The Holly chieftain., 1898-10-14


The two young men looked at each
other in guilty silence.
Father, dear!" the fresh voice re-
peated, trific impatiently.
Father, DEAR says she. To her,
lad! Shpake up to her Father DEAR :"
whispered Mike.
Darcie felt the perspiration start as
he stepped into the breach.
"Your fathers asleep, Miss a--Bing-
ham; quite sound, you know. He's
awfully comfortable. Do you wish me
to speak to him?"
"Oh. no. Pray do not disturb him" )"
said the voice, sweetly. "It's enly my
things; are they at all dry yet? I'm
such fright. 1 can't bear to come out
a. am"
Darcie examined the iady's garments.
respectful depreciation in the tips of his
fingers, and reported that the habit
was dry, but that the boots were not
yet fit to put on. If only there were
something-anything-theyc could dare
to offer her, that she could possibly
keep on her feet! M
"Show her me 'herring-boxes,' OAR
Gle, dear" exclaimed Mike, in an
ecstatic aside. "And your own little
shlfppers wild the hobnails.. 'Tis pity
we couldn't fit her out, wild the tons ny
shoe-leather that's in i'll"
Darcie bethought him of tiny pair
of squaw's moccasins which he had pur-
chased, as q specimen of native aborig
inal work. to send home. These he pro
duced in triumph, and the curtain
dropped upon the lady's toilet.
With the rain still cutting of the
sound of their voices, Darcie command
ed, sternly: LEND a hand here, Mike
we must get him out of sight at once
Mind. now, we ars doing the simple
minded act. You don't know when q
man has had too many pegs, neither dc
l. The old beggar's asleep, d'you see:
Collapsed, played out, stupefied witt
fatigue"
"Ashleep, or dead, If We prefar It. But
don't think that yen kape it from her
II she has been two months in it and
has niver seen him the way he is now
thin merakles is happenin' in the CoI
de Lane. and I'm livin' witness.
"Bear hand, now! Have wild We
Steady, me boy!"-to Mr.. Bingham
who reused as they lifted him. and at
tempted to enter into conversation with
his bearers. "Kapc shtill tongue
lettin' your own cat out O. the bag,'"
dash it, Mike" said Darcie; 81 fee
rs If we were all drunk! feel personal.
ly implicated. I'd give a thousand
pounds II she was safe home at the
mine, or If thought she'd let me take
her home. A jag picnic in the rain
isn't just the thing to ask your daugh
ter to, is 1t, Mike?'
"Mabby t would be betther we pur.
tended he's sick. and wan av us go for
the little docther at the mine, and he
could beau her Home" suggested Mike
ITO the devil with your doctor!
Would you like to hear him diagnose
the case before her in plain English p
'Musha, the man has some sinse!
And ye c'u'd aisy give him the wink be.
forehand. The mischief av it is to find
way to get her home"
THE doctor is not In 1t, do you un.
derstand? I'll take her home myself, II
the weather holds up"
- = And Ant. u she'll eeasint 10 go -wid-ye
which misdoubt she'll do nothing az
the kind. Sle'd feel safer shtayin' wild
the two av us, than goin' wild wan"
I'VE shall see," said Darcie. IF she's
the lady she looks, she will know by In
stinct that she is safe with either OF
both Of us, or with forty like u.s."
"Ye niver can tellwhat notions they'll
take rumbled Mike, in the whisper ot
bass drum. 1.-THE inshtinc' nv won.
an is, docs she like him, or does she not. y
well, is there anything the ma tier
with that?"
There's nothing the matther wild i.
for him she happens tolay her fancy
on. IT is good thing kissin' goes be
favor-for thin that gets the kisses
Belize I'm as honest man as yourself
but when it comes to secin' her home
I'm like the docther, I'm not in it. It's
him wild the shou'thers and the tony
walk to him, and the natepair av hands,
she'll take; and there may be inshtinc
in it, but there's small sinse, to be sure"
"Good evening, gentlemen" said Miss
Bingham. gayly, putting back the cur
tains of her tent, and stepping forth
into the light. Her high spirits, and her
happy ignorance of everything but the
bright side Of the evenings adventure,
struck the young men silent with
shame and pity.
Il could smell the most delicious sup
per cooking" she exclaimed. 81 hope I
haven't kept you waiting. Why, where
lis he?" She stared In astonishmcnt
about the room. us not my father
hereT
I'm bed and ashleep, miss, wild his
boots on. and happy as man can be"
Mike unhesitatingly informed her. as If
1t had been the most natural thing in
the world for her father to go to bed
in his clothes before supper. "Ye'll best
not dishturb him, but sit and ate whilst
the vittles is hot. He's doin' betther
where he is"
I'm bed! In what bed?" Miss Bing-
ham demanded. her color rising.
In me ould bunk over anenst the
wall. And sorry I'd be to have ye go n
shtep higher to Z. Vt is an ould miners
byste, an not fit for lady to put her
eye on. The ould mans that weary.
sure he's notpartic'ler; he'dfall ashleep
in the middle av the road. Will ye please
to sit and ate whilst the supper is hot?
1t ii not improve be standin'."
Miss Bingham turned doubtfully to-
ward the table, anxious, yet unwilling
to confess her uneasness.
Am / to eat all this nice supper
alone? Are you not going to sit down
with me?" she asked. looking from one