The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-10-06

Socola to propose that they confess
themselves mutually aggrieved and pro-
coed to settle the matter at once by a
square hand to hand fist fight.
He had withheld the facts about the
wedding until Socola had first lied about
it. He was willing to fight for the truth.
IF Socola wanted to fight for the lie, let
+ him come and shave it out'' then and
there, or if the old man preferred to have
a subordinate member of the Malta to
represent him in the affair let him send
! any one of them to him.
} 1t was only as vague intangibility
that Pat objected to deal with the Malta.
He was sure that as soon as Socola
should see that all he demanded was a
fair showing" they could come to sat
isfactory understanding, so little did he
/ comprehend the nature of the man with
whom he had to deal or the character of
the organization which threatened him.
AS Pat surmrsed, Socola ha not yet
even heard Of his ofense. The two men
who went to make their reports were,
like himself, treated to wine and saw
their host carried home hors de combat.
AS Pat hesitated at Socola's door the
one eyed man was coming out, and they
met face to face.
Pat touched his hat. The Sicilian re-
{ sponded by like salutation and would
have passed on, but Pat detained him.
''Shtop bit, misther-sure I don't
know your name-but whilst no ones
by I'd like to thank eSor the bit of a
love letther ye sint me last night"
The man shrugged his shoulders.
''Loaf-a-letther?" he asked with inimita-
BILE blandness. ''Me, no write-a north
Gen."
''Mebbe ye don't call it a love letther
itself. Now do think again, behave
it's not heart wud dart run through
ut for bookay at the top O. the sheet,
but a couple o. shinbones forninst a
graveyard photograph wud a company
shmile on i'm. But sure what's left out
av the crest is indicated in the text.
Ye've limited purity clear at the piercin o.
me palpitator at the end O. the POM
Fumbling in his pocket he now brought
out the two letters.
F'Pity ye cudn't get ould Socola to set
for Cupid amin wud his bow an arrer
at me hearrt. Ye see, Irish htherature is
different ag'in from Italian. Sure an if
a bunch O. Paddles whit into the finder
correspondence like this, like as not
they'd have me in q picture, peg an all,
shlapin in the heart av q rose, like they
do be in some O. thin cologne adver-
tizemints, an mebbe a bumblebee wud
ould Socola's face on i'm threatenin the
unconscious shlaper wud wan av his
regular breechloadersl Ye see it'd be
bit cheerful, but aqually to the point.
fIo1sc7a No 81,
bone lest ye'd have it raised like fear
less sprig O. shillelah."
By this time he had opened both let
ters.
''Now," he continued, ''droth an Idon't
know which O. these two shtate doki-
minis ye STINT me or whether ye're wan
O. thin Scriptural chaps that kapes yer
right hand in ignorance O. the thricks O.
the left, an yer two hands unbeknowinst
to wan anither have STINT me friendly
warrnin, but rally and truly I'm very
much obliged to ye."
Pat had given him no chance to reply,
but now he saw that the Italians atti-
tude was one of protest.
know northern 'bouth,'' he was say
ing gently.
''Whut! Dye name to say We niver sint
me nayther wan O. dthese letthers?''
''Know northern 'bouth, - he repeated,
with an apathy of. manner that was al
most convincing.
Pat scratched his head.
''Mary AIMS mother-in-lawl'' he ex-
claimed. and after a pause:
''Thin who in the name O. Donnybrook
fair done ut? Ye're the only mon who
cud write ut. Sure none O thin chaps
last night knowed nothin about the
throuble OF Socola's marriage till towld
ut, an faith ye're the only mon there
that knowed shpoke the truth
The old man shrugged his shoulders.
''Me, no know f ees-a thrue.''
This was too much.
''Don't know if ut's thruel The divil
ye don'tI An didn't We come the night
o. the marriage an explain to me word
for word the way Socola put the Malta
curse on him that'd tel1?''
The Sicilian smiled. 'sMe, I know
northern 'bouth-a Signor Socola, north
cen 'bouth-a Mafia-northeen 'bouth-a
northern
''An We weren't at the Di Carlos this
night twelvemOnth past?'
'sScuza me, my fren, f you please.
N ina gread-a hoary. Ne ma allaway
fo' business
He hesitated here, and looking around
cautiously lowered his voice as he took
Pats hand.
''Tell-a you thrue," he said, with
nearer approach to animation than he
had yet shown, 'etell-a you thrue, f I
was-a ged ledther ique thad me,
would-a theng God hat time run quig
hide-a myselve. Well, goo'byi Hope-a
you good lug" And he turned away.
A sudden light came into the Irish
mans face.
How'd on bitr' he exclaimed.
ssHowid- I've purify thick
shkun on me, but do begin to see the
dthrift f yer loquence. Place to presint
my complimints to the gintleman that
sint me the letthers If ye do chance to
run aground av i'm on the bonlevards
an tell i'm I'll not run nor hide naytherI''
Gathering emphasis here by a mo
ment's silence, he leaned forward and
looked the SiciIian squareIy In the eye.
There's bit av song we do sing in
the ould country. Perchance yesve
niver heerd ut, but I'm that interested