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

ucISOuS " lalU tuls 70 tuc charge Oh OC-
uetrius), and unduly irritable. Nancy,
too, seemed depressed and distracted.
She replied in luonosyllables to my few
questions.
Nancy, go to your mother" said Ger
ard, as the coffee was brought in. II
wish to talk with MIR. Livingston"
We pushed our chairs from the table
and lighted cigars.
"Demctrius," said Gerard, sis not q
coward"
l merely bowed, having resolved, for
the future, to curb my tongue.
Tile proposes" Gerard spoke slowly,
watching me narrowly between half
closed eyes-"he proposes to take en-
tire charge of-of this mailman. YOU"
He rolled up carefully the loosened
wrapper of his cigar, and l, chatting at
the delay, forgot my good resolutions
and blurted out:
What disposition does he make of
me?"
"Pshaw!" said Gerard, frownng;
''what a hothead it is! I"-he empha-
sized the pronoun Ctwas an effective
trick of his)-"I, my lad, have PLEASANT
er work for you. Ishall send my family
20 Europe at once in your charge. Mrs.
, Gerard needs complete change; the boy
must see something of the world; and
Nancy, of course, will be counted in.
What do you think of my plan?"
"Yom PLAN" said, dryly, takes me
by surprise"
Surprise-the word but fecbly ex-
presses the condition of my feelings.
Had Demetrius dared to make this sug-
gestion, in the teeth of what had oc-
CURED III the cave? And if so, in the
name of the Sphinx, to what purpose,
knowing, as he must know, that
should refuse to become Il party to his
infamous scheme? Was master in COL
fusion with man? No. ! couldn't be-
lieve that. What then? The scoundrel
was consummatc. Judge of character,
and he had had abundant opportunity
to study the idiosyncrases of Hugo
Livingston. lie probably counted upon
my promise of secrecy, and-by Jupi-
ter! tibet truth flashed upon me-counted
further upon my Opposition, and my
subsequent dismissal from the service
of Gerard. l would try and balk him.
'If Dcmctrius," i'said I, lightly, "is
in the house, l shorld like to talk this
over with him" u
''Demetrius rctjirpI at once to
Mark" ~
GLOW far is it to the island? 2" asked.
''Not more than two miles"
I rose to my feet .
"Mr. Gerard, ] must see Demctrius to-
night. Within two hours you shall have
your answer"
lie nodded and pulled at his cigar.
"As you please" lie said, inditTcrcntly.
The immortal Lincoln said that you
could fool part Of the people all the
time, and all the people part of the
time, but that no man could fool all
the people all the time.
In considering the relations which
existed between Mark Gerard and the
Greek, this piece of wisdom dubbed up
out of my memory and lent an agree
able effervesccnce TO my reflections.
Gerard was Il brilliant man in his way,
but L had come to The conclusion that
Demetrius was the stronger, mentally,
of the two, and exercised II potent i'll
fluence upon his master. l still chung
to my theory in regard to the Greeks
cowardicc; otherwise I should hardly
have trusted myself alone with him.
He had no intention, was convinced,
of meeting or nursing burlington. lie
was fooling Gerard. lie should not,
decided, fool Hugo Livingston.
The night was perfect, an idyllic
I,,, l,,lln ln,
i'll the sapphire heavens. The air was
soft and odorous, languid with the per-
fume of u million flowers. And the
voice OF spring whispered her old, old
story.
"Where are you gong?"
1t was Nancy. She lifted towards
me, a slender, Naad-likc figure, il
lumined by the sil,cry beams.
"Who would not wish to be abroad
such a night as this, Miss Nancy? I'm
OH for a walk"
"'Il go with YOU" she replied. mann
ma is asleep, and my fathcr"-her voice
artlencd-''loesn't want me-"
l bcsitatcd.
"If you don't want nc, too"
My scruples fled.
"I'm going TO the island, Miss Nancy.
Perhaps you would like to sec Mark"
She made no reply, and we started,
side by side, not n yard between US. In
silence We paced down the path to the
sea and descended the steps which led
to the sands. l forgot ,Demctrius, for
got everything save the one intoxicat-
ing fact that | WAS walking alone, be-
Meath the stars, with the woman
loved. But what forget Nancy bore in
mind.
Mr. Livingston," she said, in conf
dcntial tones, II have watched for this
opportunity. want TO ask you what
lave not the hcart,, Hsk mamma and
what l won't ask my athrr."
as it something can answer"
81 think So
els it something Ought to answer,
Miss Nancy"
''If you have my welfare at heart"
she whispered. softly, "you will tell
mysterious affair. Hitherto. Mr. Liv-
inEston. I've taken persons and things
as | found them. Effects have inter
csted me rather than causes. There is
father, for Instance, Who has lived apart
from us all these years. | accepted
that without inquiry. but now il seems
odd. Where was the necessity" The
reason. tn" cause. must be n strong one.
Then, again, there is his mad socialist
What is he doing at large" And what
IS the nature Of his gru,g" against us!