Out of the West

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18796, 18 November 1932, Page 4

Out of the West

A Charming Irish Love Romance.

BYNOPBIB. 1 ' i mother are, through comparative poverty, obliged to let furnished their old family seal, misroo Hall, in the west of Ireland The letting is in the hands of an as 6 ’ ll . Joseph MacDonagli, who llnds tenants >or the summer—a Mr and Mrs Silas Brandon, rich Americans, with one son, wbo is at a University in England. Shoelag-ti and her mother (with a favourite dog and pony) take up residence a few miles away In the house of a.forrrier tennat farmer named Coolln, There Sheelugh learns of tho love between Nora Coolln and Rory, the gardener at lnlsroe Hall. Riding past the ruins of lnlsroe Abbey, Shoclagh sees two men frantically digging, According to legend, in tile grounds of the Abbey largo quantities of gold and silver Wero once burled, but In spite of local faith In the legend, all attempts to locate the treasure have been futile, one | of the men Is Larry Shaughnessy, Inlsroe’s most famous wastrel, The other is a stranger, Shortly afterwards Sheeignn meets Larry, but lie denies ever digging In the grounds, Sheeiagh visits the ruins, but although she saw the two men digging there not long ago, the ground is apparently untouched. Silas nmidon's forebears were Irish, and it Is tho desire to visit the home of Ills ancestors, wealthy where they were poor, that impels Him to make tho journey, Ills only son, Terence, is at Oxford, and Is now expected home for the Long Vacation, Looking out to sea from tils bedroom window one night Terry sees a boat being rowpd along the shore. . Next morning bathing he sees this boat in a narrow Inlet nenr )lie Abbey ruins. Going towards ills ruins lie meets two men (one Larry Shaughnessy) Who engage him in laik, and It Is only afterwards tho Idea comes to him that he hart been purposely kept from entering the Abbey grounds. Sheeiagh takes a ride oh her pony past [lie gates or her ancestral home, and is seen by Terry. Riding home Sheeiagh is accosted by a drunken foreigner, but Larry Shaughnessy comes to .the rescue. CHAPTER XI. After her unpleasant experience with the drunken foreigner, Sheeiagh Beaufort decided to keep away from Jnisroo. She had no desire to meet any of the town loafers again, Certainly Larry Shaughnessy had prolecled her on that occasion, and sho was grateful 4> but—well, she hated the thought of being under am obligation to a man with his reputation. She was mildly Interested In the young man she had seen at the .Hall — and whose name Mrs , Coolln said was Terenoe —but now she had seen for herself the great Improvements made . ,to, the property, there was really no need to go there again—not the . slightest I She had neglected the dairy work about she had formerly shown so muoh enthusiasm, and felt rather ashamed of her aimless life. Nora Coolln did not spend her time In galloping about the country, and slashing people with rldlng-whlps, and bolting like a frightened rabbit. Sheeiagh booarne all hot when she remembered It. In future she was going to do something useful and justify her existence. Filled with theso noble aspirations Sheeiagh walked into the dairy early the next morning, and volunteered to help Nora with the churn, “1 couldn't be letting you tire yourself out with this hard work," replied the girl. “Please, Noral" “Well, after a while. Will you go round and gather the eggs first, and then when you come back, perhaps. Thore’s a big basket on the table there." "All right,” laughed . Sheeiagh. “That’s a promise," and taking up the basket she went across the yard, through the gate to the held to where the poultry pens stood In orderly rows. Lining the bottom of tho carrier with hay, sho was soon busy, more busy, In fact, than she bargained for, and much to the annoyance of tho fowls who protested loudly against the Intrusion of a stranger. It was nearly half-an-hour later when she had exhausted all the possibilities of the pens, but the basket was satisfactorily filled when she returned with her load to the dairy. . Nora was singing as she worked when Sheeiagh reappeared. “You seem very happy," she smiled, "singing away like a blackbird." “Och, I don't know why I should be any more happy than yourself, If I may' make so bold. I’m just singing, that's all. It’s bettor than grumbling all the time." “But you must be tired. Now let ! me take a turn and you -can show me how to do it while you rest." "Oh, this churn Isn't so hard, and if you really want to do It . . Nora stepped aside as she spoke, and Sheeiagh took hold of the handle, “Now just movo the dasher backwards and forwards steadily, not too fast —one —two —> one —two that’s It. I think the butter's forming now, so you can go slowly. I’ll be getting the tray ready, and I'll give you a rest when It boglns to set harder." Although she did not admit It, Sheeiagh was glad when the farmer’s daughter resumed her labour at the churn. Tho work was becoming really tiring, and a few minutes later Nora declared the butter ready, "What do wo do now?" asked tho interested student. Nora smiled. "Watch mo," She took the butter from the churn wdth a large wooden ladle, pressing it against the sides to allow the buttermilk to flow back. When all the butter was heaped In the deep tray sho poured cold water over it and set it aside. “Is it ready now?" asked Shoclagh. “Oh, no. Hut It Is made, of course. It just has to set hard, and then I’ll show you how to make 11. into rolls.” About half-an-hour later Nora, still under the eyes of her pupil, mixed salt into the mass of buter to season it, and proceeded deftly to fashion it into the orthodox rolls and pats. “1 suppose you haven't seen Rory lately?" asked Sheeiagh casually, as she wrapped each porlion in clean muslin and placed il on the lahle. "1 saw him yeslenlay evening at the dance In the Jnstllule at Derrydown." "Oh, as rnrenily as that. Did you have a good time?'’ "Splendid. There was a line hand --just a few of the local boys who can play, one of them had a banjo, aml Him’ was a Addle, and a young man from Hossvarra will) a cornel. They all gave llieir services, of course." "Do they hold Hie dances regularly?" asked Slieclsgh, Blinking she ml Mi I go lo one. “Not vcr\ often not so often as they hope in da i.ilor "i. You see. Ihe orchesD'fi ran’l alw.rs attend together. so llw Inslilhlc people want to buy a good wireless set so I hat they ca-n...hayii..a..-tLuicl when

BY Herbert Galway. (Author of “The Squire of Redesby," “Fetters of Silk," eto.)

want one. The dance was held to raise money to buy it."

