May he burn----"
"Mary! Let that suffice!" cried the priest. "He will! The question
now is, shall I go to Dannie?"
"Will you till him just what Jimmy told you? Will you till him that
I have loved him always?"
"Yes," said Father Michael.
"Will you go now?"
"I cannot! I have work. I will come early in the morning."
"You will till him ivirything?" she repeated.
"I will," promised Father Michael.
Mary went back to Mrs. Dolan's comforted. She was anxious to return
home at once, but at last consented to spend the day. Now that she
was sure Dannie did not know the truth, her heart warmed toward
him. She was anxious to comfort and help him in the long struggle
which she saw that he must have endured. By late afternoon she
could bear it no longer and started back to Rainbow Bottom in time
to prepare supper.
For the first hour after Mary had gone Dannie whistled to keep up
his courage. By the second he had no courage to keep. By the third
he was indulging in the worst fit of despondency he ever had known.
He had told her to stay a week. A week! It would be an eternity!
There alone again! Could he bear it? He got through to mid-
afternoon some way, and then in jealous fear and foreboding he
became almost frantic. One way or the other, this thing must be
settled. Fiercer raged the storm within him and at last toward
evening it became unendurable.
At its height the curling smoke from the chimney told him that Mary
had come home. An unreasoning joy seized him.
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