walking, and rthat,.he had
taken the north road instead of turning
toward ;Tregarthen. Ludlow guarded
his inquiries carefully, but the colonePs,
hospitality took! the alarm at once.
do understand that youh friend
didn't come home los night ?" he asked.
/ Ludlow admitted it. and fastened to
add that Ringbrand was sometimes
rather cratic in his movements. :.
II reckon it. would, be something
little mo than erratic 1.-The. camped out
on the mountain all night: .:thah's no :
house this side Of Squire Crayen's, an
that's good ten mile" -
"Perhaps he went on down the road
to Dunbar" suggested Ludlow; hes
good for . long tramp. if he elt:like it.
He'll turn up I'll right. -. j. a.,
The colonel looked thoughtful, Il
hope 80; indeed do. He's q mighty
fine young gentlen,an, and 'ye-all sthink
. heap OF, him up on the mountain. He
told me yeste'day that he was going
back to New York befo' long"
Ludlow took this as a confession Of
his suspicion, and answered. accord
ingly: ""Tes; he's quite anxious to get
back to his work" - il :"
Here the matter rested: and the three
people who knew Of Ringbrand's dis.
appearance Held widely different views
as to its motive. Mrs. Ludlow, finding
the packed. vaIises In the guests room,
reluctantly gave place to the carefully
insinuated suggestion Of her husband
that the. young man: had fed because
Hester had refused him; Ludlow some
what better Informed, was quite sure
that the uaceremonio.1s departure was
due to Ringbrand's failure 70 win in the
battle With his weakness while the !
colonel went home with 1 slightly-con-
fused idea OF the unaccountabiljty Of
authors and story writer's, whose &
yagares led them TO refuse the hospi-
talities of "a comfortable mansion for
the sake of spending the night IN wan.
dering about on the mountain. Tmpart-
ing his convictions to Hester, together
with Che information thAt Ringbran,1
had not returned to Tfegafthen. he,
awakened an emotion ii the heart Of
that Ingenious young. woman, l,yhich