“It must have been great fun. , I suppose Rory dances?’’ Nora laughed. "Dance, did ye say? Rory’s a great boy for reels and jigs, so long as ho has plenty of room—for the great lump that he is 1 But to see him trying these new-fangled steps Is a perfect picture. They played what they called the tango—l suppose you’l know what it is—and poor Rory's feet wouldn't do It at all.” Sheelagn laughed with her. "I like the tango. I think It’s very pretty and graceful." “Yes, so it is. But there was only a few of us could do It, and I think poor old Rory was jealous. There I was a foreign man there along with Larry Shaughnessy. He was off one of the ships, I heard, and he could do It beautifully." “Did you dance with him?” asked Sheeiagh. Nora laughed ooquettlshly. "Several times, lie was a Spaniard, I believe, and was quite the gallant gentleman. But he had such a nasty scar on his face —ft great long weal, as though he— *——"

"Had an accident, I suppose," interposed Sheelagh hurriedly, and her heart seemed to miss a beat.

“Yes, that’s what ho said. Of course I didn’t ask him about it.** "Did Rory say bow the new people were getting on. at lnlsroe?” continued Sheeiagh, as much to change the subject as to elicit information. “He says Mr and Mrs Brandon are very nice people, and they don’t care how much money they spend. Their son is home now, you know, from one of the universities in England. He’s about 24 or 25, and Rory says he’s the broth of a boy.” "That would be the one called Terence, I suppose?" "Yes, there’s only one son, of course. And Just as well. I suppose.” "What’s wrong with him?" Sheeiagh wondered If her tone betrayed her Interest In the young man. Unconsciously she found herself prepared to defend Ills reputation. A most ridiculous attitude, she reflected. She had seen him only once, and knew .nothing whatever about him. So far as she was aware, he might be a must undesirable person. , "Oh, no, nothing wrong with him." Nora’s voice broke Into and dispelled -her- reverie.-' -• "He’s just In and out, Rory says, like a- dog at a fair. • He has a fast sports' car, and is always dashing around tho country In It." "We might see him coming by here, then," suggested Sheeiagh. “Quito likely 1 Mrs Brandon was very worried the other day, Rory says. It seems the old lady had been In the garden and was just thinking of walking across to the orchard when young Terence came running up the drive, dashed into the garage for Ills car, and shot down the path, and through the gates as If the devil was after him, Rory says." Sheeiagh laughed with the girl as well as at the recollection of her own panic. ' : ■ “It’s a wonder there wasn’t an accident," she remarked. "Accident I I should Just think it ,1s! Rory says he dashed up the road like a llre-engine." “What was the matter? Desn’t Rory know?" "No; but he overheard Mrs Brandon speaking about it when the boy came back, and even she didn’t get any satisfaction." "Just trying the car, perhaps," smiled Sheeiagh. "Maybe, But he’s trying it thoroughly, for Rory says he’s out every day cruising up and down all the roads' between the Hall; and the old Abbey?" ‘ v, . , , . “Does Rory know anything about the Spaniard you danced with?” pur"talking the opportunity as It- offered. ■ j "Ocli, lie’s a jealous j.ackeen,” replied Nora with a toss of the -head, “lie 'says all -sorts-of Things- Just iso that I ‘won’t speak to Larry Shaughnessy.” ' . "But surely you don’t want anything to "do with a man like that!’’-. “No, no, of course not, but Rojry makes such a trouble of It all. lie says he heard from one of the constables in lln)si;oe that somebody’s making potheen—er —whisky—In the mountains, and they can’t And who it Is. Not that they looked evry hard, Rory says." The girl’s constant and perfeotly natural ropetltloh of “Rory says" as authority for every statement caused Sheeiagh to smile, and convinced her that the young gardener at lnlsroe Hall need have no fear of losing the farmer's daughter. “But what has that to do with Shaughnessy and the Spaniard?" she asked. “Oh, everything!" replied Nora with elaborate sarcasm. “He does be going round saying they are the men who are doing It, If you please." “Not a nice thing to spread about.” "Oh, well, perhaps I shouldn’t have said that, but he told me." “That’s different," smiled Sheeiagh. "What makes him think that?" Nora Towered her voice. There was no fear of their conversation being overheard outside the dairy, hut it was simply an instinctive act of precaution.

“Hory told me that the weal on the dark man’s face could not have been caused by an accident. Ho says he heard that the whole lot of them had been on a drunken spree—saving your presence!—and must have been flghLing. But as none of the boys carries a stick or anything that would hake a mark like that, Hory says the man must have been hit with something ahurp—a piece of glass, perhaps.” Sheelagli caught her breath, but rerovered immediately. ”1 still don't set; how Unit proves that they are secretly making whisky.” ••.Mi, but Hie policeman showed Hory a broken stone hot I It* that was found on Hie hill near the wood at the back of the Hall, and the constable said dial it bail been full of potheen, ami Mail you eoiilil never buy such a Imllle Hillside Dublin or Belfast.” "I suppose the policeman found if.'” fTn 1)C Cnutinn'Hlh