The Irish standard., 1914-03-21


self. Suddenly Laughed, and Point
cd to the Book.
effort to recall it. Only the intense
blue Of her eyes. the tawny sweep of
her hair-these and the touch of her,
the consciousness of her warm and
vivid fragrance, remained to wrap all
his senses In q mist woven of gold
and fire.
= .
Shirley, meanwhile, had sat some
time beside her mothers bed, leaning
from white chintz-covered chair, her
anxiety only partially allayed by reas.
surances, now and then STOPPING to lay
her young cheek against the delicate
arm in its lacy sleeve or to pass her
hand lovingly up and down its outline.
noting with recurrent passion of ten
derness the transparency of the skin
with its violet veining and the shad-
ows beneath the closed eyes. Emma
line, moving on soft worsted-shod feet
about the dim room. at length had
Whispered.
"You 60 tub bald, honey. stay
with Mis- Judith till she go tub Sleep"
Eyes, go. Shirley" said her mother.
Haven't any privileges at all? Can't
I even faint when feel like 1t. without
calling out the fire-brigade7 You'll
pamper me to death and heaven knows
Il don't need It,"
You won't let me telephone for Doc
tor Southall?"
+. Certainly not!
"And you are sure it was nothing
but the roses?"
"Why. what else should it BET" said
her mother almost peevishly. II must
really have the arbors thinned out. On
heavy nights it's positively overpower-
ing. Go along now. and we'll talk
about it tomorrow. I can ring IL I
want anything"
In her room Shirley undressed
thoughtfully. There was between her
and her mother fine tenuous bond
OF sympathy and feeling as rare. per-
haps. as it was lovely She could not
remember when the other had not
been a semi-invalid, and her earliest
childhood recollections were punctu-
ated with the tap of the little cane.
Tonight's sudden indisposition had
shocked and disturbed her; to faint
at rush Of perfume seemed to sug-
gest a growing weakness that was
alarming. Tomorrow, she told herself,
she would send Ranston with q wagon
load of the roses to the hospital at
Charlottesville.
She slipped on pink shellshaded
dressing-gown of slinky silk with a
riot Of azaleas scattered in the weave,
and then. dragging her chair before
the open window, drew aside tho light
curtain and began to brush her hair.
All at once her gaze fell upon the
moor, and she shrank backward from
twisting thread-like thing whose bright
saffron-yellow glowed sharply against
the dark carpet. She saw In an In
slant, however. that 1t was nothing
more dangerous than . fragment of
love-vine from the garden. which had
chung to her skirt. She picked up
the tiny mass Of tendrils and With Q
slow smile tossed it over her right
shoulder through the window. IF It
takes root" she said aloud. my sweet
heart loves me-" She leaned from tho
sill to peer down into tho misty gar
den, but could not follow it, fall.
Long ago her visitor would have
reached Damory Court. She had Q
vision Of him wandering, candle In
hand. through the empty ecAoing
rooms, looking at tho voiceless poE.
traits on the walls. thinking perhaps
Of his father, Of the fatal duel Of which
he had never known. She liked tho
way he had spoken of his fatherl
Az she leaned, out Of the stiffness
there came to her ear q mellow sound.
Il was the bell Of tho courthouse IN
the village. She counted the strokes
SELLING ~laaylv ar 5AintlY q. tn. aluR.