The Irish standard., 1907-03-30
CHAPTER XIII.
A Pair of Eavesdroppers.

" When 7 came down after dressing
for dinner, Bates called my attention
to a belated mail. ] pounced eagerly
upon letter in Laurance Donovan's
: well-known hand, bearing, to my sur.
prise, an American stamp and post
marked New Orleans. 1t was dated,
however, at Vera Cruz, Mexico, De-
cember Is, 1901, and gave charac.
teristically racy account of his efforts
to dodge the British detective who was
pursuing him. He hoped, he wrote. to
cross the borders into Texas, but de-
clared that he should keep clear of In
diana, as he was unacquainted with
the Indian language.
h Bates gave me my coffee in the
library, as I wished to settle down to
an evening of reflection without delay.
Larry's report of himself was not reas-
suring, despite it's cheerful tone I
knew that if he had any idea of trying
to reach me he would not mention it
:. in letter which might fall into the
hands of the authorities. and the hope
that he might join me grew. was
not, perhaps, entitled to a companion
at Glenarm under the terms of my
exile, but as matter of protection in
], the existing condition of affairs there
could be no legal or moral reason why
/ should not defend myself against my
foes, and Larry was an ally worth
having.
- My neighbor. the chaplain. had in.
/. advertently given me bit of impor-
tant news; and my mind kept revert
fng to the fact that Morgan was re-
porting his injury to the executor Of
my grandfather's estate in New York.
\ Everything else that had happened
was tame and unimportant compared
with this. Why had John Marshall
Glenarm made Arthur Pickering the
executor Of his estate? He knew that
detested him. that Pickering's nohle
= aims and high ambitions had been
( praised by my family until his very
4 name sickened mo; and yet my own
grandfather had thought it wise to in.
trust his fortune and my future to the
man of all men who was most repug-
nant to me. ] rose and paced the floor
; In anger.
My rage must fasten upon some one,
d and Bates was the nearest target for
sit ! went to the kitchen. where he
. usually spent his evenings. to vent my
feelings upon him, only to find him
gone. climbed to his room and found
4 1t empty Very likely he was off con-
doing with his friend and fellow con-
4 spirator, the caretaker, and I fumed
& with rage and disappointment was
thoroughly tired,-as tired as on DAYS
when I had beaten my way through
4 tropical jungles without food or water;
but I wished, in my impotent anger
against knew not what agencies, to
punish myself,-to induce an utter
WEAKNESS that would send me ex.
& hausted to bed.
F& The snow in the highway was we'll
$ibeaten down and I swung off country
& ward past st. Agatha's. A gray mist
v hung over the fields in whirling clouds,
breaking away occasionally and show
Ing the throbbing winter stars. The
walk and my interest in the alterna-
Z tion Of star-lighted and mist-wrapped
Il ss11landscape won me to better state of
mind. and after tramping couple of
4 miles, set out for home Several
4 times on my tramp had caught my.
\ self whfstling the air of majestic
\ old hymn, and smiled, remembering
.stmy young friend Olivia, and her play
Ing in the chapel. She was an anus.
Ing child; the thought of her further
lifted my spirit; and turned into the
gate with half-recognized wish to
pass near the barracks where she