The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-12-02

the front door cleaned like two wide
open eyes, but no Whitehead girl sat
on the porch. Instead, from out tho
house issued medley of voices chat
ting and laughing, quite oblivious of a
listener. He did not catch what was
said, and did not try. and as he adj
vanced again the tinkling of piano
began, and some one started singing.
1t sounded like Angles voice, and then
others Joined in one of the old songs,
we'll remembered by him. 1t was I'm
the Sweet Summer Time, Long Ago"
and many time had he been the sole
audience while Angie sang it. And
ROW once more laughter and voices
two of them certainly masculine and
while he halted again in shadow, hc
heard how
''In an UNCOVERED cottage,
Hidden back by oakcn trees,
Lived little maiden
Blitlle and happy as you please
There upon a low vcranda
Every summer cventide,
I sit among the flowers,
Fair Camclia by my side"
1t was all very sweet and charming,
and doubtless the young men who were
Joining Angie in the old-time ballad en-
joyed it, but somehow Martin didn't
He wasn't sitting amid flowers with u
Sweet Camelia" by his side-and what
made it worse, another man was in
his old-time place. If Angie had been
p1ning for him all these years, it hadn't
QffQptnd hops Cnirifo IN
Then, as another burst of low laughter
reached him, he moved on.
A little gathering of friends were
doubtless enjoying call at Angles,
and he was not one of them. More.
than that, it began to dawn upon him
that now, upon his return to the scenes
of his youth, he was likely to find him
self forgotten. At the head of the
street he paused again, looking across
the Mizzy to where the home of David
Curtis stood. There was no light OF
laughter here issuing forth, instead the
house was silent, solemn, and appar-
emily empty, while the low rumble of
the Mizzy falls, now close by, was the
only sound. For moment only Martin
paused, his spirits at low tide, amt
then retraced his steps.
Reaching Aunt Comforts again, he
halted. The callers were still there,
voices and laughter still issuing. and
the two wide-open eyes over the front
door now seemed to glare at his in de-
rision.
A stranger in the village of his youth
there was not one there who thought
of his existence!
Even Angie, once all in all to him,
was, or just had been. Joining her
voice with another mans.
Then, as he novel on, how the old
memories returned! One by one, like
the quick finishing views of a stcreopti-
con, they sped blythe many evenings
he had sat on that same porch with
Angie, the lingerings at the gate when
the moonlight fell checkered through
the naples, the summer evening rides
along lonely and shaded roads, the
winter nights when the snow cleaned
white and the bells jingled the barn
dances when their feet and hearts kept
happy time to the music of the fiddle,
the huskings, the spelling schools, and
always the homecoming to this one
sacred dwelling, to repeat the parting
again and again, and then walk-no
float away on air!
And now, when this dream had be-
come only & charming memory of the
long ago, he had returned to find her
who had inspired it, singing with
others and doubtless oblivious to
whether he was dead or alive.
1t was all the silliest sort of nom
sense then, of course. and foolish to try
to recall it now; and yet, as Martin
did, it seemed that TO feel the same
boyish happiness and live once more
in the same fairy palace built of moon
shine and filled with decisions, would
be cheap at the cost OF all the years
that INTERVIEWED
When he, somewhat saddened by
these by-gones. and not at all sure that
his return to Greenvale was wise,
reached the Doctors home, to find it
occupied now. the greeting that fol-
lowed seemed doubly welcome.
ITS all my fault" admitted Martin.
in response to DR.. Soils profuse ex-
plantations, land after all, the hours
stroll gave me little pleasure, for i
passed Aunt Comforts and heard An
gle singing some of the old songs. She
has piano now, Judge"
"Why didn't You CALI" queried the
doctor, with laugh; she knows
you're coming, and 1t wouldn't have
surprised her."
But Martin answered not, for to ad-
NIT the facts would expose him to
the Doctors raillery.
Then they sat down to a social chat,
the Doctors wife insisting that Martin
relate his side OF that wonderful trip
into the wilderness and the discovery
of both wild man and hermit, and after
that the doctor reco !nted changes that
had taken place in Greenvale since
Martin had left 1t.
One story more, especially pertinent