THE MAYOR OF WIND-GAP.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 38, 10 January 1890, Page 11

THE MAYOR OF WIND-GAP.

(By the O'Haba Family.)

CHAPTER XVIIL-CContinved.) " Young Harry Stok» sbury took our poor Kate's heart, and, to my sore sorrow, she wasn't bonester for knowin' him. And when he was tent across the sajs, sne went into tbe same ship with Harry Stokesbury, in a sailor-boy's dhrefs, all for the love if him. Yes, Mayor's council ; she left kith and kin, hearth-stone and home and countbrr for his sinful sake.

•* Well, neighbours, ihe ship was smashed into little bits— juetas a body wonld bieak a nut-sheil — upon the rocky shores of a strange country, a great way off fr ,m Wind-gap. Harry Stokesbury was tbe only mankind tbat lived out of the wrack ; all the rest of tbe men that were in the thip — and a fine, great, big ship it was — sank to the bottom o' the say, and its waihers roared over them. And my poor Kate was the only woman-kind Bayed at the same time ; and it was Harry Stokesbury tbat saved her. Many others, may be, man and woman, be might have thried to save— for, as ye all know, he was the beat swimmer we ever seen, on breast or back, in the river that runs undher our feet : stay out in it, he used to do, like one of its own fishes — only that he just kept his chin above the waiher— for hours together, and then dart back to tbe bank where be left bis clothes, and jump up on it, as if he had been only takin' a walk in my little garden, wnere I keep the osiers growing for my basket thrade, and sometimes for my chair tbrade.

" Howeomever, he only saved but the one. And that one was the poor creature that left her counthry for him : my poor misfortunate and tnly sisther, Kate Maber. Long did be figut wid the terrible waves o' the angry say, but be would not go from death without her ; — until at last bis fe«t touched the shores o' the sirange counthry, and she, senseless, in bis arums.

" From that time to tt c present time the most befitting thing for me to say is th t p>or Kite M .her never left the man that wouldn't care about bis own life until he had bay d hers ; though it grieves me ■ore to trll ye that macy and many a time since that day she got good cause to quit him.

•' Avoch, neighbours I Ye have heard everybody talkin' of an unfortunate ould woman that keeps house for him at the Inch. Sore it goes against my heart to say ihat that woman — withered before her time, though, as ye both know, not yet as ould as ihe people c ill her— is my poor eisther. Now ye can give a guess how I got my knowledge of who the strange man is, aud, more be token, of some of his doin's since he came to live near us, for the second time in his life,"

" 'Tis mighty wondherful to barken to the words o' your mouth ; mighty wondherful, in good thrutb, Maurtenn Maher," said old Shawn Leeach, sitting more upright, and looking more vivacious, than lor many years had been his expression. Tears were in his eyes, too.

" Achone 1 it'n often I sarched out tidin's o' my poor Kate afore this blessed hour," groaned Gregory Roche, " bud you held the silent tongue, Mayor o' Wind-gap. It's hean-sorry for her lam this day. Och I— if she hal only lived among us till the presant time, in the wholesome air that comes up here from tbe river, she would have no wrinkle in her face— for my poor Kate Maher is not yet an ould woman."

" No, Gregory, as I tould you afore. But a sthrange coorse of life, and a lifa of Bin and hardship, and the airly thoughts of her youih — for she was bred up to love und sarve Gud — stalin 1 like the blight of the unwholesome wind upon her, made Kate Maher what ■be is before her time. Yes— made her comb a grey head afore another girl of her years would have a white hair in it to tell of the com in' wintber — so that her cheek was thri veiled up by the woe of her sperit. Ocb 1 neighbours, neighb >urs I she has tould me herself not to wondher at the wrinkles of her face, for tbat the constant crjin' from her eyes would wear channels into the hardest marble." The voice of the stoical Mayor of Wind-gap trembled, nor were bis council unaff cted by his fee. ings. " The Lord foigive her, and briog her to a thrue slnse of her ■ins," Raid eld Shawn Leeach.

" The Loid pity her and be her comfort," ejaculated the more sympathising Gregory Roche.

