2/6 THE GARDEN OF A 



like, I'm thinking, and the two went out crying to- 

 gether, to run down Patrick, whose whereabouts I 

 mistrusted was undecided." 



" Is the old woman going to give them the farm ? " 

 I asked, quite confounded at the turn of affairs, for 

 I thought Bertie was consoling Delia. 



" That she is not ! She says that Delia may live 

 in with her, and that she'll not object to her takin' 

 up work in the shop, if she feels like keepin' inde- 

 pendent." Here a fine sneer of derision curved 

 Martha's nostrils. 



"And the boil-down of it all is that Delia is 

 going to be fool enough not only to marry a 

 man what's at best a burnt match, and now con- 

 fessed always in liquor, but she's going in with 

 the old party, Mrs. Evan, who will undertake to 

 see her work to keep him idle." Here Martha 

 gave the tray a little push toward me, as if she 

 thought it time to change the subject. 



" I will speak to father : he will never allow 

 Delia to throw herself away like this." 



" Best not, Mrs. Evan. The doctor is clever, no 

 doubt, but this marryin' rascals is a disease beyond 

 him, especially when the parties is Irish, for I 

 knows them well and thorough ; they blows hot and 

 cold so quick, it keeps bothers all of a shiver, and 



