The Irish standard., 1907-02-02

81 not Just here. stf.- It was Mr.. Glen.
.afm's idea not to disturb the wood at
1Gl. He was very fond of walking
Through the timber"
"N6t at night, hope! where are
We now"
"ouite near the lake. SIR"
Then 90 on"
was out of patience with Bates,
with the painless woodland, and, I
must confess, with the spirit of John
Marshall Glenarm, my grandfather.
We came out presently upon Q grsv-
ely beach. and Bates stamped sud-
denly on planking.
This is the Glenarm dook. ST.; and
that's the boat house."
<, He waved his lantern toward how
structure that rose dark beside us. As
we stood silent, peerfng out into the
] starlight. heard distinctly the dip Of
! Q paddle and the soft gliding motion Of
4 canoe.
TITS . boat. sir." whispered Bates,
hiding the lantern under his coat.
l brushed past him and crept to TIE
end Of the dock. The paddle dipped
Z On silently and evenly in the still
water but the sound grow fainter. A
canoe 10 the most graceful, the most
sensitive, the most inexplicable con-
trivance Of man. with rs paddle you
may dip up stars along quiet shores or
! steal into the very harbor of dreams.
5I knew that furtive splash instantly,
and knew that trained hand welded
the paddle. My boyhood summers in
the Maine woods were not, ind,
wholly wasted.
The owner Of the canoe had evident.
'w stolen close to the 0lenarm dock,
I but had made of when alarmed by the
noise of our approach through the
wood.
"Have you a boat near here. Bates?'
I asked.
THE boat house is locked and I
haven't the key with me, SIR" he re.
Dlied. without excitement
4 "of course you haven't IT," re.
Joined, full Of anger at his tone of FIRE.
proachable respect. and at my own
hslpfulness. / had not even seen the
place by daylight. and the woodland
behind me and tho lake at my feet
were things of shadow and mystery.
In my rage stamped my foot
Lead the way back" roared.
i had turned toward the woodland
when suddenly there stole across the
water voice,-a woman's voice. deep,
musical and deliberate.
Really, shouldn't be so angry il
were you!" 1t said, with lingering
note on the word angry.
who are you? What are you doing
&here?" bawled.
4 ".Just enjoying a little tranquil
thought" was the drawing, mockiue
reply.
Far out upon the water heard the
dip and glide of the canoe, and saw
family its outline for 4 moment; then
# was gone. The lake, the surround
ang wood, were an unknown world
the canoe, q boat Of dreams. Then
again came the voice:
Good night, merry gentlemen!"
SIT was lady. sir" remarked Bates,
after we had waited silently for full
/ minute.
How clever you are!" l sneered.
!, II suppose ladies prowl about here at
night, shooting ducks or into peoples
\ houses"
1T would seem quite likely, sir"
! should have liked to cast him into
the lake. but he was already moving
away. the lantern swinging at his side.
!, followed him, back through the wood.
land to the house.
! Ny spirits quickly responded to the
/ cheering influence of the great library.
stirred the fire on the hearth into
/ life and sat down before it, tired from
my tramp. I was nlystified and per-
( picked by the incident that had al.
( ready marked my coming. 1t was pos.
/ sible. to be sure, that the bullet which
4 narrowly missed my head in the little
4 dining room had been a wild shot that
\ carried no evil intent. I dismissed at
once the idea that it might have been
| fred from the lake: it had crashed
+ through the glass with too much force
! to have come 30 far; and, moreover, 1
& could hardly imagine even a rifle ball
finding an unimpeded right of way
I through 80 dense strip of wood. I
{ found it difficult to get rid of the idea
\ that some one had taken a pot shot
Sat me.
The woman's hooking voice from
1 the lake added to my perplexity. 1t
!. was not, I reflected, such voice as
one might expect to hear from a coun.
& try girl; nor could i imagine any
Tserrand that would justify woman's
\ presence abroad on an October night
whose cool air inspired first conf
dences with fire and lamp. There was
fssomething haunting in that last cry
Il across the water; it kept repeating it.
self over and over In my ears. 1t was
voice Of quality, Of breeding and
charm.
Good night. merry gentlemen!"
In Indiana, reflected, rusttcs, young
For old. men or women, were probably
Enut greatly given to salutations of just