Little Falls transcript., 1886-07-09
AN IRISH Ell OPE PEMENT

Arden Hi, my dear old chappie,
OF all others / was most anxious to
see you to-day " . II
The speaker was rathera good look
ing young fellow who wore the can
and gown of a student OF Trinity col.
tege, Dublin, and as he spoke he laid
his hand familiarly on the shoulder
OF friend standing at a bookstall by
the college wall, and abs orbed in the
pages OF a volume picked up haphaz-
ardly.
"Well, Dillon, what is it?"
II think you will do me a service,
which, while it will not entail a great
deal OF trouble on you, may help to
secure my future happiness"
"Of course, it goes without saying
that l will. But what makes Maurice
Dillon look solemn as an undertaken
at his wife's funeral?'
"This is not the place to tell you,
Hill. Come across to the Star and
Garter and over chop and a glass
OF bitter beer you can hear the story"
Seated in a quiet corner of that snug
hostelry Mr.. Dillon commenced:
"You are a Kings county man, Hill
Tullamore, I believe"
His companion nodded an affirma-
tive, and Dillon went on:
"A dirty little hole OF a town, built
IN bog, isn't it? In fact, may take
it, you are 81 bog-trotter.
You may take it that lam genuine
bog-trotter, but, Dillon, if you please,
you will cast no aspersions on nv na-
tive town.
"Oh! ] mean no offense, lassure
you,' Dillon explained, with laugh.
But WAS thinking OF the saying that
Charles Lever has left on record. He
says that among Irish towns Tulla-
more is only remarkable for the su-
perlatlve ugliness OF it's female natives.
There, now, don't get your back up.
I'm willing not to believe a word OF it..
But tell ME, am I safe in assuming
that you know the country within a
radius OF dozen miles OF Tullamore." Z"
EVERY inch Of it; but what is all
this leading up to?.'
"Will you have patience-two weeks
ago when you and Watkins and I saw
Irving as Hamlet in the Theatre Roy
al, there was lady in the dress-circle
whom Arthur Watkins had promised
to see home, in company with her pa:
but he found our discussion on the
relative merits OF Irving and Barry
Sullivan so very interesting that the
lady was forgotten"
Indeed; but, anyway, Watkins is
the last man in the university to al.
low q woman's eyes to distract his
thoughts from sober studies; and now
let me ask you again, what is all this
leading up to? For 8 Trinity COLLEGE
man you have, / must say, q particu-
iarly lucid style IN telling a story"
Arthur Watkins father and the
iather OF this young lady are very anx-
1ous to make match between them,
and the young people, with proverbial
perverslty are adverse to entering into
any such arrangement. Watkins
would regard wife simply as a nui-
sance and BORE
"And the Lady,"
"The lady, l believe--or, rather,
sincerely hope. loves another"
IA very friendly aspiration, upon
my soul, Dillon"
"You will scarcely blame me when |
say that Lucy and 1 are"
"Oh! So the cat is out of the bag, is
It, Master Maurice! And with your
keen appreciation OF honor do you
think this a matter to boast OF? You
have wronged a friend who-"
II haven't done anything OF the sort,
Hill, and | wish you wouldn' t think it.
Lucy and l knew each other-well,
were fond OF each other-there now
before Watkins loomed up as an un-
willing rival. The friends OF Watkins,
you know are wealthy, while but it's
the old story. Lucy's father desires
to secure q rich husband for his only
child"
Hill crossed his arms on the table,
and looking in his friends face said
quietly: "And don't you know he's
right, Maurice Dillon? Since my child
hood days | do not think that any
single individual ever slandered me by
saying that possessed even q moder-
ate share OF common sense, but say
to marry girl where that marriage
must necessarily entail the life of a
pauper is something that only scamp
or fool would do, and for friendship's $
sake I'm disposed to class you in the
latter category"
"Im not in q mood to hear a SER
: mon from you now, Hill. Tell ME, do
you know a. place near Tullamore call.
ed Raheenbeg?"
About as we'll as I know college
Green," was Hills reply.
"Wel), Rabeenbeg is Lucy's home,
ard Watkins has an invitation to vis-
Il there this week. He is going, reluc.
family he tells me, and if he goes it is
easy to anticipate the result. No
man, not even Arthur Watkins, could
resist the charms OF Lucy Damer, aud
should she be coe1c ced into accepting
him as q suitor, it would simply drive
me to the devil
Dillon rose from his chair and paced
the room g. minute Or two in silence.
Then he said abruptly: -.
~ am going down there tonight,
Hill, and l want you to come with
me-" ) L. a@ \,
"lt's two years since I have been at
home and honestly I don't care togo
IN that direction just now; but, any
way, how could serve you?" ', ~. ~.
Lucy is coming to elope with me.
Now, don't look so horrifed, man.
Herfather, Parson Damer, apprehends
something OF the Kind, and asa conse-