New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-01

less wstful whenever she saw the young couple
together. Sabna's farm joined COrneys. Both
farms were much of a size and in the pink of
condition. They were unimportant taken sepa-
rately; Joined together. none could look for a
prettier farm; and people were as fond OF
the land In the 3Us in Ireland as they are to-
day.
But the resolute intention of relatives and
friends to force the young people together only
succeeded In defeating its own ends. Sibbe, as
all the world called her. something OF
spoiled child-a beauty. an -heress, her fathers
darling. She had only to send glance from un
der her long black eyelashes at any swain of
them all to bring him to her side.
Corney, on the other hand, was, from his own
point of view. nothing at all of match for her.
He had the soft, rugged melancholy Looks
which often belong to the Celt, and are as APP
pealing to the sensitive as the sadness Of anil
mails An artist would have found COrney beau
ttfui To his own class he made no appeal at
all He was heavy, clumsy, dark, his textures
shapeless, his limbs cast In great mould that
he carried ungracefully. Whereas SIbhie-Sib-
bic had a japanese daintiness Of asre. [, though
they knew nothing of Japan in COrriesien. Her
smooth hair was like black satin her black eye
brows were exquisitely arched over long eyes;
she mk-white Of skin and had delicate,
disdanful red lips.
No one person in the world suspected that
Sibbie had sometimes said to herself, in the Sc
cluson of her own pretty room, Why IS ne
such an Observation-Disclosures her foot angrI-
iy at the same time; nor, if they had, would they
have suspected any connection between the
speech and Corney O'DOnOvan.
When Terence Murphy. in his last Illness
spoke of the wish of his heart TO Sibble, she
DERBY.
Hes a great old omadhaun." she said, and
he will never ask me-"
Us that how 1t ISL" asked Terence, sudden
enlightenment coming into his sunken eyes
That's how it Isl" answered Sibbe. nodding
her head emphaticauy.
.sTis surprising the foolishness of people and
things" said Terence. And that night ne died
in his sleep. SO that Sibbie's secret died with
him.
The next to go was Peggy O'DOnovan-a
kind hard working woman for whom the nelgh-
bors had nothing but good words when she
II wish 1 could have seen you settled, Cor
ney" she said. wistfully.
Sure. never had eyes but for the one girl:
Corney answered and she won't look at me-
"Are you sure, Corney?"
Sure? It's too sure / am
"Whethen, she doesn't know what's good A
better son never walked the world and a good
son makes a good husband. 'Tis her loss
Maybe know it's mine"
give longed this many day for your chill
dren on my knee. I'll never see their faces
Even at that moment Corney blushed
81 wouldn't want children unless they were
hers and mine" he said with hidden, passionate
eyes. And, If she holds out against me to the
end l think tits old bachelor I'll be dying
like my Uncle Peter"
''She bids fair to be an old maid herself the
way she's letting all the boys so by her" said
the mother with little bitterness.
Corney looked at her in amaZement.
us it she an old maid he asked that could
have any boy in the country, from old James
Fogarty, that's worth ten thousand POUNDS II
he's worth penny, down to Lanty Whelan'
that hasn't got two pennies to call his own nor
the first hair on his chin? Sure. why would she
be an old maid?'
His eyes kindled In sudden violence, but he
curbed himself. He wasn't going to distress the
old dying mother with a revelation of the depths
of his hopeless love and the fury Of Jealousy
that shook him when he thought OF another man
winning Sibbie.
But the mother had comfort Old Father
Bannon Of Newtowncross who had great ana
deserved reputation for sanctity which extend
ed as far as Dublin itself. knew her desires ana
assured her at the last that he believed they
would be satisfied. Perhaps he knew some
thing; perhaps he did not Anyhow. she died
easy in her mind about her sons future
When the two were left alone, they seemed
more contrary to each other than ever. They
bore their griefs in lonely isolation Sibbie
prouder than ever now that her cheek was pale
and her eyes ringed with purple, while Corney
walked with a stOop of the shoulders, as thouSn
a burden pressed them down. and a face that
had more than ever the dumb sadness of an
animals.
Often they were within hail Of each other
across the dividing hedgerows of the farms
Sibbie had taken to looking after things herself
since her fathers death Once on a time they
used to be friendly; no greeting passed be
tween the girl one side OF the hedge, superin-
tending this that farming operation and the
man on the other side. ploughng with his heavy
old-fashioned plough-an austere, lonely figure
against the gray sky of winter, going UP and
down the burrows
Rumors came presently to Sibbie that COrney
was sadly neglected since his mothers death
She could have told the gossps that she
knew more about II than they did, for, al
though she never lifted her head to send glance
across the hedgerow that divided her from Cor
al Afvrv hfver Qrnp1h no nf