The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-01-08

uan IN MS anger let Bilp u worn VI MS
love for Maggie.
After breakfast. just before the days
business commenced, Riordan called
her aside and slipped a packet into her
hand.
'rEat's the money" he said. aye
may go whin ye like"
"An' whin must I be back. Mr.. Rior-
danf"
"Ah, well. we'll think Az that" He
united a parcel. 1t contained spun silk
shawls. an Improbable Investment for
that neighborhood.
"Tm thinkin'," ne said. blushing to
his hair. "tlat wan ay these'd shute ye
fine. Just choose wan, Maggie"
"Ah, ye're too good, Mr.. RIordaD.
What'd 1 do wild the like av thatF"
"Wear 1t. sure. They're ovid stock"
he added difidently. IAN anyway
somethin'll be saved IL ye take 1t.
Well not be here much longer"
"Are we goin' to lave the shop?"
AYE, that's 1t. We've ended the
partnership"
"Thin mustn't l come backT"
81 think It's goodby. Maggie. whin ye
go. But Wen see later"
He laid the shawl aside. "Irl parcel
1t up for ye." he said.
Before Maggie could answer her un-
cle's voice called to her from the little
parlor behind the counting house. Pow
| er was leaning with his elbows on the
table, where the breakfast things still
remained.
"Sit down, Maggie" he said. She
obeyed him. He lifted n cup as though
/ q - l,H,,I, kkH,, r.k ~ lnr,n n aud
moistened his lips with his tongue.
"I'm hard driven" he said, IAN It's
We can help me-"
GLOW can | help?"
lizard driven" he repeated. can me
gettin' an ovid man. I meant no harm.
but the luck was dead ag'in me. I niv-
er had q chanst-a poor mans always
KEEP down."
II thought we were rich, uncle"
erich! I'm not worth the price av
me funeral. IN PRISONS starln' me In
the face"
"But we've done nothin' wrong. They
can't put ye away for bein' poor"
"But they can for stealin', child, an
that's what l was drove to, God help
me! Aye, this mint 1 might be took!'
He shivered md drew a hand across
his moist face.
aye a thiefv'
"That's the word, an We may throw
1t at me-" he walled. Maggie, there's
only wan can save me, an that's yer
sell"
1--WE only this" she said and put the
packet Riordan had given her on the
table.
'"That's no good!' he cried. Its yc
an not money. It's me partner, John
Riordan, I've robbed, m ye a save
me name. IL yc'd marry him, he'd for
give me an not say n word"
II can't" said Maggie. III asked
me last night, an l said No. for there's
another | belong to-"
,"Ye said Nor God save us! Where's
yer sinse? Let the other wango."
II can't"
aye must for the sake of the Nance!
Would ye lave yer w mothers BROTH
er put In ja.l?"
"Mr. Riordan'n not be hard" she
said.
would We be that ongrateful?" cried
Power, his tense nerves giving way to
the press of anger. Didn't I take ye
from the dirt an feed We like me own
child? Did | do 1t all for nothin'2 An
who's the other We fancy2 The boy I
saw We wild wan night at Ballyclogher?
P'raps he'll be the wan as stint ye a
letther thai I'd the slnso to stopT"
aye did that2" she cried, her face
flaming. "Ye dared TO do that2 Ach.
ye coward! An ye brought me here to
kape We out Nv jail2 God forgive We
for n black hearted man!'
She disregarded Powers restraining
gesture and ran into the shop. Rior-
dan had just finished wrapping UP the
shawl.
:.Mr. Riordan. come in here n mint"
h said. lie followed her. When the
door was closed, she turned and faced
him.
"If said I'd marry ye," she cried,
would we have me, KNOWN we'll that
1 loved another manT'
mo-" he said. "for yer an honest
girl, an / wish ye no shame"
God bless We for the wordl Me un.
Gle there wants to save himself, an 1t
was by that he thought to do 1t. Mr..
Riordan. will We let i'm go2"
Hes done his worst for both nv us,
Maggie. Let the poor divvle go an
welcome. There, take yer money an
go, too. child. Don't leave 1t there for
the ovid hawk"
She took the packet from the table
and said goodby. Riordan kissed her
for the first and last time. For Frank
Power she could summon neither word
nor gesture OF farewell.
She went straight to the station and
found that n train left for the south In
half an hour. To buy her ticket the
packet had to be opened. She found,
In addition to the money which Power
had withheld. a five pound note. At
the last moment she remembered that
She had left the shawl behind.
When she reached Carmore, twilight
was falling. The sight Of Il familiar
white town and the long, uphill stretch
OF the Ballyclogher road brought back
to her In full flood the long lost sense
OF freedom. AS she walked, her hur-
ried breath almost broke into happy
sobbing. Tho only pause she made was
by the waysIde elm.
She had been too distressed in the
morning to think Of sending any notice
of her coming, 30 that as she neared
the cottage no N was peering out to
get the first sight of her. At the door
she paused and listened. A single