A Manr Story.

question being repeated , he asked vaguely what they meant j whereon Tom burst out laughing , nnd exclaimed , " I believe in my heart he doesn't know its in the tlie Tsle of Man ho iss . " Then , turning to him , he continued , " Didn't you know , cap tain , what part of thc world you ' re in ? " On receiving an answer in the ,, en-ative , he laughed loud and long , saying , " It's in Manx-land you are , sure enough . " And at intervals during thc evening he kept exclaiming , " Well , well , I never knew nawthing queerer than this for all—for n man not to know for a ,

whole month what part of the world he wns landed in . " Nan explained he hail had very little conversation with her or old Jennie , their servant and bis only other nurse , and it had never struck them to say or him to ask what the place was called . Ho wondered now he bad never thought of it before , but his convalescence had been so pleasant that he had taken everything naturally , and had asked no questions except a few regarding his vessel uiul crow , aud had been contented to sec Nan's face as she moved quietly about his sick room and now and then to hear her pleasant voice .

"The Isle of Man , " ho said , half to himself , "it ' s the last place I'd have chosen to come , to ! Strange how fate has led me here . " Then aloud , "What part of thc Isle of Man is it ?" " Castletown , of course , man . Can't you sec ould Castle Kuslien if you put your head out of the door ; but what am I sayin '—you haven ' t been able to put ' your nose out yet , but you'll have to go to sec it before long , for it ' s a place strangers is thinkin' a powerful deal of . "

Nan had noticed during this talk a strange pallor come over Staunton's face , uid remarked that she feared he was staying up too long—that he was but weakly yet , and had better go and lie down . Glad to be alone , Staunton left the farm kUchen , and for a long time sat in gloomy thought , gazing out on the moonlit sea and going over the strange events of his life . _

IV . Another month has passed by , and Captain Staunton was still an inmate of "the Howe . " He had weeks ago ceased to he nn invalid , and sometimes people wondered why he lingered so long in Castletown ; but he had sullieient excuse in seein <* after the repairs of his schooner , which now , however , was almost ready for sea , and folks said he would certainly not stay after that unless he had " a notion of Nan Gorry , " which wouldn't be wondered at , certainly , but which , at least , one young sailor devoutly hoped wns not the case .

Phil Caine had long admired Nan , and had often hinted at the advisability ol their "keeping company , " but she had always laughed at him . Now , he said to himself , only for this stranger ' s coming , ho might have had a chance . It was wiih feelings of keen jealousy he had seen the ripening friendship between the "irl ho loved and this man . lie had plenty of opportunities of seeing it , too , for their houses were not far apart , nnd he often came in , presumably to see her

brother Tom . During these weeks Staunton's moods had strangely varied . Looking back upon the time , Nan thought he had never been quite the same since the first night he had come downstairs aftev his illness . Up to that ho had been cheerful and contented . Since then ho had had strange fits of depression ; sometimes shutting himself up in his room , and not coming down all the evening , while nt

others he would talk and he the life of the company . To Nan he would sointinies be so reserved she would think she must have done something to offend him ; then , ns if lo make up for it . his manner would be more than friendly , and he would anticipate her every thought . -U limes she would ibink he surely regarded her in more than a friendly light ; then would scoff at herself and try hard to banish his face from her thoughts . For lately she had begun to fear that she hud given her heart away , and the thought that it was unsought was

intolerable to her . The varying moods of their guest mid- ii all the more difficult to keep him out of her thoughts . If he was only like other people , she told herself , it wimhl he easier lo forget him ; bill she never knew how h" would meet her next , nnd she had begun lo feel , nlus ! loo surely thai , through all his moods , she loved him , and the thought of her empty life when he was gone wonhl come upon her like a blow in the midst of her work . Hut resolutely she kept herself in check , and no one suspected what she was feeling .

The day cam . ' at last when the " Dart " was again ready tor sen , nnd that evening as they were sitting round the fire Cliimlie Gorry remarked , between puffs of his pipe , " Well , Captain , I suppose you'll be for laving us soon , now . Sorry enough we'll bo too , for you arc mortal good company in the evenin ' s over

a pipe . " Staunton glanced nt Xan , us he answered that he thought by the next week he'd he ready for sea . Hut Nan ' s face mid nothing , her eyes were not raised from the knitting in her hands . It was in vain that . Staunton tried to gel her to look up , and after a few minutes she rose and left the kitchen . Slaunlon swiftly followed , overtaking her ut the foot of I lie siuirs .

