[{"node":{"title":"Hanna245","Collections":"Part Three","Contributor":"Linen Hall Library","Coverage":"1951","Creator":"Linen Hall Library","Date":"Thursday, April 7, 2016","Format":"TIFF","Identifier":"Hanna245","Item Description":"Manuscript","Keywords":"Fireside, Crimson","Language":"English","Path":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/hanna245","Publisher":"Linen Hall Library","Relation":"Linen Hall Library","Rights":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA","Scanned image":{"src":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Hanna245_0.jpg","alt":""},"Source":"LHL Archive","Transcript":"\ufeff238\n\nhim. \"Sure this is our time for a cup o\u2019 tea, anyway.\"\n\"Well now, if ye say that,\" answered Joe, sitting down\nagain.\n\nWhen the tea was infused they took their seats\nat the table, for no one would have thought of drinking\na cup of tea at the fireside with a guest present. The\nslight formality of the meal checked the spate of talk,\nbut the feeling of cordiality still persisted after the\ncups were emptied. Joe had fallen silent for other\nreasons than having his mouth full of food. During the\nevening he hadn\u2019t exchanged more than half-a-dozen words\nwith Martha. Now he was pondering on his next move.\nIn his most optimistic moments he had never dreamt that\nhe would make such progress with the girl\u2019s parents.\nBut now, when he left, he feared that the curtain of\ninsularity would fall on this household again, and all\nthe ground that he had gained would be lost. He made\nup his mind to chance his luck further that evening.\n\nWhen the men rose from the table and returned to\ntheir places at the fire, Joe declined to sit down again.\n\"No stopping this time, thank ye,\" he replied. He peered\nout at the blue darkness of the evening. \"And its going\nto be a sore job getting down that loanen of yours, seeing\nI dont know the way. l tell ye what he swung round\nwith a tense little laugh to where Martha stood: \"You\nshow me the way, will ye?\" The girl flushed crimson, and\nthe rest of the Echlins, with the exception of Frank,\nstared at Joe in surprise. Frank, who was stretched on\nthe sofa again, lowered his head and picked idly at the\nfringe. My God, thought the lad, I've made a mistake.\n\nHe drew back a little. \"Maybe its too cold for ye to\ncome out,\" he murmured. There was silence lor a moment.\n\"Put on your coat, Martha,\" said Sarah slowly, \"and see\nMr Skillen on his road.\"\n","Type":"Text"}}]