Miss Fairfax of Virginia A ROMANCE OF LOVE AND ADVENTURE UNDER THE PALMETTOS BY ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE Publishers 238 William Street Copyright. 1899, By Street & Smith. Table of Contents [7] [7] Miss Fairfax of Virginia CHAPTER I. PERHAPS LOVERS ONCE, STRANGERS NOW. The genial summer sun had long since dropped behind the Irish hills, and the glowing lights of old Dublin were set like rare jewels upon the dark bosom of mother earth when Roderic Owen, with a fragrant cigar between his teeth, walked to and fro under the shadow of Nelson's column in historic Sackville street, now better known among loyal citizens under the name of O'Connell. Owen only arrived from Liverpool on the Holyhead steamer that very day and had passed some hours upon various tramcars, surveying those portions of the famous city they traversed. It may have given him a thrill of satisfaction to realize that he once more stood on his native heath, which land the exile had not seen since, a child of tender years, he left it in company with his heart broken parents; but two decades in the atmosphere of free America had made a full-fledged Yankee out of him, and his heart was wholly pledged to the interests of America. Business had more to do with his flying visit across the Irish sea than a desire to look upon the scenes of childhood—these[8] tender recollections might be all very good in their way, but when his country was at war