The Irish standard., 1916-04-22
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pOrseS along at an unwOnted pace.
Little houses-hundreds of them-that
looked like big hencoops lined the road.
Suddenly the carriage came to halt.
One of the little houses was trying to
ptraddle the road. From around it
came screams and cries. "Now, then,
Eo' Gladys, when ah say heft, yo'
heft."
! The driver poured out an angry tor
rent of words that tried their best to
be harsh and failed. From around the
pbstructing house came an old darby.
When his eyes fell on the Barbadian
be rushed forward. "Lor, Misteh NAL
eolm, when did yo' get back?"
Gust now, Charles" said the Barba-
dian. whats the matter here?"
The darky's eyes rolled. "Mattah,
Misteh Malcolm? Why, that ole Cum
mel Stewart he's jes' so hatchery par
Pimonious that he requires me to pay
rent TO- havin' ma house on his Ian,
20 l says to ole nanny, we'll jes'
move this here residence on to gentle
mans lam; and Misteh Malcolm men
NANNY n the chile are jes' a-movin'
1T on to yo' old cane fier."
The Barbadian laughed little dryly
Pnd shrugged his shoulders. The driver
got down, protesting, and helped the
family carry the house across the road
Then the cab went on and soon turned
up an avenue under fiery canopy of
acacia famboyante.
As they progressed, thick, twiuing
growths, spangled with brilliant
blooms, walled in the avenue. The air
grew cool but heavy with scents and
the full-favored spice of tropical gar
den under a blazing sun.
The air made Gerry dreamy. He
woke with a start when the Barbadian
said to the cabman, "This will do.
You needn't drive in. Wait here.'
, The cab stopped. Just ahead was
the ruin of great gate. The two pill
lars still stood. but they were almost
entirely hidden by vines. To one of
them chung the rusted vestige Of a
gate. Beyond the pillars there was a
winding way. Once it had been a
road continuation Of the avenue, now
1t was but tunnel through the dense
~ crowded foliage. Along the center
of the tunnel was a narrow path.
Even it was overgrown. The Barba-
dian led Gerry down the path.
They came out under a grove of
mighty trees whose dense shade had
kept down the underground, and be-
You'd the trees Gerry saw vast, ir.
regular mound Of vines, with which
mingled giant geraniums, climbing
fuchsias, honeysuckle and rose. Then
he spied broad flight of marble steps:
at one end of them an old moss grown
urn, at the other, its fallen, broken
counterpart. Above the mound rose
the roof Of house; through the vines,
ms the two drew nearer appeared shut
tered windows and door, yelled with
creepers.
The Barbadian went up the steps
and tore the creepers away from the
door. Then he drew from his pocket
an enormous key. With rasp the
lock turned and the door opened, let
ting bar Of light into wide. cool
hall.
; Gerry followed the Barbadian
through the hall to broad veranda at
the back of the house. A large living
room faced on to the veranda. The
Barbadian entered it, opened the
French door-windows and, busting off
two lounge chairs, invited Gerry to sit
down.
! Gerry looked around curiously. The
living room was comfortably fur.
nished. There were one or two excel
lent rugs on the waxed floor; a great
couch, set into a bow-window; lace
curtains, creamy with age; q wonder
FULLY carved escritoire in rosewood: q
Pideboard, round table and chairs Of
mahogany that was almost as dull
and black as ebony. Over all lay
boat of dust.
The Barbadian walked to the round
table and with his finger wrote in the
pust, then he sat down in a worn and
comfortable chair, companion to
Eerry's. He fell into SO deep reveris
that Gerry thought he was asleep.
Gerry got up and walked around the
room. His eye fell on the table. He
saw what the Barbadian had written:
simply the date Of the day. But above
the freshly written date showed an.
pther, filmed over with dust, and above
That another almost obliterated. Gerry
leaned over the table. He could see
That long succession Of dates had
been written into the thick-laid dust
beginning with the fresh numerals
staring up at him they reached back
and back through the years till they
faded away into dim past.
Gerry tiptoed out on to the veranda.
Before him was ruined lawn; in ito
renter cracked, dry, marble fountain.
on to one side was a giant plane tree.
From one of its limbs hung two frayed
ropes. Against its trunk leaned q
weather-beaten swing board. Under
the ropes. wisp Of path still showed,
beaten hard in q bygone day BY the
feet Of children. Beyond the lawn
Itretched wide hummocky cane fields.