Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-01-28

domesticated. He used to come home
foine an airly an play wild the childeI
and the cats. We had five of them same,
and Dennis had treated them terrible. lie
used to hate the very sight Of them and
throw them out of tie house. But now all
of sudden he couldn't make enough OF
them. He played wild them and ssroked
'em down, and now and then bed bring
home a can Of cream specially for the big
black Tom. Sometimes it would fairly
knock me spachless wild surprise, but
things went along 30 foinly waa continu-
ally shaking hands with meseff.
i'Six months wlnt BY" continued Mrs.
Ouinn-and suddenly her voice dropped
and she heaved tremendous sigh six
months wint by and then, them"
"Ah, now, don't tell mel AS he broke
out againP" exclaimed Miss Cadogan, ex-
citedly.
Mrs. Q1inn replied with dolefal shake
of ber head: "'Twas on St. Patrick g
day," said she. ssAnd the next morning, "
continued Mira. Quinn, -she calls me and
jimmie and Tim into the room. He was in
bad still, w:d Lis night cap on, ye moind.
",Delis, says he, very sorrowfally, Il M
going to ask ye a favor
" go ahead. Dennis, DEAR sez l, for l
wasn't goin' to reproach a man when he
was feelin' that way
"'Delia, me DEAR sez he, scatch holt Of
the cats, every wan of them. Don't let
one of the varmints be roamin' round at
large. They'll be doin' me bodily harm
Pm tellin' you.'
"sCats!' says I, in astonishment. But
shure, Dennis, you're dreamin'. There's
not blessed cat in the house but would
die for you-they're that fond of you.'
"sAh, said Dennis, shaking his head.
sYe know nothing at all about it. Catch
'em, and then Pll tell ye how II was
$50 I grabbed holt of the old black Tom.
Tim held the Malty and the young wan
widout a tail, and jimmie looked arter the
three little kittens. Then we came back to
Dennis an SEE he:
"sDelia, darlint. whin ye sees me begin
ming to shrivel up bit, an me tail begins
to spront an me whiskers to grow, just
hold on them a minute and give me a
chance for to find a hole.'
!" 'Dennisl Dennisl cries; what's up
wild you at all? Ye be out of your head
intoirly.'
".No,' seq he, 'tis true, livery word of
it. Whin went to see the oraycle sez she
to me: "Now Mr.. Quinn, if hears of you
bein' drunk again do you know what I'm
goin' to do wild you?" NO. sez I. swell, +"
seq she, 'sthe very next time you forget
yourself I'm goin' to turn you into a Big
Black Rat" did you ever hear the like
o. that noa?'
"'Oh, the vilyunp sez I. Il don't be
lieve she can do it at ali.' But Ve got
them cats out of the way all the same, just
by way of precaution. Then we waited in
breathless suspense, and from tonne to
tonne Dennis wo lid say to me: Am I
shrinking at all, Della darlintf
"'No.' sez I, mot bit.' And by din
ner time he began to feel better. Then
when it came tonne for supper, and there
was still no perceptible change 10 him, we
all began to breathe aisier, and | coaxed
him out for breath of fresh air.
"Ah, but she was the dirty fraud, to be
sure!' declared Miss Cadogan, contemptu
ously. "Now wasn't that the foine lesson
for the lad! Did he kape sober after that,
now?"
"Tlll the day of his death, " replied Mrs.
Quinn.
"An' how long was that, if might be
sxin'?"
"'Twas just three weeks" was the re-
ply,as Mrs. Quinn drew forth her red pock-
ct handkerchief. sHe was work,n' On a
house when the wall fell in an crushed
him an two other chaps iutoirelg. They
carried him ont an the doctor came an
gave him hippodermick injection of
brandy. Twas In the leg they gave it to
him, an it can't have seemed at all natur-
al. for presently me poor, dear Dennis
looks up, an sez he to the doctor:
please, SIR sez he. would ye moind
injectin' that through me mouth nowp'
"They was the last Words" concluded
Mrs. Quinn. "But we mustn't be cryin'
row; Mary, dear, for here comes Tim am
jimmie "-Nsw York Epening Sua.