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Neville had been forced to get his leave of absence renewed on the score of his uncle's health, and had pro so he had declared his intention of returning to Ennis in the beginning of May; but no agreement to that had as yet been expressed by his uncle or aunt Towards the end of the month his brother came to Scroope, and up to that ti Kate O'Hara

He had received an answer from Kate to his letter, prepared in a fashion very different from that of his own He had seated hiiven by him, had scrawled off his epistle as fast as he could write it She had taken a wholeit, and had then read it with the ut to herself, alether unworthy of him to whom it was to be sent It was the first love letter she had ever written,--probably the first letter she had ever written to a man, except those short notes which she would occasionally scrawl to Father Marty in compliance with her mother's directions The letter to Fred was as follows;

-ARDKILL COTTAGE, 10th April, 18--

MY DEAREST FRED,

I received your dear letter three or four days ago, and it made me so happy We were sorry that you should have such an uncootten when you found yourself in your colad to hear that your uncle is better The thought of finding him so ill must have made your journey very sad As he is so much better, I suppose you will come back soon to your poor little Kate

There is no news at all to send you from Liscannor Father Marty was up here yesterday and says that your boat is all safe at Lahinch He says that Barney Morony is an idle fellow, but as he has nothing to do he can't help being idle You should coulls know that you are away, because they are wheeling and screa about louder and bolder than ever

Mother sends her best love She is very well We have had nothing to eat since you went because it has been Lent So, if you had been here, you would not have been able to get a bit of luncheon I dare say you have been a great deal better off at Scroope Father Marty says that you Protestants will have to keep your Lent hereafter,--eighty days at a time instead of forty; and that we Catholics will be allowed to eat just e like, while you Protestants will have to look on at us If so, I think I'll ive you a little bit