The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-01-17

pipe and pint and wore propitiatory smiles.
ssThis is the last of 'em," said Patrick,
solemnly, and looked in the glass.
The housekeeper went down all in dut-
ter. sWe are found out we are ruined +
said she. s.There is nothing to be done
now but -yes, there is; we must buy him,
or put the comether on him before he sees
tho master.
Patrick was half doing over bis last pipe
when he heard rustic and commotlon,
and 10 three culprits on their knees to
him. With that instinctictive sagaci y
which was his one real gift-so he UNDER
rated the said, with twinkling eye:
stOch. thin. you've come to make clRne
brist of it, the three Christian virtues and
haythen graces that ye are. Ye may save
yourselves the trouble. Sure know all
about it,
eve see you do. You're wiser than Solo
mon. said the housekeeper. But sure ye
wouldn't abuse your wisdom to ruin three
poor bodies like us ?"
ssPoor p cried Patrick. ssIs it poor We
call yourselves? Ye ate and drink ise
fighting cocks; y'are clothed in silk and
plush and broadcloth, and your wages Is all
probationary and pin-money. Yet yemust
rob the man that feeds and clothes ye.''
ut is true it is true r cried the butler.
ssHe spakes like priest, cried the wu-
man. "Oh, albania don't be hard on us;
it is all the devils doings; he timpted US.
Oh! oh ! OH
ssWhist, now, and spake sinse, said Pat,
roughly. SIS it melted 2"
ssIt is not
s'Can you lay your hands on it 2"
1--WE can, every silver of it. We intend
ed to put it back"
ssThats a lie" said Patrick, firmly, but
not in the least reproachfully. "Now, look
at me, the whole clan of We, male and fay
male. Which would you rather do-help
me find the gimcracks, every article of 'em,
or be Jagged and scragged and stretched on
a gibbet and such like illigant diversions ?"
They snatched eagerly at the plank of
safety held out to them, and from that
minute acted under Mr.. o Rafferty's orders.
'sFetch me another pint, was his first
behest.
FAY, dozen, if yen do us the honor to
drink il"
ssTo the divil wild your blarney Now tell
the master I'm at his service"
ssOh, murder what will become of us?
Would you tell him, after all +?
eye omadhunsl can't We liaten at the
dure and hear what tell him ?"
With this understanding Squire Ormsby
was ushered in, all expectation.
eyer honor" said Patrick, 81 think the
power is LAYING me. am only able to see
the half of it. Now, if you PLACE, would
you like to catch the thieves and lose the
silver, or fad the silver and not find the
thieves ?"
"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.
zone thing at time, Pat; you haven't
found the silver yet"
At 8 o'clock next morning Mr.. and Mrs
Ormsby returned from mass, and found
O'Rafferty waiting for them at their door.
He had long walking-stick with 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
shrubbery; then into the tool house. No
luck. Then on to the lawn. By this time
tutIo were hUOul thirty dt us Ae6lS.
Disguised at this fruitless search, Patrick
apostrophized his stick: ''Bad cess to you,
y ARE only good to burn. Ye kspe turning
away from every place, but ye don't turn
to anything VIVA ever. Stop BIZ. Oh,
holy Moses what is this ?"
As he spoke the stick seemed to rise and
point like gun. Patrick marched in the
direction indicated, aud after awhile
seemed to be forced by the stick into run.
He began to shout excitedly, and they all
ran after him. He ran full tilt against q
cismounted water barrel, and the end Of
the stick struck it with such impetus that
it knocked the barrel over, then hew out of
Patriek's hand to the right, who himself
made spring the other way, and stood
glaring with all the rest at the glittering
objects that strewed the lawn, neither
more nor less than the glittering plate.
Shouts and screams of delight Every
body shaking hands with Patrick. who,
being consummate actor, seemed dazzled
anu mystifed, as one who had succeeded
far beyond his expectations.
Re make long story short, they all set
tied it in their minds that the thieves had
been alarmed and hidden the plate for a
time, intending to return and fetch it away.
Mr.. Ormsby took the seer into his study,
and gave him piece of paper, stating that
for great service rendered to him by
Patrick ORafferty, 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 thenceforth nobody disputed his seer
ship in those parts.
But one day the Sassenach came down
with his cold incredulity.
A neighhors estate, mortgaged up to the
eyes, was sold under the hammer, and Sir
Henry Steele bought it and laid some of it
down in grass. he was breeder of stock.
He marked out park wall, and did not ia
clude certain little orchard and triangu-
lar plot. The seer observed and applied
for them. Sir Henry, who did his own
business, received the application, noted il
down, and asked him for 9 reference. He
gave Squire Ormsby.
II will make inquiries" said Sir Henry.
'sGood 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 0 Rafferty's application, and
asked about him.
"Oh, said Ormsby, ''that is our seer"
s.Your what ?"
s'Our wise man, our diviner of secrets
and some wonderful things he has done"
Then he related the loss of his plate and
its supernatural recovery.
The Sassenach listened with cold In.
credulous eye and q sardonic grin.
Then the Irishman 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 very
fond of good dinner, and pretended il
tended to enlighten his mind; SO he laid hi
his tap accordingly.
At his request Patrice was informed thai
next Tuesday, at ! O'Clock, if he chose tx
submit to a fair test of his divining powers
the parcel of land he had asken for SHOULD
be let to him on easy terms.
Patrick assensed jauntily. But in hi,
secret soul he felt uneasy at having to en-
counter this Sassenach gentleman. ST