The Irish standard., 1909-04-03

TX MMf~4 MIX
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I Brought Ny Horse to a Walk as
Neared the Cottage.
and turned away from Miss Pat
whose eyes made lying difficult-to
Helen. who met my gaze with charm.
ing candor.
And / took account of the girl anew
as walked between her and Miss Pat.
through a trellised lane that alter.
mated crimson ramblers and purple
clematis, to the chapel. Sister Marga.
ret's brown-robed figure preceding I'M.
The open sky, the fresh airs Of morn.
ing, the bird-song and the smell of
verduous earth In themselves gave
Sabbath benediction. challenged all
my senses as l heard Helen's deep
voice running on in light banter with
her aunt. 1t was not possible that
had seen her through the dusk only
her father, the foe Of this dear old
lady who walked beside me. 1t was
an impossible thing: the thought was
uncnivalrous and unworthy OF any
man calling himself gentleman. No
one so wholly beautiful. no one with
her voice, her steady tranquil eyes.
could, ] argued. do i'll. And yet had
seen and heard her; might have
touched her as she crossed my path
and ran down to the houseboat!
She wore to-day a white and green
gown and trailed green parasol in
white-gloved hand. Her small round
hat with its sharply upturned brim i'm.
parted a new frankness to her face.
Several times she looked at me quick.
ly-she was almost my own height
and there was no questioning the per.
feet honesty Of her splendid eyes.
I'VE hoped you might drop in yes.
terday afternoon" she said, and my
ears were at once alert.
Yes" laughed Miss Pat I'VE
were"
I'VE were playing chess. and almost
came to blows" said Helen. "We
played from tea to dinner and Sister
Margaret really had to come and tear
US away from our game"
had now learned, as though by her
own intention. that had been at st..
Agatha's. playing harmless game
with her aunt, at the very moment
that I had seen her at tho canoe.
makers. And even more conclusive was
the fact that she had made this state.
ment before her aunt, and that Miss
Pat had acquiesced in 1t.
We had reached the church door,
and I had really intended entering
With them; but now was in no frame
Of mind for church; murmured an ex.
cuse about having letters to write.
"But this afternoon We shall 90 for
n ride or sail. which shall it be, Miss
Holbrook?" J said, turning to Miss
Pat in the church porch.
She exchanged glances with Helen
before replying.
CAS- you please, Mr.. Donovan. II
might be that we should be safer on
the water
l was relieved. On the lake there
was much less chance of her being OBJ
served by Henry Holbrook than in the
highways about Annandale. It was, to
be sure, question whether the man I
had encountered at the canoe makers
was really her brother; that question
was still to be settled. The presence
Of Gillespie had forgotten utterly:
but he was. at any rate, the least i'm.
portant figure in the little drama un.
folding before me.
II shall come to your pier with tina
launch at five O'clock" I said, and
with thanks murmuring in my ears
/ turned away. went home and called
for my horse.
repeated my Journey Of tho night
before, making daylight acquaintance
with the highway. brought my horse
to walk as I neared the canoe.ma.
ker's cottage. and I read his sign and
the lettering on his mail box and sat
isfied myself that the name Hartridge
was indisputably set forth on both.
There was no one In sight; perhaps
the adventure and warning Of the
night had caused Holbrook to leave;
but at any rate I was bent upon ask.
ing about him in Tippecanoe village.
This place, lying two miles beyond
the canoe-maker's, found to be q
sleepy hamlet OF perhaps 50 cottages.
country store. a post.ohice, and a
blacksmith shop. There was q water
trough in front Of the store. and l
dismounted to give my horse a drink
while went to the cottage behind the
closed store to seek tbs shopkeeper.