Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-02
PAT RYAN.
by Luke sharp.

by Luke sharp.
Pat Ryan is as Jolly an lrishman as you
would wish to meet. Ii is now a couple OF
years since / met him and | sincerely trust
he is still on the road. He is broad shOul.
dered and good natured, tUil OF song and
story misunderstanding q thimble full
OF whisky. Although he does not object to
a taste he does not take any apprecisble
quantity and is probably one OF the very
best drivers on the Irish road. He drives
the mail car from Killarney to Cshirce-
yeeu, a distance of fifty miles over q wild
and most romantic road, q journey that too
few OF the tourists take and q trip that well
repays any one with an eye to the pictur-
esGue beauties of nature.
| met Pat on the evening before the jour
ney | took, at the Killarney postothce, an
institution that faces the long main street OF
that celebrated village.
DO you drive the mail car tomorrow? |
asked.
,"Diyil a one else, said Pat.
VIII you call Tor me at the - Hotel.
Il will that
What time?
-Four o'clock to the minute.
Now / o'clock on a wet. wintry Irish
morning is not an boar when 3 person feels
ct good humor with his fellow men. The
waiter had very molly got up and fried me
some eggs, anu as the hour struck | stood
on the opposite side Of the road waiting tor
Pat, who came down from the postotice
with his car. The morning was very dark
The only object that could be seen was the
illuminated disc of the postofice clock that
Qlsred down the silent foggy street. Pat
tore down to the front of the hotel, which
was again all dark, and shouted at the top
of his stentorian voice:
Come, come, get out wild yes; deye
think her Majestys mail IS going to wait
here for We all the mornin'? Bad luck to
We. IT'S Just what | expected; not a soul av
We stirring. ,
What's the matter with you, Pat? |
| said, climbing NJ On the OF eide OF the car,
while the driver gave n start and eXclama'
ton of surprise. Are you taken Ike that
often, Pat?'
The TOP OF q very wet morning 10 We,
| sor. Troth an yer the last man | expected
10 see here. It's left behind most OF thin
are, scr" and with that away we clatteCed
up the muddy and silent street past the big
| cathedral and up a hill into the open coun,
try, Pat singing to himself the single line,
repeated over and over An l. soy fur a
| glance az yer oye.' | soon found that Pat
wa a man whose opinions were OF the
chameleon nature. If you were a nation
| alist, Pat was a nationalist; if you were q
loyal, Pat was LOYAL.
1T. oo,,,rr caopra m no in q very
troubled state, Pat
Deed We NAV we'll say that, answered
Pat with q sigh, continuing An oy soy tur
q glance ay yer oye.
This shooting Of landlords is a terrible
thing, Pat
Yer very right, sor; an oy ioy, etc"
But on the other hand, Pat, we must no
forget that it is an awful thing for a mar
and his family to be evicted in the depth o
o hard winter ike this, Pat"
It's death to thin very often, sor.
And under certain circumstances cal
well imagine a man thinking himself just
fed in taking a shot from behind a hedge
eh, Pat?'
He moight, scr, true for ye," said Pat
~Gueasily. .
But on the other hand, Pat, murder i
murder, you know.
Its that same, ser.
Now, Pat, seriously, we are where no on
can hear us, what are the chances OF gettini
up a rising here, Pst?'
We'll, ye see, sor, it's this way wild me
sor: rise every morning at ; o'clock o
earlier, sor, an that's all the rising | wan
sor. spanking for meself e%ntoirly, sor.'
well, then, Pat, to tell you the truth
what is the chance Of g detective like my
self getting some of the disturbers OF tn
peace in jail? 49,.
We'll, sor, to tell the trut, as ye said, It
a thame Oh don't have tonne to trouble N
head much about, an wild every respect t
yer amer | must say that talkin, so mouc
in q could, raw morning like this, sar, l
very bad fur the healt, sor; an l SOY tur
glance ay your oye.
Well, Pat, sou can't have a glance of M
eve till 6syl light sets in. MOTTO put too hn
q point on it you want me TO shut up.
Pat merely hummed his favorite tune an,
and | drew the lap robe and the mantle Q
silence around me.
of the Journey to Cshirceveen | intend I
write some other time. | came back wit
Pat on Saturday. We had a jolly carload
Beside me sat q Dublin dentist who was al
customed to 90 twice a year or so to Cahi,
ceyeen to carpenter up all the detecnY
teeth of the district. Beside Pat sata men
Der Of the Co~nstabulary force who had bee
ordered to Dublin on account Of some {
his escapsdes in the rural districts of Kerry
Over his shoulder TO the doctor and me b
told some exceedingly good stories, most,
his OWN adventures, and / must do the doc
tor Justice to say that he matched them wit
others equally good. -,
As we neared Killarney Saturday night
we met numerous cart and car loads Q
people returning from market, and l mus
say that without exception they had don,
iustice to the facilities Killarney offered 70
getting hilarioasly drunk. We met cart
that were as full IS the people in them
There were no seats in the carts and the oc
cupants stood up or sat on the edge oil tn
box while the horse logged along withou
the slightest attention from any one in tn
vehicle, except that every o and then
man in the cart would raise his stick aut
Give the brute a sounding whsck across tn
hack that hadn't the slightest effect on it
sneed, These whacks seemed to be give
periodically, and from asense Ofduty rattle
han from any idea that the unfortunat
horse would move faster. The crowd in tn
carts were either roaring and singing Q
talking at the top Of their voices, and asth
horses with downcast heads kept the mid
die of the road Pat had hard work avoidin
collisions, and he sighedfC for the glance {
nobody's eye at this time. but launche
forth vigorous language at the people ger
, orally calling them BY name,
] "Auch, Mike Casey, where de divil are J
lk-.r.nn 10 nnHY'