The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-10-20
PATSY CONG'S GHOSTS.
EY WILLIAM eiAzS.

FA AELLlAN hf N.
 l.was a elear-shining day n Apl.i:
 sefe on a small blue lake SC, far away
 nans the sterile brown moors 0. Come
 -,,a and the long salmon-rod lay over
 se sunwale of the boat, idly iIal.ins be- nd l; forty yards of liue and phantom
 ~,snos. indeed the day was much too
 ste Ter proper fishing one might IS well
 .,ye thrown fly over the wood pave
 -sp, ln pall Mali 1t was day rather for
 .:;ae<s and conversation and an inquiry
 .a me mysteries ot existence. II hapiy
 e,e or other of my companions had
 s.aced 10 encounter any of these IT this
 ,csao,e and solitary and silent part of the
 e,ea:iy. But Patsy dld not look like d
 sege,er. somehow. He was a small. red
 s.aded Celt. with shic~d, wInkling. gray
 le eyes and there was frequently d son of quiet. sardonic humor running ,hrough his speech, accompanied nov and again by a good -natured gnn that ossrspread the li,,le. plnched, sunburnt lace. Moreover, Patsy had seen the world. In former years he had u,ed his l lcek in America and had been employed on the Union Pacific railway as far west as Council Bluffs; and had turn al the | pssburg iron works, and was now re- turned to his native district with wide . md general knowledge of mankind. On l the other and his nei hbor At the bow l I'm Mu.cahy by name--eas nothing but ghost and an echo. He was q ] small farmer who came down from hi5 croi, Tn the hills 10 eke olt h,s living ;n rh .khtf a.fa iepres>ed-looking, amiab.e creature, who stared al his boots, lazIly pulled a, his oar and Rmited his conversation to saying ditto to Patsy. That's so, Patsy"
 You're right. Patsy.' No, wan less l nan fourteen salmon did he catch that 4ay.' Your father was a good man, l fa,sy; he wouldn't tell lie for hardly l anything" That's true for you. Patsy ]; ne like of ,him for minnows 1 never saw
 Now. at the head of this small lake ;aa we were slowly and idly rowing -rund and round. stood long. low ,ouage situated in the middle of patch oi -lilac-tinted d .leafless birches and
 spsrGi,ng. dark-green hollies. In sum
 Ae,. no doubt, this must be a
 very charming place even now
 ;ae situation was picturesque enough the still waters of the lake Tn front. the uees along the curving shore; and then ns.ng far behind into the pale. blue sky. the vast and lonely and ard mountains known as the Twelve Pins of B'nabola. his prettily situated cottage. however, xas unmis,akably empty, The windows were barred up there was look of deso- laton around; not sound of any kind came from that scattered grove of birch and holly.
 " The very place to be haunted by a leprechaun. isn't 1t, Patsy ~
 lst Barney Joyce your honor manes 7 says the instantly loquacious Patsy z" the man that comes to look after the house We'll, nov, your honor wouldn't believe what great soldier that Barney is-oh. he IS the mighty iine soldier. by the fire. Sure the battles he'll fight, and the cam ?aigns and the stratagims, and the gIner- als and the marehings and the counter marchings. never heard his aqual, and the divil the foot has he iver stirred oat of Connemara "
 But when the house is empty. Patsy. sn't there ghost or goblin somewhere aoout."
 Well, indeed, the fairies used to come kre," said Patsy. with indifference.
 They used 10 say that, but thim ouid zories are ali nonsinse.'
 They're all nonsinse. Patsy, thim ould s.ories,' says echo at the bow. Did you ever happen to hear wha, hey called the king of the fairies s' l asked-curious to know whether the Don tierna of the Blackwater and the South 'eigned also in these western wilds- But Patsy was puzzled. Then he 'srned to Tim Mulcahy and there was a org consultation in Irish, n the course ot which phrase sounding like fiobara- shee was twice repeated.
 Had they fairy piper, then Patsy 7: "Begob," says Patsy, eagerly. iha, Fas him. The Fairy Piper was the king q thim and nanny one has heard him olaying i'll that very house there. mane hat was the ould story. SOFT, but sure as all nonslnse."
 And now ensued a long and rambling general conversation, which need not be Ses down here, on the subject of tairses, ohantoms, leprechzuns and similar kit,le- atsle, throughout which Pa;sy was evidently anxious 10 show that he had eiscarded all such supers,itions. Was i, 'or one who lived in an age of reason sho had worked on the Union Paeihc- Q heed such folly: Nevertheless, Patsy sas frankly disposed to admi, tha; strange hings might have happened-probably dad happen-in former times
 There was a power of wischey in his country in the osld days said Patsy, ravely shaking his head; -yis. sorr, 'Aere vas a power of witchery in this country in the ould days; but ts all gone away. Sure the people are turned noEe cunning now"
 And then he added more gloomily:
 But maybe there's more going on han ve know.r
 By this time it had become pretty obvious that Pafsy's eagerness to disclAim aIl belief in ghosis and witchery and the ake vas assumed-partly. no doubt, in psudent deference to the general opinion d scientific and scepuczl age, bu, - ll