The Irish standard., 1911-10-21
pear, while the upper portion was

~SSoAAJ OoAu. no 4O1uoO q MO5I IT,
markable contrast to the tall, raw
boned, angular female who doomed up
like small mountain just behind him.
Il reckon as how you uns he'd quite
q bit of scrap afore ye laid tibet
thar dorg out. stranger" he said, a
half-angry tone lurking in his deep
voice. "'The fleetest hound in all the
North an I'm burned If I jist likes
Their way you uns makes yerselves ct
hum in this yere cabin"
"shet up, Jed Bungay," cut in his
betterhalf, sharply. and as she spoke
she caught the little man unceremoni-
ously by one arm, and thrusting him
roughly to one side strobe heavily
forward until she paused in the centre
of the room facing us with her arms
akimbo.
"Now I'd jist like ter know" she
said savagely, who you uns be, a
breakin' into house, and KILN .
dors, an q estin' up everything we
uns got without 90 much az sayin'
by yer leave or nuthin'. I reckon az
how you uns don't taks this yers
cabin fer no tavern?"
Madam" said with a low bow,
1T 10 misfortune, not desire, which
has caused US to trespass upon your
hospitality. We will very gladly pay
you literally for any damage done. I
am an officer In the Confederate ser.
vice, and the breaking down of our
horses compelled US to take refuge
here in order that this lady might
not be exposed to danger from rowing
gangs Of guerillas. The dog attacked
US In the dark, and we killed him in
order to save our lives"
"The deep.mouthed bloodhound's
heavy bay resounded up the rocky
way" calculated Bungay with dan
cling eyes.
"Drat yer potry, Jed Bungay! ye
dew make me tired fer suah." She
turned back to US, and from her first
words 1t was plainly evident she had
been impressed with but one sentence
of my labored explanation.
did you uns say as how ye'd pay
fer whut We ct ane fer tibet truck ye
busted?" she asked doubtfully
Certainly, madam, and I took
some money from my pocket as evil:
dence Of good faith. what would you
consider due you?"
The grim, set face relaxed slightly,
while she permitted her husband to
edge his way little more into the
foreground.
wal, stranger, sorter reckon as
how bout four bits Ill squar' things
dorgs ia mighty durn cheap hereabout
enyhow. Give me Their four bits,
mister, an reckon as how it II
be all right"
I glanced at Mrs. Brennan, and the
amused twinkle in her eyes led me
to say heartily, Eve had not entirely
completed our meal, but imagined we
saw ghosts
Ghosts" He glanced around ap.
prehensiyely,- con Heaven and on
thy lady call, and enter the enchanted
hall!' Wus Their ghosts ye saw over
thar?" And he pointed toward the
wall opposite.
nodded.
Then I sorter reckon as how
Marian and me wus them ghosts" he
continued, grinning. 1--WE sorter reck-
oned as how we wanted ter see who
wus yere afore we come in. TIL
listen till my fancy hears the clang of
swords, the crash of spears These
yere Is tough times, stranger, in these
parts, an man whut has ter perfect
a lovely female hes got ter keep his
eye skinned"
Maria shifted CONTEMPORARY.
"Ye're no great shakes at a perfect.
in O. me, Jed Bungay. Now you sit
down thar an begin ter fill up. r
reckon as how Their Cap an his gal
will kinder jine with us fer manners"
She seated Jed with such extreme
vigor that I looked for the chair to.
collapse beneath him as he came
down, but the little man, not in the
least daunted, picked up his knife and
fork with sigh Of relief.
go woman! in our hours Of case
uncertain, coy, and hard to please"
he murmured. Come, sit down,
stranger; sit down an share
soldiers couch, soldiers fare Not
as I'm a sojer," he fastened to ex-
plain, e but thet's how it is in Their
book. Say, old woman, kint We kinder
skier up some coffee fer we uns-
leastwise whut US Confeds call cof-
fee?"
Without much difficulty I induced
Mrs. Brennan to draw her chair once
more to the table, and sat down
beside her.
"You are Confederate, then?" =
asked, curious to know upon which
side his sympathies were enlisted in
the struggle.
He glanced warily at my gray
jacket, then his shrewd, shifty eyes
wandered to the blue and yellow cav
airy cloak lying on the floor.
oval, jist don't know, Cap" he
said cautiously, continuing to eat as
he talked, las I'm much O. enything
in this yere row. First Their burned