Page:Stanwood Pier--The ancient grudge.djvu/439

428 "Oh," he answered, "you never can tell what I may do when I get my Irish up."

"It's mean to tease me now, Hugh," she said. "You'll promise, won't you?"

"Well," he answered, and he laughed at her affectionately, "I've promised Mr. Halket, and I guess I can do as much for you as for him."

She came over to him quickly and kissed him.

"But," he said, holding her round the waist and looking up at her, "I would n't dare to promise if I was red-headed."

"Ah now, Hugh—I don't often get mad—with you. Now, do I?" She spoke quite pleadingly.

"I'd hate to have you get mad any oftener." He rose from the table. "Well, I suppose I'd better be starting out to look for a white horse—"

"What's that?" She interrupted his well-worn joke with the startled exclamation. Not far away a bell bad begun to toll, and now as it gathered momentum its peals rang out, hurried and clamorous, tumbling together in crazy, clanging excitement. Hugh listened and stared at his wife.

"It's to warn them you're coming—to start the works!" she cried.

"You're right! You're right!" He ran out into the hall and caught up his overcoat and hat. "I'd better be getting down there."

He was about to open the door when his wife caught his arm. "Hugh!" He looked down at her and saw what she wanted; he kissed her. "You've promised," she cried; and with that reminder to speed him he was gone.

The school-house bell was still clanging,—a danger signal in the dense fog. Hugh, hurrying along the hilltop, was moving in the direction of the sound. He came to the first of the outlying streets and crossed it; he began to see dimly ahead of him the forms of men running as