"Frank," said Art, "don't you think we ought to go and bid farewell to a
few of our nearest neighbors before we lave home?"
"Where's the use of that?" asked Frank; "not a bit, Art; the best plan
is jist to bid our own people farewell, and slip away without noise or
nonsense."
"You may act as you plaise, Frank," replied the other; "as for me, I'll
call on Jemmy Hanlon and Tom Connolly, at all events; but hould," said
he, abruptly, "ought I to do that? Isn't it their business to come to
us?"
"It is," replied Frank, "and so they would too, but that they think
we won't start till Thursday; for you know we didn't intend to go till
then."
"Well," said Art, "that's a horse of another color: I will call on them.
Wouldn't they think it heartless of us to go off widout seein' them? An'
besides, Frank, why should we steal away like thieves that had the hue
and cry at their heels? No, faith, as sure as we go at all, we'll go
openly, an' like men that have nothing to be afraid of."
"Very well," replied his brother, "have it your own way, so far as
you're consarned, as for me, I look upon it all as mere nonsense."
It is seldom that honest and manly affection fails to meet its reward,
be the period soon or late. Had Art been guided by Frank's apparent
indifference--who, however, acted in this matter solely for the sake of
sparing his brother's feelings--he would have missed the opportunity of
being a party to an incident which influenced his future life in all he
ever afterwards enjoyed and suffered.
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