The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-07-13

was no ldQ SO brave nor so handsome Al
black eyed Con Heffernan. His frame wal
as big as his face was comely. for he stood
more than six feet from the sandy beach
where. he moored his boat and stretched
his brown nets to dry in the sun. In the
race none was swifter, nor more sure In
the hurly. Unvanquished, too, he was il
the wrestling. and none could WELD the
shilalah more deity than he His heart
was kind. withal, save when the hot blood
of passion stirred it and wrath stood or
his temples like cloud Then timid
mothers were afraid for their daughters
lest Cons brown face and soft voice-for at
times it was soft-should come wooine
about their cottages. But for all that, old
blind Pheim, the piper could tell how
that Con had wept over his singing of love
and beauty and death until his mood changed
at the sound of battle and the clash OF
arms and the shout of victory, for these,
too. Phelim could sing, albeit he was blind
and very old
Now Eileen OConnor was motherless,
and had no fear of Con, for all she heard
OF his doings, only lest his words should
prove bigger than his deeds. And for this
reason, and, perhaps, because Eileen was
comely and straight as a rush, Con took
the brook or came with other maidens to
watch the hurly. She did not blush, as
they did, when Con was near, but her eyes
met his fairly, so that he was smitten with
doubts of his courage, and went seeking q
quarrel to confirm his confidence.
So it was when Phil Martin came to NAL
bay. There was little welcome for him at
first. and many of the fishermen grumbled
that there was space to spare on the
little strand for Martins boat. But Martin
had soft voice and a pleasant word for
them, and when they had mind to rail
at him because he had not chosen other
fishing grounds, he would turn the edge Of
their wrath with jest. And in time they
became glad that he had come to dwell
among them, and were proud of his sing
ing and of his dancing, for none showed
more spirit in the Jig than he, not even
Con Heffefnan, when fishermen from Gal
way came across the bay in their coracies
to visit them. He was good, too, at the
hurly, albeit neither so big nor strong as
Con Heffernan Neither was he like the
others in Malbay, for his hair was as the
ripe corn in color, and his skin fair,
though the sun and the sea wind had made
his face brown. And for this they liked
him none the less, though his boat was
the trimmest in the bay and his sails with
out a patch. He was sweet tempered, too,
and none ever saw him angry, even when
the winds were boisterous and the waves
high. SO that no boat could put out to sea,
and famine brooded over them like cloud.
But Con Hefernan had no love for him,
and when others laughed at his jest, Con
would stare gloomily before him from un-
der knitted brows.
hammered
was singing match at Vesty O'Connor's
cottage, and the prize for the finest sing
er was a piece of frieze large enough to
make coatamore for the biggest man in
the village, and that was Con himself. At
these matches old Phelim was Judge, for
he had himself been a great singer in his
day, before the cold wind had weakened
his chest and made him as hoarse as the
raven. So today he sat by the hearth with
his pipes on his knee, and his sightless eyes
wandered round the cabin as if in search
of light, while the young men gathered
together outside. Round about the mud
walls of the cabin crowded as many women
as could find place, but Eileen sat before
the old piper, watching his wrinkled face
and his sightless eyes.
Now the song was made by Phelim, and
in it was much about blind Homer and
about blind Phelim himself, and of the
siege of Troy and of the hurly of Malbay.
Then the young men came into the cabin
in their turn and sang, and when the song
was finished the women applauded, more
or less according as they discovered in
PhelimSs face praise blame. Then came
Con ITifernan, looking very big and hand
some in his holiday dress, and murmur
ran through the cabin at sight of his broad
shoulders and tall form. So he stood be-
fore the piper with the muscles tense
and his nostrils dilated, like horse that
has entered the race course. Then he began
to sing, and his voice filled the cabin and
outside mingled with the sound of the
waves; but his eyes looked down into the
face of Eileen O'Connor. Never had he
sung like this, for as he looked at the face
Of the girl new passion rose in his heart
and poured itself forth from his lips in a
stream of melody. Redder and redder grew |
the girls face as she listened, and quicker |
and quicker her heart beat, for there was
love in Pheim's song as well as battle. |
Then with face full of pride and triumph |
he ceased, and cry of admiration broke |
out for Phelim's cheeks were no less |
flushed than the singers and all felt that |
Con had won the prize and was without a |
rival. But the piper raised trembling |
hand ard called out for Phil Martin So |
he came III with smile on his face and |
in his blue eyes, and, pushing back the
yellow locks from his forehead, began to
sing. Then the silence of midnight fell
upon them all, for his voice was sweeter
than the murmur of the seashell. Outside
the voice of the blended with his no
longer loud and deep, but soft and muir
as though the singer had laid a
spell upon it.
Al last the song was finished and there
was silence. for none had ever heard sing
ing like this, and in the heart of EVERYONE
the song still echoed sweetly so that none
dared speak.
Then Phelim rose to his feet, and the
tears ran down the burrows of his cheeks
Il was young once" he said, and his
voice trembled, land now 1 am old, vet
neither in youth nor in age have l heard
50 sweet song, nor ever hope again to
hear song of music so sweetly sung
The he put his hand on the young mans
shoulder and kissed him on both cheeks
Take the prize" he said, "for Con Hef-
fernan has the voice of hero but to you
The gods themselves have given the sweet
gift of song.
The heart of Con Heffernan was filled
with hatred and bitterness That he, who
had been so long the hero of the village,
and without rival in strength of skill,
should be dethroned, and that, too, by an
lnterloper, was agony to his passionate
neart, for he saw that the Judgment of
al who heard the singing was against him
md. bitterest OF all, that Eileen had listened