LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 776, 20 March 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

PAT KELLY'S RING. |, It was one of those uncertain days, Showery and sunny at once, which , makes the sides oi Iceland so like the emotional faces* of her daughters. A party of wanderers touring in the ESaieraAl Isle had been deluded into ; giving up their trip to the lakes and other places of interest in the neighbourhood, until the weathel should be more propitious, and were not in the best of humour at Ihc delay, . The prospect of a whoje day in the dull -little fnn at Kcnmare was not cheerful, and Mr Fielding and his maiden sister, their neice, Gladys Fenwick. and Philip IHicre, a student cousin, expressed th.ir complaints forcitf.y. •• It is too bad that 1 "nil's last I day with us should be spoilt," saiJ j Mr Fie.ding.. I -■'-■" GouWn*. you stay another day, j PhlL (or Muckross Abbey ? " •• Impossible.; I must be in Dublin. to-morrow, or I shafll miss that ex- j animation, and I wouldn't fail m that for all the ruins on the island." The malcontents stared out of the window: grimly as the rain began to | patter Uown again, and took what, satisfaction they could in watching ' the fresh-chteked oM women with bobbing white cap-frills: and long biue cloaks, and Xttle donkeys drag-

sing big carls in the street below. A shield, representing n golden Hon crown, hanging over the doorway, led the conversation naturally to the subject of heraldry. ■•"That is an) odd seal that you nave on your wotchchain, Lnilu George." said Gladys. " 1 n-ver noticed A before ; an owl holding a lizard.in its. claws." "It is" a ftuainl device, of which I never heard the meaning ;it belonged to my wife's niolli-'r." •■• Fitzgerald's crest is a monkey's toe*"' wid. Fhilip. " Nonsense! " exclaimed iliss Fielding.-; •" crests always lake thv?ir origin from a brave deed of some remote ancestor, expressed allegorically or any way one fancies. What. valiant suggestion could there be in « monkey V You are trying 10 impose on us, Phil), but we are not so gullible as you think. Aic we, Gladys?" !"•• I certainly should not' feel proud of a monkey on my escuU-ueju," said Gladys, with her lovely smile ; " but I suppose my opinion in such a grave matter is worth \lery little.' ••• I wish Fitzgerald was here; he could sbjpw me that ring of his, and explain why a monkey's face figures upon it,-you incrululous pair." With this}, Philip discreetly left the room. ■

At dinner tha young gentleman began again. " Wasn't it odd, I met Fitzgerald In the coffee room here, half an hour ago ! He is invited to a ball at Mount Edgecombe this evening and is staying hero tow»ight. I was sorry I did not know sooner of his ararval, as I might have introduced bun tq you. He is a nice fellow, and I should have hked you to know him, but it is too late now, as wo aV disperse to-morrow morning. I only mentioned to him casually that I was here with friends."

" A great pity,"- said Gladys, " I should, like to Enow Mr Fitzgerald." "•By the way," continued Philip, " I asked, him how his crest happened to be a monkey's head,." ■• That was thoughtful of you," "He said that many generations, ago, one of the Fitzgerald's, an only son, was sleeping unguarded in his cradle. A fire broke out and spread with great rapidity;, so that a ll approachtothe infant was cut oil by the flames. No one dared to go to the rescue, until a pet monkey of one of the daughters of the house was seen at an open window of the burning building with the baby clasped in Ks arms. The clever beast clambered down tho steep wall by means of the luxuriant ivy, and with u chuckle of delight, restored the baby unharmed to the arms of its agonis* ed mother. Since that time Jacko has figured upon the FilzgcraldV coat-of-arnis. Deservedly too, I think."

■" AU honour to Jacko ! I m sorry I spoße disrespectfui-ly <.£ biiu," said Miss Fielding. •' I borrowed. Fitzgerald's ring to fchow you. It is as carious ns it is valuable," Tlie trio peered over Philip's shoulder at the ring— a sardonyx, on which was cut in relief with' consummate skiii, the crest of the Filzgcralis—a monkey's head. " The worknian-Aip is wonderful,' 1 ' Gladys remarked, slipping the ring upon -her dainty linger ; " but 1 like the gold griffin's claws holding it in place. It is a novel idea." " Thank" you for showing it to us, Philip. lie sure you give it l>ack safely.to Mr Fitzgerald, or he will revile our memory ever afterwards. Such a treasure as that is not easily replaced."

Early next morning Philip Baciv took his departure for Dublin, the remainder of the party intending to start on their excursion a few hours later.

