The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-11-04

finer and nobl6r and higher in the
faith which Agnes held than in that
which made this girl eager to risk and
endure what she had suffered? The
she'll shock: that must have terribly
shaken this frail. brave little form
the awful. constant bruiSing Of the
fabric Of the body. the shrcddin. of
the soul: then there We're ever the hor-
rors Of the ruins and the streets.
If Agnes had been in New York in
stead Of in Illinois and had heard the
approach of the conQucror. hcraldcd
by the tongue Of his guns hlaStiny the
way before him. might she not have
done as this girl beside him had done?
Might 1t not he that Agnes already
had changed and begun to understand?
Long. long weeks had passed since he
had heard of Agnes or of any one mt
home. Bob. who had gone on the .Arl-
IONA in the great sen battle. where
was he?
Jim had learned that few Of the
officers and men from some of the
American ships had reached shore.
Those who had been able had taken
charge of harbor dcfcnscs and had
manned the naval craft. which for
long time had helped to prevent the
regent from crossing the meats about
Manhattan. lie had inquired many
times Of Wendell. but he had learned
nothing. Was Nellie still waiting for
| vy.rN ne Dr,l> g., =. n
him?
The American censor had not yet re-
leased the news that New York was
taken. but it was known before mid
night in Elgin. Ill. 1t went frnp lip
to lip, upon mere verbal authority, as
| the truth about the naval battle was
first reported. 1t reached Agnes home
thus about IL o'clock. \ servant who
! had been downtown IN the little city
| brought the report. Agnes telcphoneu
to Nellie and then put her toilet things
In bundle and went up to spend the
| night with Jim's sister.
Nellie was III bed, but she got up
and went into the guest room to sleep
there with Agnes. They had spent
many nights together in the last weeks,
but always they slept in the guest
room, which now was agnes room"
The room which Nellie had shared
with Bob and where she still kept his
things was IL shrine only for herself
Fog and chill weather were over the
Hudson. In Illinois the night was
warm ana clear. with great yellow
harvest moon over the trees outside
Agnes window. The window was up
The girls could hear Nathan Aslby's
heavy step crunching the dry leaves
on the walk as he came home ut mid.
night from the factory, which was
working twcnty-four hours a day max
| ing cartridges for the army. From the
window which looked toward the town
one might see the flames from the
stacks glarifg scarlet above the little
city.
Nathan Ashby entered the house and
assembled the stairs with slower step
than usual for him; then, as he went
to his room, his step stcudicd. His
wife opened the bedroom door. He
stopped and kissed her.
'"rhe regent has taken New York.
Nathan" she said to him TREMENDOUSLY
"Yes. mother" Nathan Ashby's big
hand was on his little wirc's shoulder.
which was shaking. ''Wcll, we ship
ped 2O0OOO cartridges to Jim today"
'"ro Jim Nathan?"
",To Jim, mother. or-or for him
Come on, mother. I'm awful tired"
The bedroom door shut.
'"ro Jim or for him." the girls in the
! guest room heard. Agnes. who was
mechanically giving her beautiful
brown hair lone hundred brushes"
threw down her brush upon the floor
and flung herself upon the bed in sud
den, hystcrical weeping. what do l
care how l look if he can't see mc!"
Nellie kissed her tendcrly. "You
really love him. dcar?'
ooh. l don't know! Oh. Nellie, Mel
lie; why did this awful war have to
come? Everything was all right lie.
fore; every one was happy; we were
going to get married and-nnl then
this crazy madness came and no one
tried to stop it. Oh, it makes me rag
Ing furious sometimes furious at Jim,
at all mankind. did love him. but he
couldn't have loved me or he'd never
have gone"
| '"That's not true"
ut u.s."
| "Wherc are wc?"
II don't know. but we'd better make
for the shore"
"1t's not near dawn yet; l can't see
CLINT of light"
mo, but the tides stopped running.
Well be drifting back to New York"
"Of COURSE" Beatrice Logan picked
up the bit Of board which she had used
+ AZ! my