The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-10-04

III IL uOC.
). "Can you lay your hands on it?"
eve can, every silver OF it. We in
tinded to put it back.''
but not in the least reproachfully, "Now
look at me, tho whole clan of We, male
and faymaie. Which would you rather
do-help me find the gimcracks, every
article Of 'em, or be Jagged and scragged
and stretched on gibbet and such like
iligant dival sions?"
They snatched eagerly at the plank of
safety held out to them, and from that
minute acted under Mr.. O'Rafferty's
orders. - =
''Fotch me another pint" was his first
behcst.
cay, dozen, if yell do us the honor
to drink it."
"To the divil wild your blarney | Now
tell the master I'm at his sarvicq."
ooh, murder what will become of us :?
Would you tell him, after all ?"
eye omadhauns, can't ye listen ut the
dnre and hear what J. tell him p
With this understanding Squire Orms-
by was ushcrcd in, all expectation.
eyer honor" said Patrick, CT think
the power is laving me. am only able
to see the half of it. Now, if you PLACE,
would you like 70 catch the thieves and
lose the silver, or to find the silver and
not find the thieves?"
"Why, the silver, to be sure"
"Then you and my lady must 90 to
mass tomorrow morning, and when Won
come back we will look for the silver
and maybe, if we find it, your honor will
give me that little bit of a lease I've been
wanting SO long"
cone thing at time, Pat; you haven't
found the silver yet"
At nine o'clock next morning Mr.. and
Mrs. Ormsby returned from mass, and
found ORafferty waiting for them at
their door. He had long wallling-stick
with shining knob, and informed them.
very solemnly, that the priest had sprin.
kled it for him with holy water.
Thus armed, he commenced the search.
lie penetrated into out-houses, and APP
piled his stick 60 chimneys and fugots
and cold ovens, and all possible places.
No luck.
Then he proceeded to the stable-yaid,
and searched every corner; then into
the shrubbery; then into the tool-hou e.
No luck. Then on to the lawn. BY
this time there whero about thirty at his
heels.
Disguised at this fruitless search, Pat
rick apostrophized his stick:
bad cess to you, y'are only good
TO burn. Yc knpe turning away from
every place; but ye don't turn to any
anything whatever. Stop a bit Oh.
holy Moses what is this ?"
AS he spoke, the stick seemed to rise
and point like a gun. Patrick marched
IN the direction indicated, and after n
while seemed to be forced by the stick
into run. He began to shout excited
ly, and they all ran after him. He ran
full tilt against n dismounted water bar
rel, and the end of the stick struck il
with such impetus that it knocked the
barrel over, then flew out of Patrick's
hand to the right, who himself made
spring the other way, and stood glaring
with oil the rest at the glittering objects
that strewed the lawn, neither more ncr
less than the missing plate.
Shouts and screams of delight. Every
body shaking hands with Patrick, who,
belng q consummate actor, seemed daz-
Zied aud mystltied, as one who had sue
ceeded far bevond his expectations.
10 make long story short, they all
settled in their minds that the thieves
had been alarmed, and hidden the plate
Tor time, intending to return and fetch
it away.
MIR. Ormsby took the seer into his
study, and gave him n piece of paper
statlng>that for great service rendered
TO him by Mr.. Patrick O'Rafferty he
mad, IN the name of him and his, prom
lsed him undisturbed possession of tho
farm 80 long as he or his should farm
vt themselves, and pay the present rent
Pats modesty vanished at the Squire's
gate; he Dragged up and down the vii.
lage, and henceforth nobody disputed
his seership in those parts.
A neighbours estate, mortgaged mp to
the eyes, was sold under, the hammer,
and Sir Henry Steele bought it, and laid
some of it down in grass. He was n
breeder of stock. He marked out n
park wall, and did not include certain
little orchard and triangular plot.
Patrick o. Rafferty, observed, and ap-
piled for them. Sir Henry, who did
his own business, received the appli-
cation, noted it down, and asked him
for a good reference. He gave Squire
Ormsby.
"I will make inquiries," said Sir
Henry. "Good morning."
He knew Ormsby in London, and
when he became his neighbor the Irish
gentleman was all hospitality. One day
Sir Henry told him of O'Rafferty's ap-
plication, and asked about him.
"Oh," said Ormsby, "that is our
seer"
"Your what2"
"Our wise man, our diviner of Sc
crets; and some wonderful things he has
DONE"
He then related the loss of his plate.
and its supernatural recovery.
Then Sir Henry said that he would
put these prctensions to the test.
At his request Patrick was informed
that next Thursday, ut ono o'clock, if he
chose to submit to fair tost of his
divining powers, the parcel of land he
had asked for should be let him on easy
terms.
Patrick assented jauntily. But in his
secret soul he felt uneasy.
However, he came up to the scratch
like man. After all, he had nothing
to lose this time, and he vowed to sub
nit fo M tnst that was not preceded bY