The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-11-02

me, my first thought was that, unseen
myself, should see Eleanor, so | was
eager for it.
The Others thought on the madcap
prank it was, and that their empty
paunches should soon be filed with
Kings meat and drink, And for this
last | do not blame them. seeing that
the gentlemen Of the Irish regiment
more often than not went supperless
TO bed, since glory was more plentiful
in the French Kings service than
louis dor; and arrears of pay seemed
likely but TO grow greater.
Terrence d'Esterre held a hat FOR
the money. and we each cast in what
we could, he who had been lucky Of
late at the gaming table more, he
who had lost less. We kept no count
of the sums, but, in the end. we had
enough to pay for one ticket of adj
mission to the great Mask, and for
yellow domino.
The thing that gave us our oppor-
tunity was that that night the gen
tlemen of the Irish regiment were on
given for charity by the Queens
wishes; hence it was called the
Queens Mask, and all Of fashion, of
beauty, and of wealth in the capital
would pay for its admittance, and so
swell the Golfers OF st. Vincent de
Paul
While my comrades laughed and
joked about me, | thought upon the
last time / had seen Eleanora, waen
she and had litten down from our
horses in the Vale OF Arlo and, while
the beasts cropped the sward near us,
had taken her into my arms and her
golden head had lain upon my heart.
| remember how the blackbird sang,
and the smell of the whitethorn all in
bloom close by that 1t seemed to in
toxicate me with ecstasy.
At that time there was nothing
strange in Sir Maurice Desmond lift
ing his eyes to Lord Lahinch's daught-
err Why, we had been brought up In
neighhoring houses, and our families
had always been friends and allies.
If the money dwindled at Bunclody
while Lahinch fattened. that was but
the fault of the troublous times. for
gave with both hands, as my father
gave before me, to the cause of King
James and HIS son. Whereas Lord
Lahinch waited to see who should be
the winner before he flung up his
cap for the Dutehman or the Stuart.
have marveled often upon how Flea
nora came to be his daughter.
When we brought our tale to Lord
Lahinoh, the first shadow of trouble
fell upon our love.
what, Sir Maurice" he said. take
wife when Sarsfield has need of
soldiers! | am an old man, not
fighter, and | can protect my girl.
When the blood and fire of war burns
the country up, only an old man like
myself, who am out of the fight and
have stout castle to boot, can pro
tect women. When King James is on
the throne again, 1t will be time 10
talk of marriage
The old fox proved better than his
word. for though he conveyed his
from the country before the war
broke out and deposited them at the
French court. where he had a kins-
woman high. in favor with the Queen,
vet he returned and held Lahinch
castle for King James against King
William, and had his mead blown off
by cannon bali, for which | forgave
him many things, believing that he
was an honest man at last
AS for me. when it was over l was
the poorest man between the four seas
of ireland, for my house was in ashes.
my land seized and sequestrated, and
| had lost Eleanora. Rumor had it
that she was a great heiress and be-
trothed to the son of the Due de Pic
ariy. But she could not be further
from me though she were welded,
and so said of her to myself. yet
could not keep from being light-headt
ed with JOY when we came home from
the Low Countries to Paris. and all
because ! might by chance happen to
see the Lady Eleanora.
We gentlemen of the Palace Guard
we're chosen for our height and size.
!, Maurice Desmond. am sixfoot-four.
and lean as hound Hardships had
hold on me as well as love. But
was not the greatest of the troop
There was Andrew MacManus two in
ches greater. and Laurence Mcguire
an inch. That night the yellow Dom
inc was higher than any gentleman at
the Mask, and it was not likely he
should pass unnoticed.
It was a matter of honor with us
that we should eat and drink as fast
as might be, seeing that there were
80 hungry gentlemen to be fed before
morning broke. We cast lots for the
order of precedence, and, as it chanc-
ed, came to be the last of all, where
fore Luke Monroe clapped me on the
shoulder and congratulated me that |
was not likely to have an indigestion
from too speedy feeding. If ran the
risk of getting no supper at all.
would have bartered many sup
pers to catch but one sight of Flea
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