Connecticut western news., 1882-09-27
"THE WIDDY'S CHIST."


 bad luck to h1m for miser. It was in green old Ireland, and it was 8 dacint man was Dennis Flynn. He bought the farm bit by bit, as you may say. A great mortgage on it at first, and pay ing it off little by little. and ivery time he'd get receipt he'd paste it in blg book he had, and the book he kept locked in the secretary that was built in the corner of the best room. At last I heard him say to Biddy and the chil- dren week before the blessed Christ mas that was the last he lived on earth. "We're beholdin' to no one now. The roof over our heads is our own. Good luck to it. There's the last of Daddy Gripe's receipts" :" ...t s,.
 Than he locked the book into the secretary, and sat down and smoked his pipe like king. And sure that was 8 merry Christmas, singing songs and playing s'The Wind that Shakes the Barley" on the fiddle. Who'd have thought he'd been lying dead and cowld that day fortnight, and we waking him?
 He died iv fall from haycock. Och hone but it was dreadful day. But to make matters worse, somebody got into the house and broke open the sec- retary, and off with all that was in it. It wasn't money so we didn't think much of it until one day when the widdy sitting crying, and the children all about her, and we brewing bowl of punch to drown the grief in, in walks Daddy Gripe, and sits down on 8 chair and says
 "Good luck to you all" "Luck's gone from the door, and there's only trouble here,' said the widdy.
 "He was a dacent man that's gone," said old Gripe.
 "Thrue for ye," says the widdy. SC It's empty the house is.'
 "Are ye thinking of keeping the house and farm p
 "Would bird keep her nest wid de eggs in it ?"
 "But will ye be able to pay the rent regular P "Sure it's bought the house was, !" said the widdy.
 ''Not bit of it r
 "He bought it iv ye," cried.
 "Where's your pr oof?"
 s'The word of an honest man."
 "Then he's got bit of paper," says Gripe, ''just find your proof, will you p
 "Daddy Gripe," says I, "the secretary was robbed the day we buried him. I'm thinking you know that"
 "It's none of my business" says he. ssThis house is mine. I'll have the rent, or I'll have the house mark that, now, widdy p
 Poor Widdy Flynn had no proof oi the truth of her story. She hadn't a receipt of any kind at all. She spent her money in lawy yers, and did no good and one by one she sold the bits oi furniture to live on, until, when the order came to quit, she had just one big chist left.
 She stood with her children in the room she had been so happy in, the tears rolling down her cheeks, when il comes Gripe with bailiff.
 "Can't you lave us alone this bitter hour ?"
 "Well, yes, widdy," says Gripe, ''bu there's one thing more. You're owing me bit of rent, and the law gives m' your property. I'll take the chist, i you please. Here's the warrant for it.
 The widdy screamed when she saw thu bit of paper, but thought came int, my head.
 "Biddy," says I, law is law. Boy take MT. Gripe and his man into tht room yonder, and offer them SUI from me bottle, while reason with ye mother about giving up the chist."
 And the minute they were gone, just puts my lips to the widdy's ear, an says ], "Up with the lid, widdy. So,"- and up it went. Now here's a trio
 worth knowing, and in I jumped. "Down with the cover and lock it,
 says I, "thero's breathing hole in tn , top. Don't be afraid" And the widdy didNas she was bid, anG
 in five minutes more Gripe and his maj A came back, and away went over tn
 common to Gripe's house, betwixt tn two, and under Gripe's bed, and ther /, I stayed an hour or two. :. At last, when all was fast, he cam a mp and knelt down by the bed an hauled the chest by the handle, II "Lord, how heavy!" says he. "Mayh ;. there is money in it-something valus ble, anyhow" ,,' And away he tugged, and when tn N, cover flew up, out flew, and stood ove him. I put the pistol to his ear wit :; one hand, and I held his throat with tk ., other.
 lf Daddy Gripe,' says I, "you're - my power. We're far from anys hell V I'm armed, and I've got the best of yo1 70 l want the red account book, with tl " receipts for Dennis Flynn's payment m that you stole from him the day he WI ,e buried. You know you did, you divvi Q Don't deny it." .,- ...
 CT won't," says Daddy Gripe. q m I'll get it if you go peaceably." " I kept my hold on his collar, and n. kept the pistol at his ear and I walk G. him to his desk, and there he TUT ra maged. crying like a baby, until
 found the book.
 70 A couple of hours after walked in h. the Widdy Flynn's wid her chist on [ ss shoulder, and the book under my arl l and tnWld mo littlo rAorzz 4c 4Lo