The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-05-15

poppy leaves that fluttered free from
a bowl on the book shelf above her
head and lazily fell to the floor at her
feet.
II had hoped" she said, that we
were good friends, Mr.. Donovan"
Il have believed that we were, Miss
Holbrook."
must terminate, that we are now at
crisis. You can underestimate need
not tell you-how fully my sympathies
lie with my father; it could not be
| otherwise"
"That is only natural. l have moth
| ing to say on that point"
"And you can understand, too, that
| it has not been easy for me to be de.
pendent upon Aunt Pat. You don't
| know have no intention of talking
| against her-but you can't blame me
for thinking her hard-a little hard on
my father"
l nodded.
81 am sorry, very sorry, that you
should have these troubles, Miss Hol-
brook"
II know you are she replied, eager
ly, and her eyes frightened Your
sympathy has meant so much to Aunt
| Pat and me. And now, before worse
things happen"
Worse things must not happen!"
"Then we must put an end to 1t all,
Mr. Donovan. There is only one way.
; My father will never leave here until
Aunt Pat has settled with him. And
1T is his right to demand it," she hur-
ried on. 81 would have you know that
he is not as black as he has been
painted. He has been his own worst
enemy; and Uncle Arthur's i'll doings
must not be charged to him. But he
has been wrong, terribly wrong, in his
conduct toward Aunt Pat. I do not
deny that, and he does not. But it is
only a matter of money and Aunt Pat
has plenty of 1t; and there can be no
question of honor between Uncle Ar
thur and father. 1t was Uncle Arthur's
! act that caused all this trouble; ia
| Their has told me the whole story. Quite
! likely father would make no good use
of his money! will grant that. But
think of the strain OF these years on
all of us; think of what it has meant
to me, to have this cloud hanging over
my life! 1t is dreadful-beyond any
words it is hideous; and can't stand
1t any longer, not another week-not
another day! 1t must end now and
| here"
Her tear-filled eyes rested upon me
pleadingly, and sob caught her
throat as she tried to go on.
But" I began.
please please" she broke in,
touching her handkerchief to her eyes
and smiling appealingly. 81 am ask
ing very little of you, after ALL
Eyes, 1t is little enough, but it seems
to me futile interference. If your
father would go to her himself, If you
would take him to her-that strikes
me as the better strategy of the mat
I ter
! "Then am I to understand that you
will not help; that you will not do this
for us-for me?"
+, II am sorry to have to say no, Miss
| Holbrook," I replied, steadily.
"Then I regret that I shall have to
go further; I must appeal to you as a
personal matter purely. 1t is not
easy: but if we are really very good
friends"
She glanced toward Sister Margaret,
then rose and walked out upon the ter
race.
+; "You will hate me-" she began,
smiling wanly, the tears bright in her
eyes; and she knew that it was not
easy to hate her. ~ have taken
money from Mr.. Gillespie, for my ia.
Their, since I came here. 1t is large
sum. and when my father left here he
! went away to spend ito waste it.
! 1t is all gone. and worse than gone. ]
! must pay that back-I must not be
under obligations to Mr.. Gillespie. It
was wrong, 1t was very wrong of me.
but I was distracted, half crazed by
my fathers threats of violence against
Aunt Pat-agsinst us all. l am sure
/ that you can see how came to do it.
And now you are my friend; will you
help me?" and she broke off, smiling,
| fearful, her back to the balustrade, her
nand at her side lightly touching It.
She had confidence, thought, in the
! power of tears, as she slipped her
handkerchief into her sleeve and
| waited for me to answer
; "Of course Mr.. Gillespie only loaned
you the money to help you over diff
i ficulty; in some way that must be
cared for. like him; he is fellow Of
good impulses. I repeat that I be.
lieve this matter can be arranged
readily enough. by yourself and your
father. My intrusion would only
make worse muddle of your affairs.
Send for your father and let him go
, to your aunt in the right spirit; and
believe that an hours talk will settle
everything"
You seem to have misunderstood
! my purpose in coming here, Mr. Dono-
van,' she answered. coldly. Il asked
yonr help, not your advice. I have