The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-05-19


eyes bore his own to the ground.
perhaps" spoke up Mr.. Hardy,
whose jests were rare and often too
personal, and who did not admire the
captain, perhaps Capt. Wrinkle did not
tell US all the story after all. noticed
that he was not wearing his togs to-
day"
Capt. Wrinkle seemed TO have lost his
speech. And the colonel, fearing that
his daughter had inadvertently made u
disagreeabe comparison, frowned up
at her.
"What are you talking about, Eve
lynn" he asked sharply.
"Oh, only little story have read"
she said, coldlN. 81 shall try 10 look it
up. 1t had beautiful moral"
With that parting shot at the COVER
ing victim of his own folly, she drew
Mrs. Lancaster again out on the We
randa.
"Why, dear, you have almost fright
ened me-" said Mrs. Lancaster. under
her breath. what did you mean by
what you said?"
81 meant to cut the very soul of that
little coward, if he has one" the girl
said, fiercely. Il almost feel as if I
ought to have exposed him to the others
before whom lie was posing as brave
man when he is no more than"
Evelyn had been speaking so rapid
ly that her words ran upon one another
and became Il jumbled, unintelligible
mass.
Mrs. Lancaster turned Evelyn's
white, imprisoned face towards the
light of the moon and grasped her rigid
hands. "You almost brighten me, dar-
ling" she repeated; what has wrought
you up to such pitch Of excitement?"
81 think ] ought TO tell you all about
It," answered Evelyn, after moments
deliberation, ''but it must be in conf
derce."
"You can trust me, DEAR" the sweet
old lady assured her.
They sat down in hammock and
Evelyn kept ii in motion with her slip
pered feet as they rested lightly on the
floor.
"Do you remember the young man
showed you at church that day?"
"The one questioned Mrs. Lam
caster, "who you said had saved your
life?"
eyes; do you remember him?"
'Quite we'll; his face made wonder
full impression on me, and / have
thought of him a hundred times after
oil you told me of his struggle to bet
ter his condition and educate himself.
I don't think ever saw finer speci-
men Of physical manhood; he had SUI
perb face. Were you abiding to him?"
Then in a low voice full of agitation
Evelyn explained.
For several minutes after the girl
had finished the old lady remained
silent, then she asked gently, cautious
ly, as if she were treading on ground
upon which she had not been invited:
do you realize what all this means,
dear Evelyn?"
81 realize that Mr.. Fanshaw is
friend of mine, and that Capt. Wrinkle
has tried to humiliate him in public"
81 did not mean exactly that" the
widow corrected, quickly. at is your
own danger that l am thinking about"
"My danger?" Evelyn emphasized the
first word.
eyes, you see it is difficult for young
girl to be wholly in sympathy with
such noble, suffering character as this
Mr.. Fanshaw without running risk
Of becoming dangerously interested.
Young girls are prone to care for what
is withheld from them, and you may
not be an exception to the rule. You
ought to keep the fact always before
you that nothing but disaster could
come from an alliance with one SO far
beneath you, at least in point of birth;
sou see what l mean"
Evelyn drew herself up stit1ly.
"You need have no fears in that di-
recton," she averrcd. 1--WE have Meth
er Of us thought of that"
Gut" gently persisted the old lady,
''you may not even now know y our own
heart. am afraid you could not have
been so fierce just now had the captain
been talking about any other man."
81 don't like to think for moment,
Mrs. Lancaster, that Mr.. Fanshaw is
beneath us in any respect"
"Ah," interrupted the older woman,
t'that is still another proof Of your
peril; you even want to feel that he is
your equal, when, my poor child, all
that you may know him to be mentally,
morally or otherwise cannot make him
so. Remember your fathers pride-the
high standing OF your family. 1t would
break his. heart, Evelyn"
"What would break his hearth" burst
petulant.y from the girls lips.
at would break his heart TO refuse
you anything, and yet he could not
consent to your marrying into such a
family as. Mr.. Fanshaw's."
Evelyn's face was very white, and in
the moonlight. it looked ghastly.
81 have never dreamt of such a
thing" she said, quite truthfully. 81
have thought only Of his happiness
have only prayed that he might tri-
umph over all the obstacles in his way
to success and happiness"
The negro quarter, consisting of a
village of about thirty log cabins, lay on
the left of the mansion, and from its
intricate, lanelilSe streets came three
mulatto musicians, carrying guitar,
mandolin and mouth organ. They
paused at the steps and began play.
ing. This caused the card players, who
were evidently tired of their game, to
rise and come out on the veranda, the
colonel last OF all, clapping his fat