goving Ean—By Any eter "The top o' the morn to ye, me ledely, and God bless ye. Isn't it a feme sleep that I've had and the blessed saints themselves could not have been kinder to a poor lonely widdy than them two that has put) a good breakfast inside 0' me and a pair of shoes on me feet that airy that I could walk from here to Dablin and niver know T was taken? the road. Glory be! but there is) nothing so comfortable a good jconseience and an owld pair v0'
Lady Susan with a big blue apron tied round her waist was feeding her poultry. It was a job she dis-Iiked exceedingly" but_ never allo ed herself to shitk,"Good-morning she said, pleasantly. "I am glad that Jacob and Maria have looked fsfter"you."" She glanced "at. the substantial pair of shoes appearing under Mrs. Murphy's voluminous Petticoats. "What a good thing Maria's shoes fitted Jou" Mrs Murp! ed. "Thim shoes is not Miss Maria's shoes at all, at all. Thim shoes is Mr. Jacob's shoes.
He pressed thun on me—he did A dubious silence followed and then Lady Susan took the plunge. It had to be done and the sooner the better. "I would like to know what kind of arrangement has been made sbout your coming here" she began Smoothly. "Arrangement, yer Leddy. ship?' A look of childlike nocence spread over Mrs. Murphy's countenance. She was perfectly ware of what Lady Susan was Tending up to. "em, arrangement." Te" was di cut inthe face of this Hank wall of guilelessness to demand. explanations that might be embarrassing. "Am I to understand that you have been engaged te come here as William Sorby' Housekeeper round and enquiring {word did he tell me that that was his name" "This "was. mere pre: varication. Mrs Murphy must be brought to the point. "The man works on the place" said Lady Susan 5nd ives im one of, my_gittages. He lost his wife a short time ago and misses his home comforts very much." "A handless rather, if iver there was wan" said Mrs.
Murphy. "I allow there is something in that" said Lady Susan "but, you see I don't know anything about you." Mrs, Murphy drew a step hearer. "Try me, me ledely. Just ye me a trial." 'Her voice quaver-and the blue eyes grew very humid, "It's a hard life that I've had land cruel trated. Thim widdy's weeds that I'm wearing' of are a bit 0° remorse for the blackest hearted scoundrel that was iver hung in Kilmainham Jail, and ivory penny lof me savin's taken off me by the proists to pray for masses for his tow! and civil a wan he had." "It was hard to lose your savings" said Lady Susan."Indade and it wat. 'When the proist came telling me I was a widdy—and mighty glad I was to hear it—wasn't it 16 pounds that he was askin' for thun same masses. And I says to him 'Thim savings is put by for a rainy day" And he says 'And it is a rainy day,' and it was, comin' down like the deluge And so T gave him the 16 pounds—that I did." Mrs, Murphy sighed a large heaving sigh. Lady Susan Ycoked down. She could not meet those pleading eyes and melted. "I will give you a t said, quietly. "If you come [will show you the house.
It will ieed some doing up before you go The story of "The Bonnie Earl laid in the South of Scotland and, incidentally, it sketches more lovable characters of the type of the two referred to above than any bock of the same size known to me. Scotsmen and, more particularly, Scots-women will revel in this clean romance. None will take it up and jay it down unfinished.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.