Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-08-11

Delng aconsummate actor, seemed dazzled
n mystified, as one who had succeeded
Iar beyond his expectations.
10 make a long story short, they all set.
Ileo 1t In their minds that the thieves had
neen alarmed and hidden the plate for a
tline, intending to return and fetch it away
mr.. Ormsby took the seer into his study
ano gave him a piece of paper stating that
Ior a great service rendered to him by Pat.
RICK o'Rafferty he had, in the name Of him
and his, promised him undisturbed posses
sion OF the farm so long as he or his should
rent. ~
rats modesty vanished at the Squirrels
gaze; ne Dragged up and down the village,
and henceforth nobody disputed his seer.
ship in those parts.
but one day the Saseenach cam down
with his cold Incredibly.
"A neighbours estate, mortgaged up to the
eyes, wa sold under the hammer, and Sir
Henry Steele bought it, and laid some Of
~ down in grass. He was q breeder of
stock. He marked out a park wall, and
did not include a certain little orchard and
a triangular plot. The seer observed, and
applied for them. Sir Henry, who did his
w business, received the application,
noted it down, and asked him for a refer.
ence. He gave Squire Ormsby.
Twill make inquiries" said Sir Henry.
"Go)d mornings"
Dc knew Ormsby in London, and when
he tecame his neighbor the Irish Gentle-
man was all hospitality. One day Sir
Henry told him of O'Raferty's applica.
tion, and asked about him.
g "Oh," said Ormsby, "that is our seer.n
"Your what?"
sour wise man, our diviner of secrets:
and. some wonderful things he has done.'i
He then related the loss Of his plate, and
its supernatural recovery.
The Sassenach listened with a cold, in.
| Cr6dlllOl1S ave and q nardouic priu
Then the lrishman got hot and accumu-
lated examples.
Then the Sassenach, with the obstinacy
OF his race, said he would put these preten.
sions to the test. He had picked out of the
various narratives that this seer was fond
of a good dinner and pretended it tended
to enlighten his mind; so he laid his trap
At his fequest Patrick was informed that
next Iueday, at one O'Clock, if he chose to
submit tda fair test of his divining powers,
the parcelof land he had asked for should
be let to Tim on easy terms.
Patrick|'k nted jauntily. But in his Sc.
cret soul haY tuneasy at having to encoun-
ter this SaA zach gentleman. Sir Henry
was the fortunate possessor of what Pat
was pleasef to call "a nasty glittering eye,"
and over that eye Pat doubted his ability
to draw tha wool as he had done over Celtic
orbs.
However, he came up to the scratch like
a a After all, there was nothing to lose
this time, ahd he vowed to submit to no test
that was Mt preceded BY q good dinner.
study, andfhere he found that gentleman
and Mr.. Otnsby. One comfort, there was
a cloth laid, and several silver dishes on the
hobs and il the fender.
"Well, Nr: O'Rafferty," said the host, 81
believe yoa like a good dinner?"
HThrue bir you, sorr," said Pat.
ssWaIl. Them wa ran onmhino h1Icsnoco
with pleasure; you shall have a good din
ner."
"Long life to your honorw
~ cooked it for you myself"
"God bless yourhonor for your condescin-
"You arr to eat the dinner first, and then
just tell ma what the meat is, and the par.
Gel Of landlis yours on easy terms"
Patrick's confidence rose. 'Sure, thin, it
is q fair bsrgain," said he.
The dishes were uncovered. There were
vegetables cooked most ~deliciously; the
meat was a chef-d'@uvre-a sort of rich
rag0ut done to a turn, and SO fragrant that
the very odor made the mouth water.
Ratrick seated himself, helped himself
and took q m%outhful; hat mouthful had q
double effect. He realized in one and the
SAME moment that this was a more heav-
eny compound than he had ever expected
to taste upon earth, and that he could not
and never should divine what bird or beast
he was eating. He looked for the bones;
there were none. He yielded himself to
cleaned the plate he said that even the best
cooked meat was none the worse for a quart
of good ale to wash it down.
Sir Henry Steele rang a bell and ordered
a quart Of ale.
Patrick enjoyed this, too, and did not
house, as well as his first.
The gentlemen watched him and gave him
time. But at last Ormsby said:
"Well, Patrick"
Now Patrick, whilst he slipped, had been
asking himself what line he had better
creditable to that sagacity and knowledge
of human nature he really possessed and
underrated accordingly. He would COM
pliment the gentlemen o. their superior
wisdom, and own he could not throw dust
in such eyes as theirs; then he would beg
them not to make his humble %neighbors as
wise as they were, but let him still pass for
a wise nan in the parish, whilst they
laughed in their superior sleeves. To carry
out this he impregnated his brazen fea-
lures with a world of comic humility.
"And," said he,,i cabling accents, "ah,
turn, but the dogs were too many for him
at last"
What more of self-depreciation and ca
iolery. he would have added is not known,
for Sir Henry Steele broke IN loudly:
"Good heavens! Well, he is an extraordi-
nary man. 1t was an old dog-fox I cooked
for him."
Didn't I tell you" cried Ormsby, de.
lighted at the success of his countryman.
"Well, sir" said Sir Henry, whose emo.
lions seldom lasted long, ga bargains a
bargain. I let you the orchard and field for
Jet me see-you must bring me a stoat, a
weasel and a polecat every year. I mean
to get up the game.0
Mr.. O'Rafferty first stared stupidity, then
winked cunningly, then blandly absorbed
laudation and land; then retired, invoking
solemn blessings; then, being outside, exc
cuted a %fandango, and went nome on wing;
from that hour the village could not hold
him. His speech was Of accommodating
farms at peppercorn rents till a slice of the
county should be his. 70 hear him, he
could see through a deal-board, and luck
was his monopoly. He began to be envied,
and was on the way to be hated, when,
coniding in his star, he married Norah
Blake, a beautiful girl, but a most noto-
rious vixen.
Then the unlucky mes forgave him q
great deal; for sure wouldn't Norah re-
Venge them? Alas! the traitress fell in love
with her husband after marriage, and let
him mold her into a sort of angelic duck.
This was the climax. So Paddy Luck is
now numbered amongst the lasting institu'
tions of ould Ireland (if any).
Mo- h. 1.-Two All tho clyi,.tc of hic ooot Gnook