The herald., 1895-06-29
PADDY'S RUN PAPERS

fluttered In cutting the pigeon wing. The
dance in Tam o Shantcr" was slow COM
pared with this. The great foats OF
strength and agility were celebrated with
yolls of delight. The Internal regions of
tho Deaths Head museum in Cincinnati
would have been drowned out. There was
no whisky about, but an Astounding in
toxication of animal spirits The stairs
leading TO tho second story were crowded,
and the spectators were not restrained in
tho expression Of their universal approba-
ton. AS those who were taking violent
exercise were heated they cast off their
coats, as in harvest fields, and throw open
tho window for fresh air. Tho jigs and
hoedowns were tremendous.
At last, as in fair Brussels, the night
before Waterloo, there came q deep, harsh
sound. What! Did you not hear it2 No.
twas but the wind. On with the dance
or words to that effect. But once more
nearer, clearer, deadlier than before" 1t
was There was no doubt about it; no
echo from tho clouds was needed to repeat
it. 1t was tho roar of the president Of the
college, already bursting through the
crowd on the stairs with tho energy of
grizzly bear and this piercing shout:
Young gentlemen, who is responsible
for this riot?" The most innocent man on
the floor, morally speaking, was Bill Ev-
ans of Paddy's Rum but, l regret to say,
he did not look it, / have seen Bill in
trouble several times, but ho never looked
SO badly as at that time He was seated
in high chair, and the fatal fiddle WAS
in ono hand and tho old rosin do bow in
tho other The angored president stallcd
in u silence that was like tho darkness that
can be folt to the culprit and told him ho
had better take that FOOLS fiddle-I rogret
the aliteration-with him and go homo
and stay there. Bill was aroused when he
heard the fiddle spoken Of with positive
disrespect, for he was descendant, no
doubt, of the grand old harpers of Wales,
and he looked up with fire in his eye and
said he did not mind where he wont. l do
not give his language exactly, and ho took
courage to say the boys were only hay
ing little fun" I had feared the presi-
dent might attempt to scizo and use tho
fiddle as II weapon but he did not, and
it is we'll he did not, for Bill would have
fought the whole faculty for that piece of
property. "Fun!" said the president in a
voice of thunder. ITS Gods mercy you
did not throw tho house down and kill
yourselves Go to your rooms! want
to see you, Mr.. Evans, Monday morning,
and you too, " nodding to me, an honor 1
had not expected or coveted. And long
afterward, when we were old friends, and
l asked him why, he said he remembered
l was Bill Evans roommate, and that /
was the only one of the company who
looked like laughing and it would not do
to start laugh. His invitation to call
spoiled my smile.
On Monday morning Bill and were be-
hp Itv md n n rylO
sion. Our names had been called in the
chapel after prayers as wanted imme-
diatcly in the presidents room," a form
of distinction that was better understood
than enjoyed. Tho president, however
was in forgiving mood. There were Il,
cracks in tho walls of tho building, did
not look ike laughing just then. kind
friend had told mo l was sure to be expel-
led along with Bill, for wo had kept the
most disorderly room in tho building. Bill
Evans father was q prosperous citizen.
He sold moro fat hogs than any other In
habitant of Paddy IS Run. He owneo
bridge stock-the Colerain bridge across
tho Big Mainland had seven sons and
five daughters, and held, as testimony OF
the successful mission of the man on the
white horse, three scholarships! Bill was
told ho could stay, and was not overjoy-
ed. He told me that brother of his who
had taken spell of running away from
homo, just to sec what things wero like in
town, had q great timo driving coal cart;
got lots of money for it, and it was no
harder than husking corn in frosty wealth
er, and they could go to the fires and see
the flremen fight, and a friend of his got
so cents night at the National thcater
John Bates, proprietor, for nothing but
"going on tho stage, carrying spear and
hollering as one of the Roman people. "
Bill looked TO these fat places as probable
resources, and he did not care whether he
remained at school or returned home or
what he did. He could drive coal cart
and carry spear and holler with any
body, and they might as well let him
alone. This was his inner confidence, and
it is the first time 1 have betrayed it.
However, he staid until tho holiday re-
cess, seldom playing the fiddle, and then
in sad, SOFT detected way. Bill was nov
er quito himself again as a collegian, but
he was a good fellow always, and had his
share of sorrows in later years. That holi-
day vacation was full Of meditation bor-
dering on melancholy, for the question
forced itself to tho front, Suppose l did i'm
prove my mind, what was it for?
MURAT HALSTEAD.