The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-12-05

eager for it.
The others thought on the madcap
prank 1t was and that their empty
paunches should soon be filled with
Kings meat and drink And for this
last 10 not blame them. seeing that
the gentlemen Of tho Irish regiment
more often than not went supperless
30 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 hat for
che 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 ad-
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
guard at the palace. Tie Mask was
given for a 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
5oked about me, I thought upon the
last time I 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.
4 remember how the blackbird sang,
and the smeH of the whitethorn all in
bloom close by that it 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-
or. Why, we had been brought up in
neighboring houses, and our families
dad always been friends and allies
IF the money dwindled at BUnclody
while Lahinch fattened, that was but
the fault of the troublOUs times, for l
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
ghe winner before he flung up his
cap for the Dutchman or the Stuart.
have marveled often upon how Flea
nora came to be his daughter
When we brought our tale to Lord
Lahinch, the first shadow of trouble
Tell upon our love-
what, Sir Maurice" he said, take
q wife when SarsfieId has need of
soldiers! I am an old man, not a
fighter and I 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, it will be time to
talk of marriage"
The old fox proved better than his
word, for though he conveyed his
daughter and his money bags priVily
lREOm the country before the war
broke out and deposited them at the
French court, where he had kins-
woman high in favor with the Queen,
yet he returned and held Lahinch
castle for King James against King
William, and had his head blown off
by a cannon ball, for which forgave
him many things, believing that he
was an honest man at last.
AS for me, when il was over l was
Eae poorest man between the four seas
OF Ireland, for my house was in ashes,
my hand seized and sequestrated and
Z mad lost Eieanora. RumOr had il
Ehat she was a great heiress and be
grOthed to the son Of the Duo de Pic
arly. 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-head
ed with joy when we came home from
che Low Countries to Paris, and al
because / might by chance happen t
zee the Lady Eleanora.
We gentlemen of the Palace Guari
we're chosen for our height and size
4 Maurice Desmond, am siXfoot-four
and lean as a hound Hardships hat
tho7d on me as we'll as, love. But
vas not the greatest of the troop
There was Andrew MacManus two in
rhes greater, and Laurence Magulr
an inch. That night the Yellow Dom
mo was higher than any gentleman a
che Mask, and it was not likely h