The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1899-09-27
And the spells of sweetly dangerous
silence were sweet TO both alike.

nv SOc' W WI. DdIliHSlOH were freely
INDUCED in. and Rory Devine polished
up his old rife with grim look.
But the loss of his home, which few
short weeks ago had seemed to Brian
the worst calamity that could befall
him, had faded into utter insignificance
beside the one great absorbing passion
of his life.
He feared with a dread the keenness
of which struck him like a dagger
thrust, the inevitable parting which he
knew must now be close at hand.
Though poverty sealed his lips with
seal that love strove in vain to break,
the continued struggle was telling upon
him, and the hopeless look in his eyes
often caused the heart of Mrs. Dolan's
pretty ledger to beat with a wildness
that startled her.
One dull, heavy morning, about a
month after their first meeting, Brian
came tramping down the moor and
across the meadow, a couple of doge
at his heels, and a look on his face
that caused Mrs. Dolan to remark:
Sure, there's Mister Brain. lookin'
for all the world as if he was going to
be hung!"
A moment later he was in the cool,
stone-fagged kitchen, and gazing hun
grily at the occupant of the big arm
chair.
1T has comet" he said, bitterly. Mr.
Darlington arrives to-day by the 10: Is
p. IN. l shall fetch him in the dog.
cart from Coolardy"
She gazed up at him with soft little
sigh.
And l am leaving at noon" she ex-
claimed. II have had letters from home
this morning"
His lips twitched little, and his ia
paled beneath the bronze.
Then it is indeed the deluge!" "
all he could manage to say.
How he passed the few hours that
manned before her departure he cor
never recall. The whole world seem |
to be slipping away from him; a
when he drove her to the station {
watched the forlorn little face ia |
away as the train bore her from II
sight his heart sank very low inded
and he turned away with a groan Il
could not repress. a
Meanwhile Mrs. Dolan had not beet
idle. The news of Mr.. Darlington's ct
pected arrival had spread far and ne; U
and Rory Devine, with two or thr
others, spoke in hushed whispers of Il
loneliness of the road from Coolardy.
The little station platform look A
drear and inhospitable as Brian sto
just outside the white gate the sal
evening awaiting the arrival of t j
1918. The mare kept pushing her " !
vety nose against his arm, as if co J
scious of his trouble. n
His patience was not too sorely triew
slowly alongside the platform and oh
posted solitary lady passenger, who Y
figure seemed strangely familiar in \
faint glimmer shed by the lamps. 1
As she came toward the exit his heal
gave great leap.
"Olive!" he cried, note of bewildeI
ment in his voice. !
She laughed TREMENDOUSLY. \
Eyes, it is l." she answered. Z
"But nowhere is Darlington ?" b
She laughed again, little quavtww
ingly.
Here" she replied; II am IA
Darlington. Sc
Il must be very Dense" he said N
length; but there is some mystery hen
that | cannot understand. Will yB
please explain?' v
She shivered at the change in his
voice, and laid one hand on his arm.
81 will tell you as we go along" she
said.
He helped her to his seat and gath
cred up the reins.
In the darkness her lips were trem-
bling piteously and her eyes were full
of tears.
at is quite simple" she said, as they
spun along. II have taken up the
mortgage"
His hands frightened on the reins in
voluntarily.
"You?" he said, hoarsely.
She nestled closer to his side.
"Why not?" she asked.
, He could not speak. Love and prid>
were fighting hard battle. BY her &C.
ton she had made the gulf betwixt
them well-nigh impossible.
If he told her of his love - the love
which he now knew was reciprocated-
the world with its usual lack of charity
would call him "fortunehunter."
He breathed hard at the thought.
"You are not angry with me?" she
sighed.
Before he had time to reply a squirt
of fire leaped from the thicket at the
side of the road, followed by a sharp re-
port, and, with cry of agony, the girl
fell heavily against him, slipping hud-
died heap at his feet.