The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-05-07

toward the highway at a smart trot,
Once there, the animals broke into
an easy canter, which they maintained
for mile or more. Then Kate drew
down to walk.
What a day." said he, waving his
hand toward the sea line.
There was color a-plenty on her
cheeks now, and her eyes shone like
precious stones. There is no exhilara-
tion quite like it. She flicked the
elders with her crop, and once or
twice reached up for a ripening an.
pie. In the air there was the strange
sea smell, mingled with the warm
scent of clover.
"1'll race you to the beach," she
cried, suddenly.
Done! I'll give you to the sixth
tree He laughed There was really
nothing at all in the world but this
beautiful girl. the horses, and the
white road that wound in and out to
the sea.
She trotted her mount to the sixth
tree, turned, and then gave the signal,
Away they went, the horses every bit
as eager as their riders With their
ears laid back, their nostrils wide,
their feet drumming, they Numbered
down the road. Darlington gained,
but slowly, and he had to hold his
right arm as a shield for his eyes, as
the till9's heels threw back steady
rain of sand and gravel. Faster and
faster; a milk wagon veered out Just
in time; foolish chickens scampered
to the wrong side of the road, and the
stray pigs in the orcharcs squealed
aud bolted inland. 1t was all very
fine. And when they struck deep
tawny sand the animals were neck
and neck. 1t was now no easy task to
bring them to stop. Carrington's
hunter had made up his mind to win,
aud tho 1.-the filly was equally deter
mined. AS an expedient, they finally
of an ancient wreck; nothing else
would have stepped them.
How love it," said Kate, breath
lessly, as she slid from the saddle.
Beauty, you beat him, didn't you'll"
patting the dripping neck of her ia.
vorite.
They tethered the horses presently
hull.
Nothing 1ike, is there, girl?"
II hate automobiles" she answered,
,irrelevantly.
The old, old sea quarreled murmur-
ously at their feet, and the white gl'ls
sailed hither and thither, sometimes
breasting the rollers just as they were
creamy foam. The man and the girl
seemed perfectly content to remain
voiceless. There was no sound but
the song of the sea; the girl dreamed,
and the man wondered what her
dream was. Presently he glanced at
his watch. He stood up, brushing the
sand from his clothes.
Half an hour between us and break
fast, Kate. All aboard!"
The night before might have been
only an idle dream.
So they took the road back Only
the sea and the gulls saw the tender
kiss.
The pariah sauntered in at two
O'Clock that afternoon, just as the
family We're sitting down to luncheon.
He was revelation. There was moth
ing shabby about him now. He wore
new suit, spats, new straw hat.
and twirled light bamboo. There
was something jaunty and confident in
his air, a bubbling in his eyes; alto
gether, he was in fine fettle about
something. He cast aside his hat and
cane with flourish.
aha! just in time" he said. can
other chair, William"
The butler sent dubious glance at
his master; there was the usual curt
nod and the frown. So grandpa sat
down beside Norah, whose usual effer.
vescence had strangely subsidized; he
pinched her cheek, and deliberated be.
tween the cold ham and chicken.
"a fine day! A beautiful day! A
day of days." he cried, surrendering
to the appetitious lure Of both meats
Nobody replied to this outburst OF
exuberance; nobody had the power to.
A strange calm settled over every
one. This was altogether new kind
OF grandpa. There was nothing timid
or hesitant here, nothing meek and
humble; neither was there that insult.
ferable self-assurance and arrogance
of disagreeable man. Grandpa's at.
titude was simply that of an equal, of
a man of the world, of one who is con-
fident of the power he holds in re.
serve; that was all. But for all that,
he was a sensation of some magni.
tude. Darlington was seized with a
wild desire to laugh. The truth came
to him like an illumination; but he
wisely held his peace.
There is something in the air to.
day that renews youth in old age; eh,
my son." with sly wink at Cave
naugh.
Cavenaugh's expression Of wonder
began to freeze and remained frozen
on na