The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-08-07
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
This premature declaration of feel
ings which ! had sworn to myself to
suppress was brought about partly by
the spring fever aforesaid, partly by
youthful and excitable temperament
and partly by the encouraging words of
Mark Gerard that same afternoon.
Upon his own confession he had antic-
pated some such explosions; and was
not the man to ball his fancy.
II thought" my companion faltercd,
shat you were in love with another
woman-the goddess"
"You are the goddess" said. fcrvcnt-
ly. "And l began to worship at your
shrine the very moment we met"
"Oh!"
"You seem surprised If you had
fallen in love with me. Nancy. that
would indeed have been surprising; but
that l should fnll in love with YOU is
the most natural thing in the world"
"You must fall out of it again." she
answered, gravely.
/ "Never!"
"Mr. Livingston. I say you must.
Please don't be ridiculous"
III can't help it," l replied. "You
would make craven image love-
sick"
"And we were such good friends"
she murmurcd.
81 don't want to press you" con-
tinued
81 should hope not" she returned,
her absurd sense of the Iudicrous up
permost, as usual. "Mr. Livingston, I'll
try and forget this-this indiscrction.
I've no love to give you. It's better to
be frank, isn't it? Don't frown, and
don't sullS. You are such nice boy"
"Boy!" I calculated. II am &c. Do
you know that Vnlcrus Corvus was con-
! sui at 90? Boy, indced!"
"You provoke me, Mr.. Livingston.
Let's suppose for an instant that I
could return this love of yours; are
you in position to support wife,"
II swear ] could support DOZEN
! upon the terms you mention. Your love
would spur me to Titanic efforts"
She laughed outright. And lost my
/ temper.
eff you look Mt this from Il dollars
and cents point Of view, Miss Gerard,
have nothing more to say"
",rhat is spoken like man." she
said. moclsingly. Truly. the fend OF
mischief possessed her.
"Nancy," ] cried, cut to the quick by
her scornful words, "why are you so
cruel? Isl mans love so small IL thing
that you can afford to fling it aside?"
Her mood suddenly changed, and.
halting, she confronted NE with flash
ing eyes.
"For your sake" she said, with dig
nifty, II made light Of your love. We
nre here together, living in the same
house, meeting a dozen times II day. ]
did my best to patch up the wool OF our
friendship, but you have chosen to
burst the stitches. l tried to spare you,
and n man OF tact would have apprer-
atcd my effort. ] have no love to give
you, Mr.. Livingston. iHcnlise-hccn,isc
my life is already pledged to another.
| pity you from The bottom of my heart.
Good night
She walked away. leaving me abnshcd
and spcerhcss.
"llugo," mrrmurcd, softly, "you are
fool"
Having registered myself among the
vast majority of my fellows, tr'dErh
moodiIy towards tho island. My
thoughts followed Nancy. but my foot
steps pointed in the opposite direction
ii fact which furnished me will, meat
for reflection. Was ! destined to love
this fair woman and leave her? Nor
ally and intellectually Nancy had be-
come The magnet which swayrd my fac
ulties; what if my wrctchcd body were
constrained TO bear me hencrforwnrd
frOm-not iohcr?
Chewing this bitter c,ld, rapidly up
preached the island. Already I had
come to the margin Of the lake. En-
cirrlcd with tulrs and bulrusl.rs. it
CLEANED cold and placid in the moon
shine. In the winter its s,irfac" was
covered with wild fowl--grr&c, ducks
md occasional swans. Tonight not
living creature met nv eye. Solitude
rcignrd supreme.
Shifting the tnirs. ! came TO a point
Of land 50 ncartO the island that a stone
might b" thrown from one to he OF her;
and across the channel noted a boat
monr"h to Il post and a light twinkling
in he window Of tho hut. TO attract
tn" notice of the Greek ! shnutch----
louder than St"ntor thrice. At the
third shout the door Of he hut opened
and | could SEE plninly the huge body
Of Drmririms filling the entrance and
outlined sharply against the back
ground OF light.
'Who is it?" His bass "oicc rolled
generously across !hc water.
"I-ll,igo Livingston"
He turned and entered the hut. shut
ting TIE door. :'or moment | suS-