The Irish standard., 1900-06-16

slSnt Oh the snerl1fS mouse, tive
roomed erection with a porch over
which clambered wealth of vines,
remember that shall be thinking of
you every minute
"Thank you for that" he said, and
added: Il might his we'll get out here
and walk up to the house."
Her only answer was to whip up the
pony; her face was pinched by pain as
she drew up at the gate in front Of the
house. He got out.
"Good-by," he said.
She held out her hand.
"Good-by," she echoed, and as he took
her hand he felt her quivering fingers
tighten round his own. II am going to
pray for you night and day." she said.
And then she turned her pony and drove
slowly homeward. AS he was entering
the gate, he saw her stop and look
back; then she signaled him to come to
her. Obeying, he found her face wet
with tears.
SIS there nothing I can do for your
she questioned.
He reflected, and then:
IF you should happen to'meet David
on your way back, please tell him what
I have done, and that came to the
sheriff.
81 wish it were something harder
She said, pressing her handkerchief to
her twitching lips. ooh, it is so awful
there is SO little to hope for-you see
YOU are SO Respondent"
He could not deny this last charge;
her very words seemed to add weight
to his gloom. Lifting his hat, he
turned away.
There was an open passage between
the two front rooms of the sheriff S
house, and at washtub, on a little
back porch, battling stick in hand, he
saw Mrs. Ratcliff. She was about 30
years of age, but might easily have
proved that she was third older, if
her appearance had been taken as testi-
mony.
Ronald raped on the door-facing to
attract her attention, and when she
looked up he asked her if her husband
was at home.
''TIe was jest this minute" she said,
coming forward and wiping her hands
on her apron. "He took his gun jest
now and went into the strip of woods
down thar at'the foot O. the field. Is it
anything Important"
II came to turn myself over to him,
Mrs. Ratcliff; if you could send for
him, perhaps he would like for you to
do it,
81 could blow the dinner horn," she
betrayed no surprise, if she felt any,
over his announcement. ut mi ht
wake the baby, but I reckon could
quiet it down ag'in."
She gave him seat in the passage
and took his hat and laid it, according
to rules of hospitality, on her bed in
the room on the left. Then she reached
up for the cows horn, which hung on a
nail on the porch.
"Have you got yoreself in trouble,
Mr.. Fanshaw?" she asked, as she raised
the horn to her lips.
''I've killed Sydney Hart, Mrs. Rat
cliff" He gave this explanation after
a slight hesitation, for he feared that
being a woman and alone with him it
might upset her nerves.
you don't say" she calculated;
"well, I'll be switched"
She did not seem more surprised than
if he had told her that he had had q
tooth extracted, and then he remem-
bered that she had been Ratcliff's COM
panion in many rough experience.
One night when he was taking three
desperadoes to Jail and had stopped at
home for refreshments, he found that
the mountain streams ahead were so
much swollen by recent rains that he
could not go on, and there was nothing
open to him but to convert their COM
pany room into temporary prison.
Mrs. Ratcliff sat up till daybrealS with
a shotgun on one knee, and a restless
baby on the other, and remarked after
wards that she didn't sleep half the
night.
Ronald watched her as she stood like
an Amazon in the doorway and gave
two long echoing blasts on the horn.
Then she came back to him.
"Well 1 reckon you had obleeged to
DO it," as she looked into the room CT
the right ut the little box cradle. "Mr.
Ratclif lowed you an sgd would have
taste O. one another's gore fore long;
he lowed he'd never seed a man with
yore reckless nerve, an that Hart never
would sleep till he'd bucl1ed ag'in it,
The baby being quiet, she stepped
back to the door. II see Mr.. Ratcliff
comm lickity-split through the broom
sedge. We agreed when thar was any.
thing important fur me to blow twice;
I reckon he'll think the house is afire.
My la! did you ever see body ske'
daddle like that? You'd think hoop.
snake was at his heels! Nothin' amt
the matter!" (she shouted this to her
husband); 'you are wantcd-that's
ALL" She, stood in the doorway and
waved her hands. 81 want i'm to see
I'm unframed ur he'd break his fool
neck"
~ moment later the sheriff came into
the passage painting and perspiring.
"Well, lowed the niggcrs had riz, y
he laughed.
Briefly Ronald explained what he had
come for and Ratcliff pulled his long
brown beard thoughtfully. He would
have made joke if he were at q funeral
and the joke had been at the expense
of the corpse.
"It's bad on me-" he said, drily, you
fellers kill ont MANY more rin Ulea (7ers
like Sgd I'll be out of a job-that skunk