News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-10-12
THE WIDDY'S CHIST."
A STORY OF THE EMERALD
ISLE.
How Daddy GRIPPE Tried to Swindle
Poor Woman out of her Prop

erty.
It was my own cousin, Dennis Flynn,
that bought the farm from Daddy GRIPPE,
bad luck to HIM for q miser. 1t was in
green old Ireland, and it was 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 livery time
he'd get receipt he'd paste it in big
book he had, and the book he kept
locked in the secretary that was built in
the corner of the best room. At last l
heard him say to Biddy and the chill
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"
Than he locked the book into the
secretary, and sat down and smoked his
pipe like king. And sure that was a
merry Christmas, singing songs and
playing "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 haycoek. Och
hone but it was a dreadful day. But
to make matters worse, somebody got
into the house and broke open the sec,
rotary, and off with all that was in it.
1t wasn't money so We didn't think
much of it until one day when the
wildly sitting crying, and the children
all about her, and we brewing a bowl of
punch to drown the grief in, in walks
Daddy Gripe, and sits down on chair
and says:
"Good luck to you ALL"
"Luck's gone from the door, and
there's only trouble here" said the
wildly.
q" He was dacent man that's gone, "
said old GRIPPE.
"Thrue for ye," says the wildly.
It's empty the house is"
care ye thinking of keeping the
house and farm ?"
Would bird keep her nest wild de
eggs in it ?"
"But will ye be able to pay the rent
regular?'
"Sure it's bought the house was, "
said the wildly.
''Not bit of it! -
"He bought it iv ye," cried.
"Where's your proof?"
"The word of an honest man."
"Then he's got q bit of paper" says
GRIPPE, 'just find your proof, will you p
"Daddy GRIPPE" 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.
''This house is mine. I'll have the rent,
or I'll have the house mark that, now,
wildly p
Poor Wildly flynn had no proof OF
the truth of her story. She hadn't 8
receipt of any kind at all. She spent
her money il lawyer and did no good;
and one by one she sold the bits of
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 in
comes GRIPPE with bai!if.
''Can't you lave US alone this bitter
hour p
"Wel, yes, wildly" says GRIPPE, ''but
there's one thing more. You're owing
me bit of rent, and the law gives me
your property. I'll take the chist, il
You please. Here's the warrant for it. ,
The wildly screamed when she saw the
bit of paper, but u thought came into
my head.
Biddy," says I, law is law. Boys
take Mr.. GRIPPE and his man into the
room yonder, and offer them a sup
from me bottle, while reason with yer
mother about giving up the chist.''
Aud the minute they were gone, I
just puts my lips to the widdy's ear, and
says 1, Sup with the lid, wildly. So,"-
and up it went. Now here's a trick
worth knowing, and in Jumped.
"Down with the cover and lock it, "
says ], "there's breathing hole in the
top. Don't be afraid"
And the wildly did as she was bid, and
in five minutes more GRIPPE and his man
came back, and away I went over the
common to Gripe's house, betwixt the
two, and under Gripe's bed, and there
stayed an hour or two.
At last, when all was fast, he came
MP and knelt down by the bed and
hauled the chest by the handle.
"Lord, how heavyr' says he. "Maybe
there is money in it-something valua-
BILE, anyhow"
And away he tugged, and when the
cover flew up, out few, and stood over
him. 1 put the pistol to his ear with
one hand, and I held his throat with the
other.
Daddy GRIPPE" says 1, "you're in
my power. We're far from any. help.
Pm armed, and I've got the best of you.
want the red account book, with the
receipts for Dennis Flynn's payments,
that you stole from him the day he was
buried. You know you did, you divvil I
Don't deny it."
ell won't" says Daddy Gripe. "I
III get it if you go peaceably."
l kept my hold on his collar, and 1
kept the pistol at his ear and walked
him to his desk, and there he rum.
mayed, crying like a baby, until he
found the book.
A couple of hours after / walked into
the Wildly Flynn's wild her chist on my
shoulder, and the book under my arm,
and towld me little story to the neigh
bors ; and it wasn't me that tarred and
feathered him that night, bat some of
the other boys bat sure [ couldn't
blame them, and he deserved it richly,
and, more betoken, he left the place
next day and rid Us of him forever.
DnnnIatfnV Of tho Eo,4I,