Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-11-24

in the country is his aiqual at it.
Mr.. O'Reilly was the owner OF pub
lie house in Kitlogue. much patronized
by the farmers belonging to the same
barony as the Whelans, and when pre-
nuptial difficulties arose in the barony
he was invariably called upon to arbi-
trate. 1t was Mr.. O'Reilly's interest to
see that things matrimonially were ar
ranged satisfactorily, for if the intended
couple belonged to comfortable" fam
lilies an order for ten-gallon cask OF
whisky, wherewith to celebrate the
nuptials, was what sporting men term
ga moral"
The Killogue publican was possessed
of good deal of native wit, and he gen.
orally contrived to set matters straight.
and at the same time to put his clients
under a load of obligation to him for
having adjudi Gated so cleverly in their
respective causes.
The all-important Saturday arrived.
The Morrisseys seated themselves at
one end of the room, the Whelans at
the other end, and Mr.. O'Reilly stood
up, like life-sized statue of Justice
(without the scales), in the center of the
apartment.
Young Tom Morrisey and Miss
Whelan seemed the most unconserned
of the party. The former, sheepish-
looking "boy" of about three and twenty
was wholly engrossed in an ash-plant,
the head of which he was busily carving
with large clasp-knife; Brigid, who
sat next the window, divided her time
between listless glances at the passers-
by in the street below, and sips from a
tumbler of ginger-beer, which she held
in her right hand.
"Come now, Luke ;" said Mr.. O'Reilly,
tits quite easy for you to jump another
twenty-five, anyhow. Make it six hun
dred and seventy-five, and I'll go bail
Jack Morrisey won't break my word"
Each family held a consultation in
whispers, and old Jack Morrisey, after
few moments, said in loud tone:
al wouldn't break Mr.. O'Reilly's
| word for a hundred pound, let alone a
trife of five and twenty. Wen take
the girl with six seventy-five down."
Then Jack Morrisey sat down and up
and spake Luke Whelan;
"Begor, / wouldn't break Mr..
O'Reilly's word for the girls whole for
tune; but to tell you the thruth,
couldn't, wud convayinence to meself,
lay me hand on the other twenty-five,
unless" he added, after pause, "Jack
Morrisey will take me bill at three
months for it."
otis bargain. thenw said old
Morrisey, slapping his knee 80 violently
that some of the ginger-beer was dashed
by the reverberation out of Miss Whe-
lan's glass.
"That's right, me decant fellows"
said O'Reilly. Then, grinning from ear
to ear, he continued, "Now boys, let
the young people embrace"
After little tittering from each end
of the room, Brigid laid her tumbler on
her chair, and rose blushingly; and Tom
stood up sheepishly, still holding the
ash. plant and the knife.
"Arrah, lay down the stick Tom, and
do your duty by the grill" said Mrs.
Morrisey Tom-his cheeks now as
rosy as Mr.. O'Reilly's nose--laid down
the stick on his chair, and, closing the
clasp-knife, placed it in his pocket.
The lovers were about to be pushed
into each others arms, when Luke cried
out:
"Who is to pay the intherest on the
bill?1
"You of course" replied Jack Nor
risey.
"Divil bit of nell do anything of
the sort"
"Then it's no match!"
O'Reilly was nonplussed. The in
tended couple were held back by their
respective fathers and mothers. An
awful silence reigned in the room. At
length, after pause of fully three min
utes, O'Reilly, who had occupied the
three minutes apparently in making
mental calculations, said:
"Oh, hang it all wouldn't see two
loving hearts broken for paltry six or
seven shillings. I'll pay the interest
out of my own pocket; l will, indeed"
Then Hibernian admiration for such
astounding generosity as that displayed
by O'Reilly came to the front.
"Begor, tits a rale dacant man you
are" cried both fathers, almost in the
same breath; and wordy war ensued !;
each parent, fired by the publican's
offer, being now absolutely eager to pay
the interest.
After considerable amount OF talk,
O'Reilly suggested that the charges for
discounting the bill should be borne
conjointly by the Morriseys and the
Whelans.
Jack Morrisey and Luke Whelan
grasped the publican's hands affection
ately, and, almost overcome with emo
ton Luke exclaimed:
"'Tis fine man you are, begor it is !!
'Tis great head you have an no mis-
take"
Then Brigid was enveloped in Toms
arms and loud kiss sealed the con-
tract.
The parents then, by tacit consent,
left the room, followed by O'Rielly and
by Philip Whelan, who had not once
opened his lips, except for the purpose
of introducing, occasionally, mouthful
of weak whisky and water, during the
entire pre-nuptial debate.
The lovers for the first time were al
lowed to indulge in the time-honored
custom of billing and cooling, while in
O'Reilly's shop, Luke Whelan was busy
ordering whisky for the marriage feast
"And I'll make the ordher an extra