Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-12-27

that would please him." she said.
About an hour after this two of the
kings officers came riding down the
road from the mountains. They drew
rein at the forge. They called out the
smith.
did ye happen to see a cart go by
this way?" they demanded.
Owen Joyce walked out of the dark
of the shed and stood by his fathers
side and listened.
"That did" said the smith, IAN
shod mettlesome colt under that same
cart"
The wind, blowing from faraway,
brought with it faint sounds.
"Whisht" cried Owney. putting up
his hand. whats thatp
The officers and the smith turned
their heads in the direction of the
wind.
The sounds came nearer.
"Stand your cattle back out of harms
way. sir" said Owen Joyce. ITS
runaway horse with a tangle of harness
about him"
He ran down the road and past the
corner. The white line of the bog track
was out before him. Coming along it
was the colt his father had shod. The
shafts of the cart were humping over
the ground upon each side of the beast
With every bump the colt shivered in
alright. Owen Joyce stood close by
lone thorn on the roadside. He waited
until the colt was trotting by. He
stepped out and seized the bride. He
tied the colt to the skeough and undid
the chains that held the shafts AS
he did this ne noticed one or two cir
cular dints upon the wood just where
it had snapped.
Thanks be to God" said Owen
Joyce out loud He raised few spin
tiers under the dints and blotted them
out He united the colt and led hlm
to the officers.
"'Tis in a Gog hole We may go look
for your man. I'm thinkin," he said.
What may ye have wanted with
him. good sirs?' asked the smith.
HE killed a neighbor in quarrel at
the fair of Caltra," answered the otti
Ger He got away to his sister. and
with him this morning"
1.-THE man let out they were bound
for Dublin" said Owney. but she de
MED it. They got a shoe on the colt
here Father wanted them to see to
their shafts. but she said they hadn't
time. She said they were goin to their
grandfather's funeral The shafts are
lyin below on the road"
"She'd lose her soul with a lie to
save her brother" said one of the Off
GERS.
"'Tisn't often ye'd meet with a Sis
ter like that" said Owen Joyce. He
made no mention of the heavy mallet
He said nothing about the dints he had
seen upon the broken shafts. He walk
ed by the officers to the place where
| they lay. The officers examined them.
They said 1t was clear they had snap
ped away from the cart. Owen walked
after the officers as they went slowly
over the bog. keeping sharp eyes to the
right and the left They came to a moi
low fringed with rush and reed. Slime
and black mud was within this Dor
der.
Seer said one of the officers to the
other Here Is where the brute backed
in. Look how the place is trampledl
Take care and don't go too close, man,
unless ye want the mud to swallow ye
up"
They rode back past the smithy
Owen Joyce followed them.
aye were very glib ginin informa-
ton" said his father to him when the
I men were gone. He did not like this
spirit in his son.
THE young woman meant all that
TO be told" said Owen. "If she didn't,
she'd have held her tongue"
She'll not talk much where she is
now" said the father.
The next morning Owen went to his
father.
"Glve me what's comm to me-" he
Balu. -rm urea OF the IRE mere. IN
buy an ass an cart packed with deli
ware an go thravel."
The father was willing to give him
his portion and let him go out into the
world and forget the girl who was
swamped in the morass. Owen got the
l DlSSSlhS VI LIS piISulS anu went AOA III
| to see the world.
! He struck across the bog and over
every road that branches from the
| track led his little gray ass. And every
| cabin he first came to on each separate
! road he asked the folks If they had
seen yellow haired woman passing
that way in company with a white
faced man. If they said yes, he went
| that road until he could go no farther.
Then he came back with a sadder cOun-
tenance than he had before.
! He went to and fro over Ireland seek
ing that which he could not find. And
the sloe black hair upon his head began
/ to whiten, and the light of youth went
out of his blue eyes. At last he almost
/ forgot what he was searching for. The
dizziness of age crept upon him. He
and his little patient beast grew gray
together.
One evening they came into a village
on the shore. and the sea was spread
out before them. Green islands rose out
/ of it, and foam flashed from its break
ing pillows. 1t was the eve of the feast
of Patrick, and the peddler had Pat
/ rick's crosses to sell to the mothers for
their children. A little child came over
the sandy street to him and said: