her hands and held them tightly and stood up, towering over her, and
trembling violently. "Is it--is it--?" he cried and stopped as if
afraid to complete the question.

She smiled a wan smile up at him and nodded her head as she
answered:

"The union of our lives is to be complete. Our love is to be
rewarded."

"A child is coming to us?" he whispered.

"It is," and her voice was hushed, too.

"Praise be to God! Praise be to His Holy Name," and O'Connell
clasped his hands in prayer.

In a little while she went on: "It was the telling you I wanted to
be so different. I wanted you, when you heard it, to be free of
care--happy. And I've waited from day to day hoping for the best--
that some good fortune would come to you."

He forced one of his old time, hearty laughs, but there was a hollow
ring in it:

"What is that yer sayin' at all? Wait for good fortune? Is there any
good fortune like what ye've just told me? Sure I'm ten times the
happier man since I came into this room." He put his arm around her
and sitting beside her drew her closely to him. "Listen, dear," he
said, "listen. We'll go back to the old country. Our child shall be