The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-03-17
What do you want, Mixer" whispered


DO you want to see de purcessiong
asked Mike. What purcessionY" in
quired Patsey.
DE st. Patrick's Day parade "Wby
is dey goin to leave us outy" inquire,
Patsey eagerly.
Nav" was the reply, "dey wouldn'
leave cat out o dis. Ne an you'll q,
out widout askin EN-" BY this tim,
Patsey was thoroughly interested.
who was st. Patrick" he said
why" answered Mike, "ain't you nevel
heerd o. him? He's de priest wot dri,
all the snakes out o Ireland. He was 8
gyant ten feet high. He was torrer
bred, sure, he was, an no mistake. Ev
cry year de bands goes out, and de Hi
bernians and de Land league and dc
st. Patrick's sassieties puts on dere
Sunday clothes and goes out in the street
an de band plays johnny, Get Yer Gun
an 'Boom-ta-ra' an st. Patricks Day
in de Mo'nin.' It's great, Patsey; it's
great Les CO."
Patsey's eyes dilated as he listened to
this glowing recital. His red hair almost
rose on his head with anticipation.
How kin we go?' he whispered.
"Wot's de matter wild de windy" in
quired Mike.
Oats all right, Mike" said Patsey,
palpitating in the darkness, but de win
dy's sixty foot high"
"Ah, don't be gittin nifty, Patsey. :"
said Mike. Lay low; lay low" he con-
tinued as a head rose above the cover
let in an adjoining bed. Mike dropped
softly to the floor. They waited until
the head sank upon the pillow again.
then Mike said:
put on yer duds an como over TO my
bed"
In less than two minutes the boys had
donned their clothes, all but their shoes.
Then thoy both got into Mixes bed and
pulled the clothes over their heads 30
that they could arrange their plans TO-
gether without danger Of being over
heard.
you'll be dc sojer an I'll be de gineral.
See, Patsey, said Mike in muffled tone,
with his mouth close to Patsey's ear.
"we1l take de bedcords out O your bed
an my bed an tie 'em togedder. Seer
Den we'll slide down dc rope to de groun
an skin out over de wall. Hey, how
does dat hit yer
Oats great, Mike; dat's great" en-
swered Patsey. 'On'y we mus mt make
no noise, cause dc odder kidsll get onto
us and want TO go along"
Leaving Mikes bed and going back to
his own, Patsey placed the bedclothes
and the mattresses softly upon the floor
in the darkness and began untying the
BEDFORD. It was knotted so tightly that
he often had to use his teeth. His heart
beat lively tattoo against his ribs as he
gnawed away at the knots, but after an
hours hard work he held the rope in his
hand and walked softly over to where
Mike was still at work. Both boys ut
tered sigh Of relief as Mike united the
last knot, and the two ropes were care
fully tied together.
"What'll we tie de rope to?" asked Pat
sey as they stood under the deep en-
brasured window in the 4-foot wall.
"Weu bring my bed over an tie it to
dat" was the reply.
This was q very difficult Job. as the
bed was of iron, feet long and 4 feet
wide. But they were materially assisted
in their task by a rift in the clouds
which permitted little light to steal in
the window. After they had secured
the rope to the iron railing of the bed
Mike crawled upon the window sill and
raised the sash, and while Patsey hung to
his feet he leaned out and looked down.
ward. Only black void met his gaze.
He crawled bacl; into the room much
more quickly than he had gone out,
"Patsey, tie one o your shoes to de
rope till we see is it long enough to
reach de groun."
The leather plummet was swung off |
into space by Mike, who turned min
ute later and whispered eagerly:
II felt de shoe hit de groun, Patsey.
De ropes long enough"
Then the natural fear caused by the
and tho thought of hanging by
a thin cord against cold wall sixty feet
high began to have Its effect. Mike |
crawled back into the room again, and
with white face and chattering teeth
said
"Patsey, you go down fust. You're
lighter den ! am. De rope might break
wh me. an den you couldn't git down.
Seer
Patsey did not see the selhshness of
the proposal, but he was frank enough
to say, "Dats all right, Mike, but I'm
afraid"
"Of course you're afraid" sneered
Mike in tense whisper. II knowed
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