Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-11-01

by word of mouth, whenever it pleased
God that they should meet again. This,
with many words of affection for Adam
anxiety, anL some mention of Greeba
in tender but guarded terms, was the
sum OF the only letter that had come
from Michael Sunlocks in the four years
after Stephen Orrys death to the first
Of the events that are now to be
recorded.
And throughout these years Jason had
lived at Lague, having been accepted
as housemate by the six Fairbrothers,
when the ship-broken men had gone
their own ways on receiving from their
Dublin owners the wages that were due
to them. Though his relation to Stephen
Orry had never become known, it had
leaked out that he had come into Orry's
money. He had done little work His
chief characteristics had been love of
liberty and laziness. In the summer he
had fished on the sea and in the rivers
and he had shot and hunted in the
winter He had followed these pursuits
out of sheer love of an idle life; but
if he had a hobby it was the collect
ing of birds. Of every species on the
island, of land or seafowl, he had
with some skill, and kept them in the
little hut in Port-y-Vullin.
The four years had developed his
superb physique and he had grown to
be yet more magnificent creature
than Stephen Orry himself. He was
rounder, though his youth might have
pardoned more angularity; broader, and
more upright, with a proud poise of
cheeks, solid white teeth, face of broad
lines, an intelligent expression, and
deep voice that made the mountain ring.
His dress suited well his face and figure
He wore a skin cap with a peak, red
woollen shirt belted about the waist,
breeches of leather, leggings and sea-
mans boots. The cap was often awry,
and tuft of red hair tumbled over
his bronzed forehead, his shirt was
tornn, his breeches were stained, and
his leggings tied with rope; but rough
and even ragged, as his dress was, it
sat upon him with a fine rude grace.
With a knife in his sheath, a net or
decoy over his arm, a pouch for powder
slung behind him, fowling piece across
his shoulder and a dog at his heels,
he would go away into the mountains
as the evening fell. And in the early
CLEANS Of sunrise he would stride down
again and into the ''Hiberlian," scent
ing up the old tavern with his to-
bacco smoke, and carrying many dead
birds at his belt, with the blood still
dripping from their heads hung down.
Folks called his Red Jason, or some
times Jason the Red.
He began to visit Government
House. Freeba was there, but at first
he seemed not to see her. Simple greet
ings he exchanged with her, and that
was all the commerce between them.
With the Governor, when work was
over, he sat and smoked, telling of his
( own country and it's laws, and the ways
of its people, talking of his hunting
and fishing, calling the mountains Jo
kulls. and the Tynwald the Loberg, anC
giving names of his own to the glens
the Chasm of Ravens for the Dhoon
and Broad Shield for Ballaglass. A1o
Adam loved to learn how close was the
bond between his own dear isle and
the land Of the great sea kings of olo
time, but most of all ne listened t,
what Jason said, that he might thereby
know what kind of world it was where
in his dear lad Michael SunlocKs hao
to live away from him.
"A fine lad" Adam Fairbrother
would say to Greeba; ca lad of fearless
courage, and unflinching contempt of
DEATH with a great horror of lying and
treachery, and an Unborn sense of JUS
tice. Not tender and gentle with his
strength, as my own dear Sunlocks is,
but of a high and serious nature, and
having passions that may not be trifed
with" And hearing this, and the more
deliberate warning Of her brothers at
Lague, Greeba would remember that
she had herself the best reason to
know that the passions of Jason would
be terrible.
But nothing she rocked of it all, Tor
her heart was as light as her manners
in those days, and if she thought twice
of her relations with Jason, she re-
membered that she was the daughter
of the governor, and he was only
poor sailor lad who had been wrecked
off their coast.
Jason was great favorite with Mrs,
Fairbrother, Notwithstanding that he
did no work. Rumor had magnified
the fortune that Stephen Orry had left
him, and the two hundred pounds
stood at two thousand in her. eyes.
With a womans quick instinct she saw
how Jason stood towards Greeba, al
most before he had himself become con-
scious of it, and she smiled on him
and favored him. A whisper Of this
found it's way from Lague to Govern
ment House, and old Adam shook his
head. He had nothing against Jason,
except that the lad was not fond OF
work, and whether Jason was poor O.