Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-03-16


and his old father, who came to the
strand to see his boy win some of the
prizes, was particularly anxious about
him.
There were athletes from Kinsale and
| Timoleague and other towns and vii
lagos; and on the sandy beach, beside
! the frowning cliffs of Kilcoleman, shell
! tered by the picturesque wooded hills of
GarrettstOwn, and facing the ever heav-
ing ocean, were gathered together thou
sands of Ireland's prettiest daughters
and finest sons. There were there people
! of every class of society, from the popu-
lar landlord to the laboring man, from
| the parson TO the priests altar boy.
But where was Myles O'Hanlon?
The question was on a thousand
tongues; but it seemed to be unanswer-
able. He was considered to be the best
runner and hurler in the parish, and on
him the neighbors relied to keep the
laurels in Courcies; but the sports be-
gan and ended; not one prize remained
in the parish of Courcies, and sad were
the hearts Of the good people of Balm
it was all over, the friends of Myles
gathered together in little groups and
discussed the strangeness of his absence.
Father Dunlea was as anxiously nervous
about him as was his old father, and, in
reply to query from some uncharitable
rival, he said Indignantly:
''Myles O'Hanlon is not drinking. He
10 IL 81, IL, !
early this morning, when the dew was
upon the grass, he picked the shamrock
I'm wearing and said to me: Father,
I'm thinkin' we'll keep the association
cup in Courcies today But what has
happened the boy can't understand"
This silenced the evil thinking ones,
and proved that at least it was the in
tention of Myles to be at the sports.
Something must have happened to
him. So thought everybody. But no
one could suggest a solution Of the mys-
terry. Suddenly old Tim O'Hanlon,
Myles' father, went to Father DunIea and
said to him: "Begor, yer reverence, I'm
thinkin' that maybe ould Dan Conneu's
daughter has somethin' to say to it."
"Nhy! inquired the priest.
because, yer reverence, she refused
him last night. There was a dance up
at Moll Daly's, the match maker's-sav-
ing yer presence-an' I hear tell that
ould Connell gave Moll tin shiilin's to
make match for Kate wild Johnny
Hurley, the butcher"
This did not throw much light on the
subject But Father Dunlea knew well
that Myles had "a tender spot in his
heart for Kate" he was looking forward
to having a fine wedding at Sbrovetide,
and although Council did NJ like to give |
his daughter to a man who had not
farm, he believed that this breach could |
be flied up, and he had decided to use
his good endeavors towards that end. |
Turning to old O'HanIon he said:
Tim, when did you hear that Kate
refused him?"
81 didn't hear it at all, your reverence;
but be the signs of Myles' face last night
an this morning I guessed it. But twas
himself told me that the ould fellow gave |
Moll Daily the tin shillin's. He was look
in very bad, sir"
Here the old man ceased talking, but
just as the priest was turning from
him and about to leave the strand he
hobbled up to him and said: Il beg yer
reverence's pardin. But [ didn't see
Kate Cornell at the sports, yer rever-
ence."
To Father Dunlea there was more in
formation in this sentence than in all
the surmises that had yet been spoken,
and he hastily questioned himself: Il
wonder could they have run away" He
decided 10 have that thought speedily
and walked quickly in the
direction Of the village. Arriving there,
he did not delay to go home and have
dinner with the party he had invited at
the sports. lie went into Terence Muir
phys public house and, asking the land
lady for a sheet Of paper and an envel-
ope. he wrote a short note to his sister
desiring her not to delay the dinner for
him, but if he was not there in time to
explain TO his guests that he was de-
tanned on urgent parish duties. Having
sent this letter by boy, he said, good
humoredly, to Mrs. Murphy:
''Well, Mary, you didn't do much bust
ness today"
NO, your reverence; the boys were all
down on the strand at the sports. Sorra
the wan had tint OF whisky but Myles
O'Hanlon."
The priest started painfully. and in
luired: Did he drink much, Mary"
"Oh, no, yer reverence. Twas just
after mass he came in an told me he had
a colic-savin' yer presence-an' he only
took it for physic."