The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-01-14

RM REATEN."
you. don't know why Life dealt me
the hand I hold. All know is I've
got to play the cards according to rule
Sometimes I'vc found that mighty
hard. l keep wishing and wishing
there'd be different hand dealt, but
wishing won't change it, 1t was tho
shuttle that settled it long ago"
II don't think, sir, that you've said
anything that concerns you and me
very much" she commented, glancing
up shyly.
sadly, and. rising, he began to pace
the room. Miss Randall, let me tell
you something" he added at length,
hating and regarding her fxedly.
zone evening toward sunset l was
leaning over the rail OF Mississippi
river steamboat, and, not finding much
pleasure in what was thinking about,
put my hand casually into my peck
ct and drew out deck of playing
cards, cards that had been used-well,
considerably. ] contemplated them n
moment and then let them fall from
my hand. They dropped into the wa
ter In Il kind of little shower And
then n curious thing happened. Those
shabby old playing cards hontcd along
side rosebush all III bloom that some
body had evidently planted too near
cnving back upstream. 1t seemed
as if they kind Of hoped TO go along
with it on its journey, but it didn't
look right. The roscbush was too
pretty for bad companions like that.
And then, one by one, those shabby
playing cards. lying on their backs in
the water, began to sink under and
drown. Then along came an eddy and
caught that pretty roscbush and swung
1t out into the current, and away 1t
went down the stream, happy and
proud III just glory Of sunshine and
sparkle. 1t served those old playing
cards right They ought to have been
drowned for trying TO keep company
SO high above them. That's what
thought looking down from the boats
rail"
Without conscious effort or any at
tempt at elocution Kirby had told the
little nllegory with simple feeling and
sincerity, his manner growing more
abstracted until ut the conclusion 1t
seemed as if he were speaking to his
inner self, taking counsel with all that
was best in him. Silence cnsued, while
Adele looked dreamily away, and be
continued to stare at the cards, but
seeing them not.
"Does Il man always stop to think
whether he has a right or not?" she
ventured at length, speaking 80 low
that he strained forward to catch the
words
doesn't Il woman always want him
to-" he gravely returned.
"Ah, but there Is something a wo-
man wants q man to do more than
that-shc wants him not to give up
anything till-he is BEATEN" she whis-
pered
Suppose he is the kind Of man that
ought to be beaten?"
She arose throwing the scarf about
her shoulders, and walked meditatively
to the door.
"But mightn't it be perhaps-perhaps
with one woman" she whispered, che
couldn't be beaten even then?"
Astonished at her own daring, she
gave little gasp, then incontinently
fed, while Kirby stood staring after
her, fearing to interpret her words. He
turned with start as Bunce strobe
through the balcony window.
"Well, have you told her goodbye"
snapped Larkin, who had interpreted
the foregoing passage as species of
farewell.
NO." said Kirby violently, irritated
at the interruption.
"Wel1. reckon it's about time tC
sit down and take good hard think
warned the other, pacing the room like
an excited sentry. "Do you think you
could git this girl?" he continued, with
heavy sarcasm. "How about 1t when