The Irish standard., 1897-07-31

Demetrius will take your place; and
shall relieve Mr.. Livingston. Perhaps
you WILDE kind enough to ask the Greek
to come to Inc at once. l expect the
nurse in half an hour"
l glanced at my watch us Nancy
obcycd. 1t was six o'clock, and the
household was already nStir. De-
metrus, l knew, was no sluggard, no
lie-ubcd. lie would answer the sum-
mons promptly; and upon my imme-
diatc action might hang the life OF Bur
lington.
Distracted by doubt, ] walked to the
window and flung up the lower sash.
The fresh mir flooded the room; with it
came the sounds and odors of spring.
The full-thronted mcadow-l arks (Cul-
ifornia has few singing birds) had he
gan their rouladcs, to which he staccato
notes of the gulls and the myriad-voiced
chorus of frogs from the marshes east
of the snnd-duncs furnished n curious
and effective accompaniment. The
scent of the violet. hcliotropc and
insmincs hung lightly on the breeze.
The lawn srnrked with dew. The
cred against an opnlcscent sky. Lean
ing out of the window, my tired eyes
rested upon the Pacific, which woued
me to it's embrace with Il tender muir
muir Of welcome. For the multitude of
sea-hirds could prophcsy that the
mackerel and sardines were In the bay.
The cormorants were hard ut work,
plunging with mighty splnshes into the
wnter. ] caught now ard again tho
CLEAN Of n maclcrel in their mons'rous
beaks, and noted idly tho parasites
swapping up the morsels OF fish cure
lessy dropped by their patrons. Whnt
a paradisel TO me garden Of Eden,
with It's tree of knowledge of good ard
evil, its serpent, it's Eve, and, alas! the
angel with the flaming sword.
1t falls to the lot of nll SONS of Adam
to wander once down the enchanted
glmlcs of Eden. How many recognize
the place too late, when the gate Is
close.! against them forever!
My thoughts We're put to flight by the
sound of Nancy's voice. She beckonch
cngerly from, the passage.
IAN extraordinary thing has hnp-
pencd," she gasped. "Drmetrus has
gone. He never went to bed at all. And
and he has taken Mark with him!"
"Gonc!" circulated. So the fellow
had turned tail. His nerves ut the crit
zeal moment had failed.
lie has left IL letter for mamma. She
is reading II now. must go to her"
Flinging these dis jointrd phrases Mt
L., Ira
thoughtfully to the bedside of Bur-
lington. AS yet he had shown no dis
position to talk. The Doctors second
examination had provoked grnnns and
affirmative mods in response to impor-
tant questions. The man WINS terribly
bruised; but his bones, mirabilc dictu,
were still intact. Quiet, of course, vas
imperative; and any excitement might
prove fatal led the doctor to tho win
dow and told him briefly that
Demctrius had left the house. "Any-
thing you need, DOCTOR can get Pray
command me-" The doctor, however,
refused my services, and went himself
to prepare liniment. ] accompanied
him to the door. and when turned con-
fronted the melancholy eyes Of Bur-
lington. The fire was out Of them; in
its place was question.
"Ain in the house of Mark Grrard?"
he asked, harshly,
"You are in the house of Mrs Ger
ard" | replied. 1t was futile to cvndc
the truth, but wondered how he would
take it.
He took it, as might be expected.
hardiy-in silence. The hot blood
famed across his forehead, and cbbed
instantly, leaving the pale complexion
livid-a danger signal which quirkcncd
my own pulses. The situation was in
tensely dramatic. His next question
surprised me: