When Sunday came, McKenna, as was his custom, put on his best garments, combed out his matted hair a little, washed his face, and attended the church of his faith, where he sat and listened, silently concurring, to a powerful denunciation of the Mollies by the officiating clergyman, Father O’Reilley, who, after reading to the congregation a communication from Bishop Wood, of Philadelphia, on the same subject, launched out feelingly and bitterly against the Ancient Order of Hibernians, White Boys, Buckshots, etc., etc., otherwise the Mollie Maguires, characterizing the men who could belong to such bodies as scarcely less than damnable. Lawler held a talk with the detective, after Mass, and, alluding to the anathemas of the priest, said that the Sunday previous he had himself been in the church and received a scoring of equal severity. He pretended not to care the snap of his finger for it, and bade McKenna not to be down-hearted over so trifling a matter. He said: “For my part, I am a member of and officer in the society, and will remain so until I see good reason for changing!” Ed. Lawler, a nephew of the landlord, some months previous, had engaged in a quarrel with an Englishman, named Brophy. He finally fired upon and severely wounded his antagonist, and only escaped immediate arrest by suddenly leaving the vicinity. Brophy recovered, and, the Sabbath spoken of, came to Muff Lawler with propositions for settlement of the affair. The arrangement consumed most of the day, and was completed, Lawler paying Brophy twenty dollars to have the prosecution abandoned. That same night word was forwarded to the young exile—who was not yet twenty-one years of age—that he could return to his home and his relatives. In a short time Ed. made his appearance in Shenandoah, was introduced to and conceived a wonderful liking for McKenna, and, had the detective been willing, would have made himself very intimate in his companionship, but that personage had his own ideas concerning his associates, and did not care to have many so reckless and juvenile as the man in question. Ed. was notoriously bad—and there was nothing to attract McKenna to him, nor could anything be gained by seeking his society. The officer felt, from day to day, that, as long as he remained outside the order of Mollie Maguires, so long would he be in the power of a bad, reckless and changeable set of men, who might, at almost any moment, turn from friends to inveterate enemies. Hence, without seeming to press the subject upon Lawler, he caused him to move a little faster in the proper direction. ————●———— CHAPTER XIV. THE DETECTIVE ACHIEVES A VICTORY.