The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-08-21


tng-room. where, face down on
sofa she was sobbing out her grief
He took her hand in his slim fingers
and soothed her softly, and begged
her to tell him ALTO come, darling
and tell him all.
4 couldn't help it," she walled
her hands; my brother
Larry made me. What could do?
He's master here since mother an
fathers gone; an he was set on my
Jerry. Father Ryan, too, ad-
yised me for tan | couldn't find
you, Patrick. didn't know but that
you was dead OH" she cried. you
should have wrote-you should have
wrote"
Shure, Oonagh, don't you know |
can't write stroke? An what | had !
for your ears was not for another's
hand to pen
lie strobe to the window and gazed |
out over the swelling farm lands, |
dotted with smoke-crested cottages
and a castellated abbey in silhouette
against the sky.
The first keen pang of the meeting
had by now worn dull and much
camed Oonagh rose and approached
Patrick She put her hand on his
Wen be dear friends still, Pat
rick" she pleaded wisttully, "sha'n't
We? An welt tell Jerry everything
how we were to marry and loved
each other, Patrick He ought to
know"
"Shurely." Patrick gazed down at
Oonagh only swiftly to turn his head
away. "Tis your goodness" he
sighed, that makes the losin' of you
hurt sol"
Don't, Patrick" the girl gasped,
You're stabbln my heart with this
sorrow."
It's a beast am, Oonagh darlin',"
Patrick said, facing her, "to grieve
you so. It's that sad | am an disap-
pointed, I'm beyond myself. can't
think but of you, for all my tryin'!
Shure, dear, it's the habit fell in Of
| thinkin Of you while | was workin
In America The thought gave me
strength for double work, | was that
anxious for the money to bring you
over to the little cottage, where you
an me an the childer was to be SO
happy the liyelong day"
An now it's all over, Oonagh
broke out an all because of mel
Not at all, at ALL" he soothed, try
ing to brighton his voice. "Shure, It's
not for the weddin, dear, that I've
come back"
Oonagh looked up bewlldered. and
her gaze asked, "Why2"
Arrah, it's only you, dear. that |
have In all the world It's the Wan.
dern' Jew am, 1t is-an that's why
! come back was that lonesome an
SO craved to hear you speak an see
you near me, that | returned, trustin'
that yourself an your brother would
let me live with you."
"To live with us!' The girl stared
at him in wide-eyed wonder Il don't
understand you, Patrick"
"Tis easy understandin'. If you
was free darlin' couldn't marry you,
for-now, dear, don't be startin at the
tale-the consumption got me from
the work in the mills. That's why
I'm here to have you near mo for the
short time. An it's the KILN Of this
last hope, mavourneen, that I'm sad
dened at your marryin'!" His utter
ance grew husky.
In surge Of grief he grabbed the
girl and pressed her to him wildly.
"Oonagh!"
Both started. Pale as death, Jerry
stood In the doorway, looking at hif
wife hugged to patrick's breast.
Patrick
Don't be thinkin' wrong o
Oonagh," the sick man interiected
, tits only corpse
/ "Wusha," Jerry broke in, pressini
i. Patricks shoulder. Pm thinkin' onl!
! good Of the two of you. heard al
/ you said"
Jerry" Oonagh put in, ito listen a
a the wall,
A Mono, Oonagh," the husband eS
planned a come back fur my picI
i. an dared not move fur the fear 0
disturbin' you"
= Onagh said not a word, but sat dow
, and wept Patrick, breathing In shor
> gasps resumed his survey OF the lane
scaue from the window. With an ur
steady hand. Jerry pressed his shou
d der.
patrick, want you to stay al
live with me an Oonagh Twill b
the pleasure of us all" The word
rolled out painfully. An It's sorry
). am-for Oonagh's sake that we ar
married. for love her, Patrick
p love her that we'll to want her hal
# py!" ,,., -,
. Abruptly he thrust his hands int
bis nockets and strobe out into tn
kitchen.
Uumfounded Oonagh heard hin
!, y hardly grasping what he mean
~ When the truth came to her sh
= rnshed into the kitchen after Jerr
and found him seated at a windo'
'g hts face clssped in his hands and S
Il lent sobs racking his body
IL "a, .hro,,, bargelf on her knees b