•'Nti^h hours, I am after telling ye what I would not tell, and what I n< ver will tell to another hviu' crathure, Oar poor Kate tnus now go to her grave without the wnrlu'a knowledge tbat she is alive here among us. All 1 can now thry to do (or my sittber is to take her quietly away from iho man tbat has made her what B he is ; that's one o' the things I want your help in. And so listen — we must do our endayvours to get her free with Harry Stokesbury's own good will, If he bad a notion that she tould the secrets of her life, her

death-doom was given. I intend, neighbours, to get something for her to live on while she is on this e<rth, repenting of her sine and praying for mercy. And I have the plan in my mind how to do this —ay, and another thing at the same time, if the Lord gives us hit help."

" It will be a work of charity, and He will assist ns," said Shawn Leeach.

"In Him we put our thrust. Well, neighbours, I have more to tell ye.

" The name of the connthry isn't in my mind where Harry Stokesbury brought K*te Maher out of the say. — Bat there is people far away from us that never earn an honest mouthful of fool from the beginning of the year to the year'a ending. And they have fchips ; —and they sail out in them upon tbe say; — and tbey meet other stripe full < f marchand zes of all sorts, and loaded with chests of money ; — and they fight with those ships ; — and they conquer them ;— and they shed the blood of the Christians tbey find in them ; —and they make their own of all the riches ; — and there is nothing terrible tbat these robbers of the say don't do. Now, mind me well. It was among these wicked people that Harry Stokesbury landed ont of the wrack with Kate Maher.— And Harry soon began to lore and like their ways ;— be was a brave and a bould man, and he soon made himself captain of a robbin' ship. Then poor Kate was soon over* looked by him ;— he took up with fine ladies ; — and she was only his sarvant. But still she worked with a good heart for the man she loved dearly, and that Bayed her, at the risk of his own life, from a winding sheet o' the salt say-wather — neighbours, she did," " The Lord look down upon us and purtect ns 1 " prayed Gregory Roche, in consternation.

" Ye have tbe knowledge, Mayor's council, of what Harry Stokesbury did that brought banishment upon him. But there is more to be said on that score ;— and only three people in the world can tell ye what the more is. And lam one of tbe three.

"A little while before Con <or X nnedy lost his wife, she brought a male child into the world. She wan not well of ber lying iv, wtien her husband was half killed at ber bedside— and 'twas that sent herself to her arly grave— Connor Kennedy and she did not wish that any one should be the wiser of her marri ige ; — they were afraid of Harry Stokesbury ;— and tbey thought to hide it, in hopes of getting bis good will, before anyone could tell him of it. For tbat rason tbey vent away the child as soon as it saw tbe light. That child was forced off from its nurse, and no one can tell the fate of the crature to this day, barrin' tbe three people I spoke to ye of before. But, neighbours, the child was sized on by Harry Stokesbury, and it is a man at the prtsdot time, alive — and more betoken, a comely gorsoon to look upon. An' the two o ye that I m talkin' to have of en seen him face to face, ao' are migh ily plazed with his looks. More than once I heard Gregory Koche say' I—bere1 — bere Gregory started and looked confounded — " tbat be was as brave a boy as ever he liked to see, comin' up f r m the town below to Wind-gap hill. Gregory Roche, don't I spake the thruth to you ? Answer me like a Christhin."

" Tue heavens be my bed," answered Gregory Roche, making the sign of the Cross on his forehead," if I can Call to mind who or what you mane at all, Mayor of Wind-gap." " I am five-score years, and some more years on tbe back of them, living on Wind-gap hill, where sthrange peoples goes to and fro, and sthrange things are hard of. But tha likes o' this never came across me before," said Sbawn Leeach.

" You might thravel a long summer's day, Shawn, and you would not find one to know .what tbe Mayor knows," adulated Gregory Roche.

" I know more, neighbours. I know Connor Kennedy's boy— ay — I kuow him to spake to bim, and 1 know where he is while we are discourbin' about him."

The Mayor paused, waiting, perhaps, for a new flattering com* ment. But his two old counsellors were too intent with their ears to use their tongues ; he was, therefore, obliged to go on: " Shawn Leeach and Gregory Roche— as sure as ye are both sittin' here, this is the thruth — Connor Kennedy's son goes by the name of George Blundell."

