“Its a letter mam” ses Minnie “to yere hoosband.” I seen her reed it throo, and aven then she had not grasped the meaning of the avil minded crachure’s words, till the latter spoke oop agin: “Are you a dummy?” asks Minnie, “Don’t you see what yere auld man is after being oop to. Delia here” ses she “innersintly remarked about his sneeking out at nite to mate anuther female. The paper there reveels the auld man’s inamoreeta.” I thort the auld lady wud faynt. She toorned white as milk, and I seen the paper shaking in her hand like she had the ague. But wid out condisinding a ward to eyther Minnie or mesilf she wint out the kitchen and upstares. “Miss Carnavan” ses I, biling over wid rage, “theres a trane laving widin tin minits. Yell have plinty of time to catch it.” Minnie smiled. “Delia darlint” ses she “did you think I’d be after thravelling sixty miles to visit you for harf an our? No darlint” ses she “I’ve brot me bag along and I’ll be wid you for a fortnite yet.” “That you wont” ses I, “for its your bag will be out in the cinter of the strate and yersilf will follow in a sicond.” Minnie faulded her arms and fixed me wid a look of power and scorn. “Delia Omally” ses she “the day you toorn your best frind out into the strate” ses she “will be your last. Trate me” ses she “in anny way save as a perfeck lady and I’ll publish yere letter on the housetops.” It cum upon me then that like the foolish loonytick I be I’d put mesilf in Minnie’s power. “O wirrah, wirrah, wirrah!” I cryed throwing me aprun over me hed. “Don’t be after making a fool of yersilf” ses Minnie, “Have sinse, Delia mavourneen. Here I am, and here I stay.” At loonch Mr. James and John et there meel alone. Mrs. Wolley and Miss Claire were locked up in the bed room. During the meel the gintlemen spake not at all, save wanse thin Mr. John sed: “Tak sum loonch upstares to mother and Claire, Delia” ses he, and thin after a moment: “Get that woman out of the house” ses he “as quickly as possible.” “And Delia” puts in Mr. James, conthrolling his nachelly loud voyse, “kape your mouth shut.” “Yes sor” ses I. Mr. Wolley did not turn up again aven for dinner, and the hole family, wid the ixsipshun of the madum et in silense. Miss Claire’s eyes looked red, and I seen her lips were trimbling, as tho she cud skursely kape the teers back. She cum downstares after the meel, and wispers in me eer: “Heres a note for Mr. Dudley when he cums. I—I wont be home to-nite Delia” ses she wistfully. “Whare are you going darlint.” “To look for father” ses she. “O Delia” ses she, “I’m afrade sumething dredful is about to happen.” “Let me go wid you darlint” ses I. “But—the letter?” ses she, “somewan must give it to Mr. Dudley.” “I’ll be plazed to do it” spoke up Minnie at wanse. She looked at Minnie misdoutfully. Thin she wint up to her and quitely guv her the note. “I’ll trust you then!” ses she to the crachure.