The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-08-27

(, thundercloud few miles to their RICH,
seemed almost low enough TO be over
passed. SO he set the levers for an
ascent. and the Virginia rose like an
! osprey chased by an eagle.
F.! I'm trying your suggestion" said
Carson. I'm scaling the front of that
/, shower"
/ Even Craigheads voice was hushed
in awe. Like the fairy domes of some
city of oriental fable rose the cloud
castles. their SUBMITS white in the
moonlight. their folds dark like a
doves wing. Suddenly the lightning
blazed out in the heart Of the black
base on which the city of enchantment
was reared, and instantly the whole
/ vast fabric grew white and palpitant
| and terrible, while the blue sky be.
yond and above it turned black velvet
, by contrast. The lightning ceased,
and there hung the billowy cloud. Sill
| YER white and drab on q base of dark.
ness, as before. The air had grown
chill as with frost. and still the clouds
were far above them. The bite Of the
| propellers on the air seemed to fail.
for the cloud masses no longer appear
ed to fall as when the aeronef was ris-
ing.
1--WE can't make it," said Carson.
Don't try!" exclaimed Craighead.
"It's effrontery"'
straight toward the bosom of the
cloud.
Carson sat with his hand on his
| levers, pale as if dead: Craighead
clutched hand rail. his eyes turned
aloft as If in invocation. A more re-
mote flash and darkness returned. but
not so densely. The space before them
grew softly light, and in moment
they swan into the moonlight.
Through an Unreasonable chamber of
cloud darted the aeronef into a second
smother of rain and mist and out on
a lower level into the calm space be-
hind the storm. From this region of
shadow they emerged into the moon
light again and began their search for
signs Of human habitation. Finally.
just as Theodore was at the point of
retreat, both at once saw what neither
doubted was Shayne's Hold.
The hold was on the triple peak of one
of the ruggedest and highest masses
of the Catskllls. rising steep as a wall,
hundreds of feet in the air, to three
submits, in the midst of which stood
the mansion. The huge buildings had
been built, the animals had been intro
duced, the last luxury had been sup.
piled, and Shayne's Hold had been
sealed up. Down from the mountain
flowed three streams, up which had
run the precipitous roads to the top.
and when the time came for closing
the hold to those who had no way OF
navigating the air Mr.. Shayne had
built across them immense dams, using
materials blasted from the mountain
sides at such places as to render them
quite unscalable. The steepened preci-
pieces thus carried across the ravines
in masonry made lofty wall entirely
around the mountain. ~;
Every effect that could be produced
by lights. white and colored. the cleo
| trician-artists had worked out for the
illumination Of this enchanted palace
hung on cliffs. Overlooking the region.
as its owner overlooked his fellows.
the hold was place Of mystery. hold
ing no neighborship with the people
below. 1t was real Laputa, an island
in the air, and those only could reach
it who could fly.
About the peak ran labyrinth Of
bride paths and carriage roads. all
outlined from above BY winding lines
of lights. like the route of an army Of
bewildered glowworms. Hidden by q
spur Of cliff was the immense airship
garage:
The lightning had disabled it's light
ing system for the most part, and the
hold had gone dark. Carson had
made two or three reconnoissances
over the very spot, but had not sus-
pected its presence. for the Sky was
clouded and the ulster of the pools too
feeble to reach his eyes, SO that the
sudden outhash of the myriad lights
when the currents were restored came
to both men with astonishing unex-
pectedness.
The hold had blossomed suddenly In
fire. The lakes edged with lights glim-
mered like mirrors; the clustered arc
lights dclimited the high mesa like a
map; the winding labyrinth of incan-
descents netted the peaks like glowing
Lilliputian threads about the recum-
bent CULVER. and in the midst stood
great roolny columned mansion. it's
wings in shade, its central court
agleam, the radiant heart Of an elab-
crate splendor. Carson drew in his
breath sharply.
my God!' said he. "Who could
ever think Of such thing?
Craighead was SILENT
But he must see Virginia. Utterly
estranged as they were. this night voy-
age had reason-the hope of seeing
her, Of asking her forgiveness. of
bringing her to see that when she
dropped from the sky to his feet he
had loved her; that when she had
come to live with that uncle Of whom
chn ho1 md nv,I h..