Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-01-28
WHY DENNIS QUINN KEPT THE PLEDGE.

s'Did ever tell you, Mary, my dear, how
me poor Dennis became an thaytotallier?"
remarked Mrs. Quinn to her friend, Mary
Cadogsn, the other night.
''No, my dear. you did not. Save US,
how was it nowp" responded Miss Cadogan
with alacrity.
: "'Tis sad tale, Mary; tain't every wan
as I'd be tellin' of it. Twas in the ovid
country at Tirraloo, ye moind; Tim and
jimmie was just beginnin' to toddle then.
Me Dennis, now, was as foine man as
you'd be findin' in days walk, to be sure;
but he was too aisy like-he wasn't no hand
at workin' at all, at all. Pm thinkin' as
me an the chiller would have starved if l
hadn't took in washin'. Well, as tonne
went on things got to be worse instead of
no better, and Dennis grew more and more
attached to the cratur intoirely. Vance he
signed the blue ribbon pledge an l was
that deloighted bought him blue cray
vat an a new blue ribbon for his ovid
straw hat But twas no good at all; he'd
broke it afore the week was OUT So at
last, in despair, sez to myself; Della, me
girl, consult the oraycle.'
"What's that, at allf'' inquired Mrs. Cad
ogan.
"Shure. Mary, me dear, an orsyc'e is a
person as knows everything pretty much.
There's lots of 'em in the ovid country,
though you don't be seein' so many of them
out here. They can cure your disaises and
tell you whether the man as you're goin'
to marry is black or red headed The wan
as lived in Tirraloo was the queerest old
body We ever seen. The Chi der was terri.
BILE scared of her, and she lived 10 bit of
a cottage up On the hillside all alone. But
80 HoJ 4, Il
that day, moind-I got all my courage
together, and walks boldly up to the door.
!" 'Coue in, sez voice, an so in goes
an there was great big old woman, wild
an arm on her like blacksmith, sitting
over the fire, stirrin' it up wild de poker.
swell, explained the situation to her
! as quick as 1 could, an she was mighty
kind and coDs,oerate. She axed me then
IL he was good workman.
"'Weli, to tell you the truth, he might
be Bit tspryer,' sec I.
g. '.'Ah, yes, yes, yes, sez she, kind OF
quick like, tapping her forehead mean.
while. i grasp tha situation now, Mrs.
Quinn. I'm afraid your husband is vic
/ tim of inocnlated desuetude'
| s'Me heart jumped into ne mouth al
that, as 1 thought Of me two little darlints.
'Is it catchin'7' sez I.
"'Not bit of IT., seq she. Hard work
is certain cure for it. Seud your husband
to me at once. Mrs. Quinn, and I'll see te
it that be behaves himself
"Well, went home then an told Den
mis- as how the oraycle was after wantia' t(
spake wid him. Faith, Mary dear, yor
never saw man so scared in your life
However, be was that scared of her that hi
didn't dare to refuse to go. He got bacl
again about midnight lookin' like whip
ped puppy.
| 'DeDnis, darlint, sez I, full of curiosi
ty, to bs sure. Now, what was the oray
Gle after sayin' to yon?'
"tDelia,' sez be, kind of husky like
don't be AKIN me. sTis dead secret be
twixt us two. SO let us be dra vim a vel
over it,
We'll, l wouldn't have been a woman
at all if wasn't dyin' for to hear the part
iculars; but twas fruitless entoirely. Neve
q word could soueeze out of him by bool
or by crook. The weeks went along, bu
Dennis never touched drap. was de
Iloighted, to be sure; and then he got q