The times., 1897-09-19

Mrs. Muiloy took the opportunity To ol-
low her, aud whispered quickly 20 her:
g You mustn't call that gentleman Grandby,
Miss Norry. 'Tls he as is himself tie mar
kiss"
Norry caught the word, and, still stran-
Cling the tabby in her arms, returned TO
Jackys room. "Danby," she burst out. in
he: passionate way, Mrs Molloy says you
isn't Dandby, but tile Marskiss. Are you
the MarSEiss, or Dandby?"
',Some big people call me n mar kiss, Nor
ry, 1t is true: but you must please call me
Dandby unless you fall out with me-"
"Norry never falls out with anybody"
Jaciy cried, with enthusiastic emphasis
"Ill tun. a-morrow and see you adam,
Jacky, I" said NorIy taking his championship
as her due. Now IN, doing up the town Il,
see lots Of people my Aunt Mary and the
Doctor, and Father Luke, and Biddy Ma
lone's goat. Dood-by, Jacky; III tum a
morrow. Mrs. MollGy; Tum. Dandby! He
isn't the marskiss, Mrs. Molloy.''
The marquis slipped silver coin under
Jacky's pillow, aud vent out i'll obedience to
his superior's order.
Outside Merry spied her guard of homer
straggling down towardher- she betlought
herself that her duty TO the stranger was
accomplished, and that she had her friends
to look after. He, she concluded, might be
trusted TO findhi way about theplace. Re.
leasing his hand, she gave him a bright ex
planatGry nod and shouted out I'm
tumin', Kitty and Tommy, pre'n5ly. Wait
for nae, wait for me- and waddled on a a
running pace extremely diverting To watch.
The lonely stranger. thus abandoned Co
his own devices, found occupation for the
day; but he remembered to question his
agent about Norry. The subsidiary parents
We're naturally mentioned only TO drop into
insignificaucc. Norrys parents might be
long TO her, and as such receive some slight
attention; but no living soul dreamed OF
believing that NoTry belonged TO them.
They were excellent people, it was gener-
ally affirned-he a gentleman III every
sense of the word, she a very charming
young lady bat their fame rested mainly
on tie fact that they belonged to Norry.
Wbcn tEey Travelled up to town and left the
child behind. all the idlers and tramps of
tile place were constituted her nurses Mar
celia not being regarded as sufficiently
ubiquitous 10 have an eye upon MA jesty Of
so yagabond d disposition. When she yoy-
aged ont OF sight, group of ruffians ell
gagged in supporting the town walls between
the pauses at refreshing exhausted nature.
would forsakc bar and gossip, and dawdle
I'm her wake, with their hands in their poCk-
cts, whistling as they went along. Like -
many BIC mastiffs, each one felt upon mis-
| honor TO protect her.
She had a word for all; not the meanest
| Of her subjects went unrewarded. She felt
| as princess feels, without any vanity. that
| she was the center of universal attraction
anc thai the person who attempted to quar-
rel with her was bound by this very fact as
| by an inevitable natural law, 10 get the
| worst Of r.. This, perhaps, was the uDcon-
scious meaning of her splendid generosity
| to her playmates, whatever their sex Grclass
might be If she insisted on their obedi-
ence-and this, / am afraid, she d ] in no
| half-Learted way-at least, she never told
tales OF them, or procured them punishment
| Or blame, and always gave more than she
received. The result was that there was
not ore rebel in her train, and solemnly
| believe not one was jealous OF her. Hers
was very equable and magnanimous dis
position; and her reign was pacific, when,
such was her power, it might have led to
civil war.
The marquis left the town next morning.
From his carriage he caught sight OF Norry
clutching slice OF bread and jam at which
she took bites in the intervals of yOluhle
chatter with the parish priest, who had
stopped to talk to her. The jam had made
big red hlotches on her pinafore, and her
face and fingers were in a lamentablesJaJe.
| Neverthele this second vision OF her re-
vealed her as more bewitchlng to The mar
quis than tie first. There was no wind, SO
her curls We're in a more orderly Con
fusion, and as she was less excited, her
Iispine chatter flowed on with a quaintel
fluency. The marquis pulled the check
string, and the carriage stopped in front
OF Norry and Father Sullivan. ''Good-by
Norry,'' he called out.
.'DooG-by, Danby.' Norry cried, renem
herring his name without any hesitation
'.Tum a-morrow adam; Use sorry you're Go
ing away"
Father Sullivan wheeled round in pro
found Arrangement, and quickly uncovered
The marquis gave him curt nod, and be
fore he conld recover his wits and make
proffer of an elegant greeting, the carriage
was rolling down to the broad, open roa d
Mcs Moiloy called him the marSkiss, =
Norry said contemptuously, with as mucf
bitterness as her genial little heart wa,
capable OF harboring toward a fellow
creature. The word ''marskiss'' being an
unknown quantity in her ears, she con
ceivftl it as a term of oDloquy, and resented
its application to the amiable stranger who
appeared so properly grateful for her Kind
ness and condescension. Now, if he hac
been called q sergeant ID wonld be quit
another thing. That would have been
the highest compliment, for was not III,
sergeant of Ter cwn town one of her very
dearest friends-Pat Maguire, splendid
specimen of the rishconsta bulary, who wai
ready any tIa y to risk his life for her?
III
The story of Norry and the marquis was
round the town before the morning papers
from Dublin Were distributed. 1t was
told in every shop. at every bar, and re
counted in various ways to that bird OF
passage, the bagman; it was droned over
fires in the bewitchtng sing-song brogut
OF the country, mellowed and adorned witt
the peoples ina ginative art as il pas sset
from mouth to month Larry Reilly haC
bis version from Father Sullivan; the
doctor had d more detailed and highly
coiored account from the marquis agent
who IN return received it direct from the
noble lord himself The agent, as fine q
fellow as ever crossed a bog and rolled
the Irish r, was the only popular pers OF
in tie Grandby establishment, and th,
marquis lost nothing in his version of the
tale.
Then there was Mrs. Molloy's account
and here the unpopular person, by his at
titude OF bland submission to the autocrat
20 III.