Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-06-22

gretted that he had confined his demand tc
one dinner and three pots. To him in this
frame Of mind entered the footman with pipe
and pint Of ale as clear as Madeira.
Says Patrick, looking at tho pipe, "This Is
the first of EN-"
The footmnn put the things down rather
hurriedly and vanished.
"Humph,' said Pat to himself "y0u don't
seem to care for my company"
He slipped and smoked and his mind
worked. The footman went to the butler
with a scared face and said, 81 wont 90 near
linn again he said was one"
"Nonsense!" said the butler; "Tll take up
the next"
lie did so. Patrick gazed in his face, took
the pipe, and said, soto g0ce,
This is the second !" then very regretfully,
"Only one more to come"
The butler went away much dscomposed,
and told the housekeeper.
" can't believe it, " said she. "Any way,
I'll know the worst"
So in due course she took up tho third pipe
and pint and wore propitatory smiles
''Ihis is the last of en- said Patrick SOL
EMMY and looked at the glass.
The housekoeper went down all in futter.
1--WE are found out, wo are ruined" said she.
There is nothing to be done now but Yes
there is; we must buy him, or put the come.
ther on him before he sees the master"
Patrick was half doing over his last pipe
when he heard a rustic and a commoton,
and 10 three culprits on their knees to him
With that instructive sagacity which was his
one real gift-so he underrated it-he said
with twinkling eye
Och, thin, you've come to make a clane
brist OF it, the three Chrschin vartues and
haythen graccs that ye are. Ye may save
yourselves the throuble. Sure l know all
about it,"
1--WE sec you do. Yare wiser than Solo
mon, said the housekeeper. But sure ye
wouldn't abuse your wisdom to ruin three
poor bodies like usy"
"Poor :" cried Patrick as it poor We
call yourselves? Ye ate and drink like fight
ing cocks yare clothed in silk and plush
aud broadcloth, and your wages is all pocket
money and pinmoney. Yet ye must rob the
man that feeds and clothes ye."
at is true! it is true ~ cried the butler.
HE spakes like priest, said the woman.
"Oh, alanna don't be hard on us it is all the
devils doings he timpted us. Oh Oh (!
OH"
"whisht, now, and spakc sinse, said Pat
rick, roughly. "Is it melted?"
ut is not"
Can you lay your hands on itl"
ave can, every silver of it. We intinded
to put it back"
I1tdts lie" said Patrick, firmly, but
not in the least reproachfully. "Now look at
me- the whole clan of ye, male and faymale.
Which would you rather do-help me lind
the gimcracks, every article of 'em, or be
Jagged and scragged and stretched on a glib
bet and such like iligant divarsionsI"
They snatched eagerly at the plank Of safe
ty held out to them, and from that minute
acted under Mr.. O'Rafferty's orders.
Fetch me another pint" was his first be-
hest
"Ay, dozen, if yen do US the honor to
drink it,
ITO the divil wild your barney. Now tell
the master I'm at his sarvice.'
ooh, murder, what will become of us !?
Would you tell him after al?'
"Ee omadhauns, can't ye listen at the dure
and hear what tell him Z"
With this understanding Squire Ormsby
was ushered in, all expectation
'Yer honor" said Patrick, II think the
power is laving me. l am only able to see
the half of it. Now, if you plaze, would
you like to catch the thieves and lose the sill
yer, or to find the silver and not find the
thieves 2"
"Why, the silver, to be sure"
Then you and my lady must go to mass
tomorrow morning, and when you come
back we will look for the silver, and maybe,
if we find it, your honor will give me that
little bit of lease"
"One 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 a long walking-stick with a shining
knob, and informed them very solemnly that
the priest had sprinkled it for him with holy
water.
Thus armed, he commenced the search
He penetrated into out-houses, and applied
his stick to chimneys and fagots and cold
ovens, and all possible places. No luck
Then he proceeded to the stable.yard, and
searched every corner; then into the shrub
berry then into the tool-house. No luck.
Then on to the lawn. By this time there
were about thirty at his heels.
Disguised at this fruitless search, Patrick
spostrophized his stick: bad cess to you,
y'are only good to burn. Ye kape turning
away from every place; but ye don't turn to
anything whatever. Stop bit! Oh, holy
Moses what is ths;"
As he spoke, the stick seemed to rise and
point like gun. Patrick marched in the di-
recton indicated, and after a while seemed
forced by the stick into a run. He began to
shout excitedly and they all ran after him.
He ran full tilt against dsmounted water
barrel, and the end of the stick struck it with
such impetus that it knocked the barrel over
then flew out of Patrcks hand to the right
who himself made a spring the other way,
and stood glaring with all the rest at the gilt
tering objects that strewed the lawn, neither
more nor less than the missing plate. Shouts
I III IL Oh, a..r.
hands with Patrick, who being consummate
actor, seemed dazzed and mystihed, as one
who had succeeded far beyond his expecta-
tions.
To make long story short, they all settled
it in their minds that the thieves had been
alarmed, and hidden the plate for time, in
tending to return and fetch it away.
Mr.. Ormsby took the seer into his study,
and gave him a piece of paper stating that
for great service rendered to him by Pat
rick O'Rafferty he had, in the name of him
and his, promised him undisturbed possession
of the farm so long as he or his should farm
it themselves and pay the present rent.
Pats modesty vanished at the Squire's gate
he Dragged up and down the village, and
henceforth nobody disputed his seership in
those parts.
But one day the Sassenach came down with
his cold incredulity.
A neighbor's estate, mortgaged up to the
eyes, was sold under the hammer, and Sir
Henry Steele bought it, and laid some of ii
down in grass. He was a breeder of stock.
He marked out park wall, and did not in
clude a certain little orchard and a triangular
plot. The seer observed and applied for
them. Sir Henry, who did his own business,
received the application, noted it down, and
asked him for a reference. He gave Squire
Ormsby.
81 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'RaGerty's application, and asked about
him.
ooh, said Ormsby, "that is our seer"
"Your what Z"
"Our wise man, our diyiner of secrets and
some wonderful things he has DONE
He then related the loss of his plate, and
| its supernatural recovery.
The Sassenaoh listened with a cold incredu
| lous eye and a sardonic grin.
Then the Irishman got hot, and accumu
lated examples.
Then the Sassenach, with the obstinacY oi
his race, said he would put these pretentioni
to the test. He had picked out of the vari
| Gus narratives that this seer was very fond ol
| a good dinner, and pretended it tended to en-
| Ightan his mind so he laid his trap accord