Through the half-drawn blinds of his room at 'the " Kcminue Arms - Hugh Fitzgerald was the unsuspected observer of a very pleasing little scene about breakfast time. A bewitchingly pretty girl, with reddishbrown hair curling low about h.-r forehead, and hanging far below her, waist in a rich plait, sweet violet eyes, and the danticst of ligures, in a neat-fitting .travelling drt-ss, came out upon a balcony wfihin range of Fitzgerald's windows, and began. friendly overtures with a flock of pigeons in tho court below. The pigeons responded willingly enough—it. would be a low order of creation that. would give no hoed whcn.Gfadys Fen-wick called—and began ah eager fl ght for the supply of. crumbs generously showered from the i girl's pink-and-white lingers. " She will have no breakfast left for herself if sh« feeds thos.-> cormorants at such a rate." soliloquised Fitzgerald. "'■• Who is she T wonder ? Of all the pretty faces 1 saw i at the ball last night, evecy one pales before hers. Can she be one of ; Dacre's party 7 J am sure ho would have mentioned the exist-once of this lovely little girl if ho had known her. Stupid of me not to ask who his friends -were before he vent." I As the pigeons devoured the hist j handful of crumbs someone callnl. "Gladys, there is no time to I lose ! " and the girl disappeared. j Mr Fitzgerald syfurirtcrul down to j the coffee-room to glean what in- ; formation he could regarding the i guests at the " Kriiinarc Anns." but the report) given him was vague and unsatisfactory. TTiere were races in the neighbourhood, and the hotel was full to ov- \ erflowing, and the host 'was content i if ho found shelter for his guests. I without knowing their names and destinations. j ' The gentleman who wont «»-.«■ | early Una morning' came with Sir ; jMHUmiiteicFottuandUris wi£<y from) 1

[ "■ Och, Teddy, what are you thinking of? Tho young man came with a groy-hairod lady and two little I girls."- \ j " Young gintleman, is it ! He was ; !ohl us lho paiuh priest, and came! ulone," said a third disdainfully. j . Frtzg-irald Up-nod away in ties- ' pair, and betook himself to the stables to look after the welfare of .his horse, and. inquiring of a cur- i tain dignitary of that department, called Rowley, was shown into an apolojry for a bedroom to wait. j Rowley's 'bower was at one end of jthe stables occupied by the omnibus horses, and, in its furnishing, showed the occupant to lie of very jovial tastes. An old fiddle, hung on the wall, nloii£ willi highly coloured pic--I'mvp. tJenoroiis-looking beer-mugs and huge pipes were tumbled helterskelter upon a shelf, and in one corner there was a gay costume and a shaf'uy brown wig, which had evidently figured at a masked Twill. An animated discussion began outside, and Fitzgerald, leaning through the window, gathered the facts of the cuse. t'utsey Kelly, the only man left to drive the jaunting-car had been ito the races, and was in such an lexalttd state as to be quite unfit 'to trust with the horse, A party of I tourists had engaged the cart to go to Muckross A''f >ey that morning.and would be angry if anything happened 'as tin;}- had been disappointed the !day before hy the rain. "Who are the people ? " Fitzgerald asked of the despairing landlord.who

had appeared on the scene. "A gentleman and two ladies. One of them as pretty as a picture, with a long plait of hair of the colour of the chestnut over there, and bonnie blue eyes that reminded me of my own girl's. She told me in such a friendly way about her pleasure at .the prospect of seeing the AxfKy.aml •the other sights about here, I hate to nave her disappointed. Bless her heart ! I would drive her. there myself if it wasn't for rheumatism in • my oM arms. Confound that scamp Kelly ! There is not another man in the place t*at I can scud." "If you Wiill lend me an old coat uid hat, I will drive the car my*li." sa-d FitzfetmW,. comirlgi forvard. "It must be an unruly horse, itdced, that I cannot manage, and I should like the fun of the thling." "Do you really mean it?" said he landlord, a look of rtjiief lightng his face.

"Certainly, I do." "There is an old suit of clothes my son wears fishing', hanging in Rowley's room. You arc al>out Fred's height ; if,you would not scorn them they are at your service." I Hugh Fitzgerald, an erect, hrnl|somo fair fellow of twenty-four, with a look about hint that prbcraiitned jtb'c gentleman wherever he went, vanished into Hotkey's sanctum, from which he shortly reappeared completely altered. I In the shabby, ill-fitting clothes of J the inn-keeper's son his figure seemed |to all dignity and grace, and I the wig belonging to the fancy cosrtume' surmounted by a battered o'd hat, made Win quite unrecognisable. |lle had browned his hands with some nut hulls lying in a corner), and only his neatly-fitting boots, which ho hoped would pass unnoticed, bet rajcd fcitrrf | "Ha, ha, ha ! you will do capitally," said the inn-keeper, his fat sides 'shaking with laughter. ■ "Bring my 'guests safe home to-night and you shall have an extra half-crown for yourself. Ha, ha, ha ! " | The escapade was quite to Fitzgerald's fancy, 4 instead oif for ever losing sight of the pretty girl who had so bewitched him, he would be | with hen all day J even tMougih il were only (in Patsey'a humble eapa\ | city ; he would probably find out j whither she was going, and could • perhaps meet her again under eir- ' cumstunccs more favourable for ac-

quaintance. I "Stop a moment. I had better take off my ring. It might look suspicious,," said Fitzgerald,, tugging at Ids sealing which was' rather tight. I "Belly, niaEd, haste, you rasjal ! !The ladies are waiting," called n peremptory voice from the door. j "Bother the ring ! Sf can't got it gloves which will do, instead.'' | (To be continued.)