Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-10-21

"hiSAA "eAo NNeoSA WIN OANSh>j 40 SAAS%S J ONA
coggerman, my friend "
Is which me coggerman?' p replied
Raggarty, looking about him. The wo-
man yander, do you name? Bad luck to
ye, she's me lawful wife, let me tell ye.
Dye take me for Solomon p
Is or is not your name Michael Rag
garty?' again asked the post-ofice dig
nitary.
That's me, and let me whisper
Then it comes to sevenpence, interup-
ted the postman, whose pony's legs had,
during the colloquy, been sinking deeper
and deeper in the black mud and the
next time you expect respectival person
to bring you anything, pr'aps you will be
so good as to get this beastly road mended.'
'Ye come without being axed,' return
ed Michael; and as to the sivenpence,
l haven't the tail iv such a sum. Maybe
you'll thrust me- postman dear,till you're
a comm my way agin ?
That isn't likely said the postman.
Well, you won't take it away wild ye'
Wont! Who's to hinder?' returned
the man, turning pale.
It's no matter of hindthering, but of
helping said Raggarty, with a grim
You'll never get your pony free widout
help you-and I'll niver help you till
you thrust me the sivenpence.
The postman replied with a look of
disdain. He replaced the letter in the
bag and gave the pony a smart cut with
his whip. Alas the poor brute might
have been rocking horse for all the use
there was now in its limbs ; its legs stuck
in the quagmire as though they had been
in vice. Indeed the lane was untrod
soil by any animal save the human and
porcine Raggartys, who knew and avoid
ed the weak and tender spots in it.
In vain was every expedient tried on
the part Of the postman to release his
quadruped; every endeavor only sunk
him the deeper, and at last he was fain
to come to a compromise, trusting Michael
TO the postage on condition of his helping
him out Of the slough. This was finally
, effected by the riders dismounting, though
, sorely against his will, and taking the stem
while Michael took the stern of the beast.
) Thus it was lifted out of the bog by sheer
! strength and landed on the footpath.
: But to obtain possession of the letter
was one thing, to read it another. Dan
the scholar of the family was at school
7 and Raggarty and his wife knew almost
e as little Of reading as they did of astron-
. omy. The letter was written in bold
e lawyer-like hand, and the little Michae
= and his wife could manage to spell out
only served to fill them with dismay and
= perplexity. There was something abou
S DEATH and feelings of regret and two
l. hundred pounds, and the leg of some
S thing or or some one all seeming tt
d have reference to one Margaret Raggarty
II who was MichaePs aunt on his father
IS side, and who had gone to America year
], before.
Is It's neither tip nor tail that l cal
e make of it, said Michael, stirring his hal
n for the hundredth time. i wish our Dal
N would come home.'
Is Did ye iver borry anything iv ye
aunt dear?' suggested Norah apprehen
10 sively; and pr'aps they want it back t.
d help bury the poor sowl.'
S 'Niver farden she niver had any f
ie lend that the family iver heard Of
or Pr'aps, pr'aps,' began Norah, almos
u afraid to trust herself as much, she
ID niver bin and saved two hundred pounds
* and-and-an left it to you, Michat
u dear ?
III 'Whirrop exclaimed Michael, cuttin
- a eaper that endangered the thatched roc
of on the strength of the bare supposition
no that's the most sensible construction t
lg put upon it, Norah, jewel. Shure, Elsi
az my little darlint, you're the lucky dhran
ne er'
he But the 'leg.' DEAR persisted h
he wife, what about the leg?'
g; Divil take the leg said Raggart
ad carried away by enthusiasm. I'D liz
cd to see the leg of the crater that wouldn
ed be welcome with such lashin's of golde
ST SARGE. But here comes the boy that
n set us right in twinkling.'
he Great was the surprise of the learnt
er Daniel as he approached the cabin, to S,
'g- both of his parents waiting for him wi
open arms. Scholar as be was, such a
lls tention had never been shown him befor
ne and he regarded the sudden manifest
no tions of welcome with some suspicion
ne He did not make direct for the door, b
cruised on and off, with a good looko