The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-06-02

pdCh upon. size might nave DeeH ~
ing Il bruised inert mass AT the foot
of the castle if it had not been for the
young fellow who even as he res
cued her had looked at her so super
ciliously.
Il hate him" she thought. and she
stamped her little foot viciously. Il
hope l Will never lay eyes on him
again" But when she entered the
steam tram for Cork she found the
only other occupant of the tram was
the Englishman He looked at her
with smile as she entered. but she
studiously avoided his glance. and
after that he paid no attention TO her
He was handsome fellow. with
broad shoulders and a strong. earnest
face. Gertrude could not help but
look at him. and before they reached
Cork she had wished more than once
that he would talk to her. Apparently.
however, nothing was further from his
intentions. and when they reached
Cork he alighted without ever looking
at her.
A few days after Gertrude started
out to make tour of the Killarney
lakes. When at Ross castle she was
assisted into a boat for a fifteen mile
tour of the lakes. To her astonish-
ment and disgust she found that her
vis-a-vis was Harcourt. He acknowl-
edged her presence with a nod and
then. apparently forgetting she was
there, applied himself with diligence
to looking at the wild and mountain
Gus scenery along the shores of the
celebrated lakes. Very soon the
treacherous Irish skies began to weep,
and it was bedraggled lot of pasSen-
gers that diSembarked preparatory to
the horseback trip through the Gap O.
Dunloe. GertrUdes mount was a great
rawbpncd animal, and she looked at
it with dismay How on earth would
she ever scale its slippery sides to the
saddle Harcourt. watching her out
of the tail of his eye, stepped forward
to assist her, but she turned her back
on him, led her horse over to a fence
and from that position of vantage
mounted. After that she lost sight of
the EngliShman. In fact, it would
have been difficult for her to keep
anything in sight. for she had all she
could do to remain on her horse The
beast stumbled and foundered in the
mud of the gap, and finally when the
shrill notes Of a bugle split the air the
horse ANONYMOUSLY slipped and fell.
throwing Gertrude prone into the mud
But that was not the worst of it, for
the horse in struggling to regain its
feet threatened to strike the fright
ened girl with its hoofs. Once again
she felt herself set fairly on her feet,
and once again she saw her prcserver
was the Englishman.
This time he laughed. II see we are
fated to meet. Miss Clinton" he said
his eyes twinkling with merrimeut
but Gertrude did not see the funny
side. and when her horse was righted
again she mounted it in silence and
disgust.
Il am going to lead this horse of
yours. Miss Clinton" said Harcourt
Il have noticed all the way that it is
not at all safe" And. suiting the ac-
ton to the word, he took the bride
with that of his own animal and
stalked on toward Kate Kearney's cot
tage
Inundated and ashamed. the girl
watched him. admiring the set Of his
broad shoulders and the poise of his
well shaped head. but she could not
and would not accept his services.
Il cannot allow you to walk in this
mud" she said. please give me the
bride. really must insist that you
ride"
My dear Miss Clinton" was the re
ply. given somewhat with an air OF
amusement which grated on Gertrude
soreIy. Il shah certainly see you safe
ly through this gap. l am sorry if my
company disturbs you. | will not talk
to you, but l viii lead your horse"
And lead it he did until Kate Kear-
ney's cottage was reached
But during the coach ride back to
Killarney village Gertrude was asham-
ed Of her sulkiness. She and Har-
court sat side by side and became very
chummy before the ride was over
Harcourt was cheerful and chatty. and
Gertrude made up her mind that he
was not so odious as she had first
thought him. He was communicative
and she discovered that he was a man
of leisure, travelling about for pleasure
He. in his turn found that Gertrude
was making her first trip abroad and
was teacher in New York city
school He had never cared much for
self supporting women. They had. in
fact, not been common in his expert
ence. He had always felt that they
must be strong minded and obnoxious.
But how pretty this girl was' What
lovely brown eyes and hair and what
a graceful figure! Harcourt. who
thought himself a connoisseur in wo-
men, acknowledged that he was pleas
ed with Gertrude.
They saw each other often in the
next few weeks, for both were max
ing the same tour of Ireland, and
both were to 20 through the lake
country Of Scotland. They were soon
numbered with a good sized touring
party and were surrounded by a gay
coterie Of friends. who admired the
stalwart young fellow and the lovely
girl who was so often by his side