" Why, the Lord be good to us 1 Isn't id thrue, at the same time, then, tbat the father has the son in gaol, and thai he'll hang him on the gallows bill over there ? " And Gregory pointed to a sudden conical elevation of ground on the opposite side of tbe river, then tbe honoured place of execution. " An' if Connor Kennedy is that boy's father, didn't the eon break into tbe father's boose, and take away his own sisther ? For you know, Mayor of Wind-gap, the people say that the young girl livin' with Connor Kennedy is his daughter. And then, won't ihe brother have to answer for the sisther's shame ? And won't the father have to answer for the death o' the son 1 "

" I tould ye, Mayor's council, that the first thing you're to give your advice in is the freein' of unfortunate Kate Maher from Harry Stokesbury, with hia own free will. Now I tell ye that the other thing ye have to do is to give your counsel how we are to keep the father from the hangin' ot his own son."

" Mayor of Wind-gap," said Shawn Leeach, impressively, " won't you go to Connor Kennedy and tell him bis son is livin', and that the boy in the gaol is that son ?— Wou't you, this moment? " " If 1 did, Shawn, Connor Kennedy would have only my word for the thiuth o' tbe say in' ; and, on account of all we have to do, that would never be enough. There is ouly the one man on the face o' the artb can prove— prove it, I mane, beyond all doubt — that George Blundell is Connor Kennedy's son — and tbat man is Harry Btokesbary."

" Mayor o' Wind-gap," demanded Gregory Roche, imploringly— "Has the bro her to s>and b fore ihe judgmeni-aate to give an ac« count o' the poor young sisther? *'

" Gri gory l.oche, 1 am goin' to make answer to you in a way tbat will put tbe Wjcdhtr on you moie than any word ye Lave yet card me spake. The brother had nothing to do with taking away the sisiber. but the father had all to do with taking away the daughter,"

" Ulla-100 1 " ejaculated Gregory, " one sayin' o' your's bates the other, ont-an'-out Will you make known to me this, then T Didnt Connor Kennedy put the boy in gaol for doin' what be never done, but what the wicked father o' the young ettteen made come to pass with bis own bands I "

" Mind me again, Gregory. The wicked father o' the young colletn took her away, of a sartainty ; but not Connor Kennedy. B* bad no more to do with it than poor young George Bluodell bad. And interiopting his council in. expressions of a climax of their astonishment, Maurteen Maher added—*' II was Harry Stokesbury forced ber away. And as sure as George Blundell ii Connor Kennedy* son, Annie Kennedy is Harry Stokesbary's daughter I " Here theieetii gs of the listeners became too deep for anything but vague mutterings ; till at length Shawn Leeach asked—" Chroua Ckrutha abont us I— And jdid the wicked villain o* the arth know who was in his hands the night he took Annie Kennedy from her home 7 "

"No, Shawn ; no more than Gregory Boche knew it ; and I b'lieve Gregory won't pnrtend to much knowledge on the matther. But, listen to me still, neighbours, and tbry if I can't give ye some insight. " From the day and hour that Harry Stokesbury was banished from his connthry up to this blessed moment, he never forgave Connor Kennedy. 'Tis my thought of him, that he'd turn the world inside out- ay, aeli himself, sowl and, body, to some one we won't m»ke mention of — to do this cousin an evil. And so thinkin', like yourself and the rest o* the people, Gregory, that Annie Kennedy woe his daughter, wicked Harry ran off with her, to spite the man be thought was her father."

" Ob, veeha vaughtt, Mayor of Wind-gap," cried Shawn Leeach, his snowy head shakiug to extremity, " and did the m sfurtunate man bring tbe disgrace on his own child I Achone 1 did that come to pass so near the Wind-gap hill 1 " " No, Shawn Leeach ; he learned who she was in time," answered the Mayor, consequentially and, to a nice observer, egotistically. " Then may tbe heavens be blest this night 1 For if such a thing bad happened, wouldn't it be enough to bring down, upon the earth the angry fire from heaven, and to make the innocent suffer with the guilty T "

(7b be continued.')