" Xan , where are you going—what is the matter ? " lie was holding her hands now , an 1 she was powerless to k 'op buck the tears thai fell down . A look of passionate joy came into his eyes , us he b uit over her . whispering " Do you reullv care so much , tnv ( larlimr r "

A Manr Story.

In another moment she would have been clasped in his arms ; but just then the outer door opened , nnd Phil Caine came in . Womanlike , Nan was the first to recover herself , and laughed and talked to hide her confusion , as she walked before the two men into the kitchen . Phil Caine had a very keen suspicion of tho nature of the case , and his mind was in a Ihune of jealousy as he sat looking at the girl he loved and the man liehated as his rival .

After a time tho conversation drifted on bye-gone times , aud old Claudie began to recount many a strange and half-forgotten story of the old smuggling days , and the times of the riots when he was young , and enjoyed the fun of it all with the best . "Not that I aver did nawthin' agin' my conscience , for all that , a bit of baccy , or a keg or two of rum ; that would navergo agiu' a man where we arc all bound for—our family was nlwnys a ( lucent one , and naivthiii' bad was aver said of us . "

" Them was times though , that middlin' grave things was done , " observed Phil Caine . " I supposo . you'll remember the last hanging there was at Castle Rushcn . " " Remember?—ay , to be sure , man . Wasn' I one of thc jury that was on them !—he was a right villain , was that John Cornaish , and desarved all he got ; but the poor girl—poor Kate Kenrade , I was uiorthal sorry for her , and stood out agin' the rest of the jury for a long time ; but I had to give in at last . What was the use of one man , and the evidence was dead agin' her . "

" Didn ' t they say , father , " said Nan , " that she needn't have been hung if she had wanted to live—was it true that the rope broke three times , and sho was riven a chance of life ? "

" Yes , yes , that s true enough ; but she wouldn't take it , the crathur , she said she desarved to be hung . And hev child was provided for , she would rather die—that it would bo better for him , and he might forgive her if lie ever came to know who he was , if she was dead . " " What became of tho child ? It was a son , wasn ' t it ? " asked Tom .

"Yes , a son she had , horn in prison , poor thing ! There was a lady and gentleman in Castletown at the time , and in court when the trial was going on , and they took the child and brought him up as their own . No one has over heard nawthin ' of them , or him , since ; but he'd be well done to , I'm thinkin ' , for they were rich people , and perhaps he would naver know whose son he wass . "

During this conversation , Staunton had not spoken , and his face had been in shadow ; but two pairs of eyes hud been watching him closely . Phil Caino ' s , with instinct of keen jealousy , and Nan ' s , with love . Roth had noticed his . sudden silence , as the talk turned on long ago events , and both observed a strangely drawn expression as he got up and left the room , saying he had forgotten something on the schooner .

The outer door was heard to shut after him , and the talk went on ns before , until Phil Caine rose to go . As he wns leaving , lie drew Nun aside , whispering in her car , to which she made no reply ; but with an indignant look left him , and returned to the kitchen , from which she soon retired for the night . The two men waited until past the usual hour for retiring , expecting Staunton ' s return . At hist , much wondering what delayed him so long , they determined to go to bed . leaving the door on the latch so that he could let hinself in .

It was early morning before Staunton returned lo the house nndthrow himself on his bed . His mind had been in a strange state of turmoil for the last few weeks , which that evening had reached a climax . During the lonely hours of the night he had gone over the events of his past life . His pleasant boyhood—his kind adopti'd parents , who , until the death of Mrs . Staunton , he had thought to be his own . Mr . Staunton soon followed his wife , leaving a will bequeathing to hiin all he possessed , and with it a packer wherein he had read for the first time

bis heritage of shame nod sin . The Stauntons would never willingly have told him this , but his mother bad extorted a promise before they took away the child that he should one day be told the story of his birth , and asked to forgive the mother who had sinned and bitterly repented . It was a request impossible to refuse , painful us might be the consequences it would bring ; nnd , not liking to tell in his life , Mr . Staunton hud left tho particulars of tho story to be read after he was gone , nt ( he snme time saying that no other human soul knew the secret .

For a time ihe knowledge of it darkened bis life , but ho was young , had money nnd friends , and gradually the memory of it , became less oppressive until it remained as a shadow over his life , a skeleton in his cupboard , but one thnt wns seldom looked nt , nnd that never need be seen by anyone but himself , for he

had determined that to no one would he ever reveal the secret of his birth ; it , concerned him alone , nnd with him should die . He had not thought much of marriage . Some day he might take u wife , but ns yet he hud seen no one who would tempt him to give up his freedom ; when he did , she never need know his parentage . He had plenty of money , sailing more for pleasure than profit .

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