Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1906-08-02
Larry's
Weading
BY ConstancsFSrcy Mackay
Copyright, 1906, by p. c. Eastment


to make Larry's happiness complete,
and that. was the presence If Ellen
CAIeara. whe was already on her way
from the old country. y month ago
Larry had sent the money for her
transportation.
Ellen was the belle of Ballymoran,
and his winning her was to be Viewed
in the light of a great triumph. FOR
awhile It had been nip and tuck as to
whether she would marry him or Tim
Kearny. But Ellen had chosen LarrJ4
and in the letters she wrote him from
time to time there was no mention Of
Tim kearny.
"Shnre, her hearts all mine," said
Larry to himself, and as the day of
Ellen's landing approached his Joy be-
came more and more apparent.
Indeed, the whole Hemstead house
hold took an interest in Ellen's nQme
coming. The servants know her age to
q dot, that her eyes were as blue as the
lakes of Killarney and her hair like
FURNISHED copper.
The morning of his wedding dawned
clearly and Larry was IN jubiIant spin
its as he took the Long Island train for
New York How Ellen would delight
in their little cottage and eXult in the
surprise that her husband was rot g
groom, hut q full fledged eoachman,
Larry boarded the immigrant ferry
boat, and 1t was not till lie had reached
the immigration building on Ellis is
land that he found that the Cedric, the
steamer on which Ellen was coming,
was a day late,
A whole twenty tour hours 10 spend
without Ellen! Larry wandered dis
consolately through the long bare halls
of the building, stopping to look at the
newly landed immigrants in tReir cage
like compartments and thinking of the
time when he had been like them. IN
one of the halls a giri was talking to
blue coated official and biting her lips
to keep from crying. She was young
and slender, with deep gray eyes.
I'm sorry" the official was saying
kindly, ~but we haven't heen ab!e TO
get any word ~ the aant who was TO
meet you, ard you're too young a girl
to work alone In the city. It's against
the law If your aunt doesn't come for
you, you'll have to go back to Ireland
to your own people"
Bur they Ie all dead" said the girl
'.shure, there's no one belonging to me
at al except this aunt in New York
whom I've niver seen. az Il Sue
doesn't come for me- The girl broke
off with a sudden Sob so childish, SO
piteous, that Larry, in spite of his nan.
piness, felt his heart ache for hers
"It's a shame, it is he said TO him
self. "a poor young Bit or thing like
that! Faith, If my Ellen was only here
we might think of something to do for
the girl" And on his way back to New
York Larry determined to speak to FL.
len about tt.e natter. %omen's wits
were much better than mems in such
cases.
Next morning he was early at the
island and instead of waiting ,n tne
immigration building tramped up and
down outside that lie might catch the
first glimpse of the boat that was
bringing Ellen to him. Presently h9
deserted Ii, and his blood raced at the
sight.
He stood us near as tie could To the
gangplanh ana anXiously scanned the
faces of the immigrants crowded on the
deck, but Iilcn's was not among them.
Larry was filed with an anguish of
apprehension. Then his heart leapeG.
He had seen the CLINT of EUan5 red
gold hair. Fa.. .I instant she faced
him, their eyes met and then she turn
ed and spoke to Il man beside her. lie
laughed and pushed back his cap. As
lie did so Larry recognized aim. It
was Tim Kearny. They were coming
down the gangplank now, and Ellen,
to steady herself, put a bare red hand
on the railing. On her fourth finger
cleaned plain gold wedding ring.
Larry was too stunned to speak.
DaZed, he turned toward the immigra-
ton building He knew not what to
do or where to go. The mockery of it
all swept over him-the fruitless years
Of planning and working, the little
house that he had I,lGans 10 De SO hap
py AZ. Worse than all, the shame of
returning alone smote him to the
quick. But as he stumbled on there
flashed through his mind the memory
of the gray eyed girl he had seen the
day before. She had been so helpless,
yet so lovely in her grief Somehow
the recollection of her loneliness seem
ed to draw him toward her as IL by an
invisible bond.
ssShurn roicar,v lovac coponanu no
said to himself, land If the girl could
only learn to care for me it's Joy and
not sorrow might be in store for u.s."
He quickened his steps, fumbling il
his pocket for the letters witn when
Mr.. HemStead mad invested him in
ease he had trouble in proving his
right to Ellen. They certified as to
Larry's character and errand beyond
doubt and satisfied the middle aged Of
ticial who ran his eye across them.
''Well?" he said.
The situation was difficult one, and
1t took Larry some moments to ex-
plain.
Finally the official threw back his
head and laughed. "We've had Il good
many romances on the island" he
cried, "but this beats I'll, stli, as Tar
as l can see there's nothing against
your marrying the girl if she consents.
At present she's expecting to be de-
ported, for we've found that her aunt
died some days after the girl sailed"
so Nora MacManus was called from
the Bomen's detention room and came
with look of wonder wonder which
deepened as she saw Larry,
"They're telling me you're from the
ovid sod" said he, "and that your
names Nora MacManus. Is it of the
Innishowan MacNIanuses ye are"
YES" said Nora Her voice was as
soft as the run of a river
81 was at Innishowan once myself"
said Larry, and he went Oh 80 speak
cf the old people and the old times.
Faith, they're a great bond whin peo-
pie are in a strange land" he said.
Then Larry took both of Nora's hands
ut the same time.
'Nora, gin" he said, ''iisten 10 me-"
While he was speaking she kept her
gray eyes fixed on his honest blue ones.
He did not pause until he had told her
the whole story. I've lost faith in