Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-29

O'Doherty with all his airs, goolt
chain an all Ohonei ohone! VIII,
doesn't Pat spakeP' and poor Kitty
fairly broke down over the "quare
ness of the world in general and he1
lover in particular.
Now Kitty was by no means a bol(
girl. far from it. but. as she hersel
put it. Pat was downright pro
| vokin'."
Patrick Riordan, the young mar
who caused Kitty SO much trouble
was as fine a specimen of manhood a.
maiden ever set her affections on. He
was the village blacksmith, and his
strong, muscular frame was fully de
veloped by his laborious calling, while
his fine. open face and frank, honest
nature made him general favorite
He came of race of smiths, his
father. grandfather and great-grand.
father having all spent their days be.
| side the Flaming forge" Being a
good workman. and owning the house
he lived in. Pat was fairly well off. He
and Kitty had been schoolmates and
play-fellows in childhood. and when
Kitty's mother died. when she was
almost a child, Mrs Riordan had ex.
tended her motherly love to the moth
| erless girl; and now, when she was
laid aside by rheumatism. Kitty repaid
the kindness by many loving deeds.
Pat loved the girl truly, and would
have risked his life any day to save
her from ill; but though every time
he had seen her since her fathers
death he had longed to ask her to
share his home, yet somehow the
words stuck in his throat, and the de-
sire to say them only made him ap-
pear more awkward in his sweetheart's
presence.
A few months before, Mr.. Michael
O'Doherty. only son and heir of Mrs.
O'Doherty, of 1.-THE shop" of Sham
rOck-dale, had come home from serving
his apprenticeship in Dublin. and, of
course, having had the advantage of
two years residence in the Irish me-
trOpOlis, he was far removed from the
ordinary stay-at-home young men of
the village. He wore a checked suit
OF very pronounced style, and his
watch-chain certainly glittered.
though gold it was not. Altogether,
taken as a whole, Mr.. O'Doherty was
very fine young man.
Not long after his return home Mr.
O'Doherty began to cast admiring
glances towards Kitty Maloney. whom
he pronounced the best-looking girl in
Shamrock-dale, though she was only a
servant.
He began by paying some compli-
ments to Kitty in the most approved
Dublin style, but he was rather
amazed at her witty replies. which
she delivered with promptness that
left his rather slow brains leagues be-
hind. He admired her more for her
cleverness. however, and resolved, if
possible, to win her; but he was be-
hind time in his resolution. as we
have seen. Kitty was won though not
yet claimed.
Now. Patrick Riordan. when he
compared himself with O'Doherty..
sunk several inches lower in his own
estimation. and when Mrs. Moriarty,
the village gossip, told him that
Mister O'Doherty had said Miss Ma
loney was far an away the purtiest
girl in Shamrock-dale," poor Pats
heart seemed to descend into his
boots. and in consequence his visits to
Kitty became less frequent and were
generally taken up by long-drawn
signs and sorrowful glances that al
most drove Kitty frantic. The fact
was Pats opinion of himself was very
low. and that he held of Kitty very
exalted, and the mischief was that the
Oftener he saw her the farther above
him did she seem, and the surer did
he become that she only spoke kindly
to him for old acquaintance sake.
''She'll get betther than me, an
she'll desarve it. too" he would say.
with a sigh. yet still like the moth
round the candle he lowered round the
girl.
Poor Kitty! it was provoking.
I'm just as sure as I'm livin' that
he loves me: but what's a poor girl
like me to do" she sighed. 1--WE
heerd that the Queen. God bless her,
asked her Pat, or whatever they called
AIuA, W marry uer, DuI II a poor girl
'ud do that she'd be counted bould."
Then swaying herself backward and
forward. as the Irish generally do
when in grief. she continued:
'I'm downright afraid Pats goin' to
be like ould Dennis Murphy, that
coorted Mary Mulligan for twinty
years. an then when she died at the
end OF he could do nothin' but cry
'Ohone! ohone! If l had but said the
word an made her Mary Murphy she
wouldn't bin dead now An when
the priest tould him her time was
come. he said: Twas Mary Mulligan
as the angel was sent for. an doesn't
yer reverence see she wud bin Mary
Murphy them
poor ould Dennis" said Kitty, and
her keen sense of the ridiculous over
coming her fears she burst into hearty
laughter.
Then starting up she busted herself
with her household duties. and shortly
"a Z,