News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-02-16
MICK TANDY'S REVENGE.
"And why's the r'ason yen not be
my wife, Kathie ?"
"Only bekase can't, Mick"

Why ?"
"Bekase."
"Niyer?'
"No, Mick, niverw
There was silence for a moment in the
lovely glen of COLONY where sweet
Kathleen was gathering water weeds
from the edge OF great mud puddle
for her green goslings at home.
The lover who had followed hel
thither was not in holiday attire. He
wore q brown paper cap on his head, g
leather apron about him, and corduroy
breecbes, gray stockings and hob
nailed shoes on his great legs and feet.
Mick Tandy was a stalwart, handsome,
energetic fellow, who could have gained
the hand of any other rustic beauty in
his native county. And he knew it.
During the silence that followed these
words, he was looking down tenderly on
the young girl before him; but her gaze
was fixed on company of shearers who
were relieving a pack of sheep of their
wool, in the far-awsy stream, which ran,
like blue ribbon, through the green
meadow.
"Give me yer r'asons for bein' such
fool, Kathlie," said the young black
smith. "Bekase is no r'ason at all 20
Don't be botherin' me, Mick" said
Kathleen. in pleading tone, with tears
hanging on the long lashes that frlnged
her gray eyes.
"There's some other boy in my
way p he exclaimed, almost fiercely.
Kathleen turned her head slightly,
and little flush came to her cheek.
els it not that same that ails ye?"
sand it is" said Kathleen, frankly.
"It's the EsrPs waitin' mana white
faced fool that chooses rather to dance
round anither fcol, with brush in his
hand, than to do brave, hard work with
the two stout fists God gave him y
"It's niver bit him !"
1t is the inn-kaper's son, who wears
the rid damn pin and drinks half his
fathers whisky ?"
"Niver him p
SIT surely can niver be Teddy Loo
ney, that's contint to mind sheep and
shear 'em? The little spalpeen, with
curls and pink cheeks like girl, and a
cough like a sick collie-dog?"
:Itis-justhim, Mick %
Mick threw back his head and
laughed. But it was bitter, scorn full
laugh.
fLook at thin two hands o. mine, as
strong as iron and as black as coal !;
hands that had shod two hundred
horses afore they was twenty-five years
old And my father with two hunder
and fifty pounds O. money in the bank
for me Look now at me with hun
der and saxty pounds o. flesh on my
bones, and two arms that can thrash
any three lads IN Colony Am like
him q
"Yese not, iudade p
Sam I as poor as him whose father
has bare enough laid by to bury his
family ~
''Yese mott
"Thin, will ye marry me in place O.
him?"
.'Niver r'
Sand why niver?"
''Bekase 1 loves him, and he's SO
pretty, Mick, " said Kathlie, with anus
ing frankness, and blushing deeply.
''Thin, I'll bate him till put out the
small biz O. beauty and the little life
that's in him p cried Mick. fierceIy.
''Yese not name enough to bate a lad
less than yersep, Mick! Ye were niver
a coward aforel Don't be one now.
If ye want to fight sarch for one that's
yer equal for sizs and beauty small
chance for findin' one ~
'1'H do that, my jewel p cried Mick,
greatly Modified by this shrewd COM
pliment. He drew heavy Sigh, and as
he walked away he said, mournfully:
"God bless We, Kathlie, whatever
happens to your poor, wake enlisted,
low-voiced thing of lover. 1 see now
it's the shearers ye are waitin' for
rather than gatherin' water-wades for
the goslin's.'
Teddy and Kathleen had long had
secret plans for emigrating to America
that terrestrial heaven of the Irish.
And now Kathleen being seized with
fear of the powerful young blacksmith,
fastened the wedding and the depart
ure. So quietly and quickly were their
plans carried out, that they had set
sail from Liverpool before their neigh
bors knew they were married.
Many are the gay dreams of wealth
and pleasure that dance in the brains of
young emigrants which are rudely
broken or never fulfilled Teddy and
Kathleen we're comparatively rich, for
they landed with good, strong clothes
and shoes, two blue wooden boxes and
"twinty pounds O. money"
Perhaps the innocent boy expected to
find applicants waiting to engage him to
tend fiocks and shear them at Castle
Garden Perhaps Kathleen, in her ig-
norance, thought of stepping ct once
into bright little home of Ler own,
with looking glass and a focking-chair
ready to reflect and TO receive her But
there was no call for shepherds, and
Teddy was not strong enough for hard
work on farm or a railroad; nor yet
for enduring the close air of factory.
They tried first one place and then an
other; one kind of work and then an
other, till their "fortune" of one hun
dred dollars was gone. Then they
wrote home, under charge of secrecy;
and fond grandfather sent Kathlie ten
pounds, with which they went West.
Next, Teddy fell i'll, and they wrote
again, and the other grandfather sent
boarded five pounds, and with this they
came East again!
The years few by, Teddy working
when he was able, and Kathleen work
ing able or not, to keep up home for
he two little ones who had come to
,hare their misfortunes. All this time
hey had not crossed the path of any
- '-'>nd who could write the truth