Evening star., 1896-07-18

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.Not my Ailsie:"
scrape av a pen, but, for all that 1t was
hawd to mex me give in that he's Spake to
her. an run his chance, but at last, with
the dipt av his persrashins, l did consint,
an the next day he KEN, smilin' an happy
as young prince, to say they were be-
spoken. an 1t was left to the our folks to
name the day.
Well, from that time forrit there was
wurreck, an enough to be done at the
fcoree. an mesilf was glad O. that same.
l was backward at meetin' the neighbors,
for the whole town Ian was talkin av me,
an Rafe. an Aisle, an blamin' him, an
they knew. when all was said. 1 KEEP
good hoult av me tongue. an except to give
civil answer, I nayther made nor med
died. hopin the talk would dhrop the soon
er for what must come will come, shmall
matther who sez yis or no.
livery avenin' Nv me life was spnt with
Rafe an Ailsie. An manys the time.
waikin' through the Gap, an 'roun' be An
dhrew's bank whin the moon was liftin'
up out o the bog mist. as roun' an yalla
like it was the sun had lost it's way-many
the tonne Rafe would walk the throw av
a. stone forninst us, me an Ailsie. lawn us
to walk an talk together through the
fie Ids an places we used to walk, when we
were swatehaartsi " We'd be chattin'
about the house Mlsther Brogan was
buldin' an plenishin', in bein part av the
brides fortune-bes.des a fine young heifer,
an the plgs-or mebbe jokin' about the
pots an pans I was mekin' for her. down
at the foorge. Well! we'll!
The time went on an the bans was read
IN chapel. an the day set, an like before
cud turn roun' twice at me worruk there
was the weddin' mornin'. AS foine day
as ever ye Saw-the birds singin' an the
grass that full oowslips that ye cudn't
thra shin
IN an not cloud aist or wist. Nothin'
~ud do but that l must stand ooD with
Rafe-he was that wishful cudn't find me
haart to disappoint him. So. l wint boldly
to the house, an there the widdineers was
assembled. sure enoof-all the young peo-
pie that knew us, Ailse an me, it was
haard on me what to do, or where to look.
An whtn l shu'k hans with AilS:e wan av
the bridesmaids-God loove her for it-bu'St
out cryin' an room cut av the room.
There was foine taste cookin' in the
kitchen-turkies an geese an leg o NUT
ton. an big table spread an the best av
the company ready for 1t.
We were to walk in cooples. twice roun
the town an thin to the chapel. OuP
Roger, the fiddler, was tunin' an squalin'
up his fiddle. ready to march forninst US.
an livery wan was as foine an gintale as
ye PLACE. an the bride, in white, settin'
her lone near the dure. an we were all
waitin for Rafe. He tout me the night
before he wud go first to the chapel, to his
duty, an mate me at A,slie's an the sthroke
av tin. But whin the sthroke was past, an
he didn't COON. they began to be 'onaisy
an go in an out-watchin' the road and
whisperir' an noddin!
PART II.
I didn't like to be putin meself forrit.
but at last 1 TUX hat from the flure
an miiltioned that I'd stroll away down
a bit to mate HIM, bein' best man it
was the Taste I cud do. So I wint along
a bit av the road an anodher bit, an an
| odher, till KEN to the dure av his house,
an there wasn't hilt nor hair av him to
be found His people had STARTED away
to the chapel, to be ready for the weddin-
eers. I seen them sittin' in the pews whin
/ KEN by-but-no Rafe.
What cud do but 60 back to the house.
an be this tonne it was more like wake
nor a weddin'. The bridesmaids was cryin
an lamentin' and the our weemin was
shakin' their heads, but not word nor
tear from Ailsie. Wan neighbor he'd 1t to
say that Rafe was seen goIn' through the
gap with thravellln' bag in his han, at
the clearin' o day, and anodher was ready
to swear he watched him, not one hour
ago, skaitin' down be Reipie's bog. for 1t
| was talked a bit that he had a swatehaart
on the hill beyant. an there was pits in
holes he might fail into, for the surest foot
is niver sure crossing a bog. an mebbe the
poor by was sunk deep an dead.
But in the middle av all the f1oory in KEN
little Dinny Quin. roonin' with a letther in
his fist. Oop he goes to the fadther:
-Rafe ONeil gev me this" sez he, "an'
| he's away an the coach with Tom the
| Post"
| Oul Brogan bruk the wafer, the letther
| shakin' in his han till ye cud hear 1t rat
| tim, but sorra the word he cud mex out
| he'd or tail. 1t was Craig the schoolmas-
| ther stud oop an read it out as plain as
| a. b. C.
"Rispicted Misther Brogan, Miss Brogan
! an kind friends all
I Il pen these few lines to let We know that
circumstances bein' such 1 can't marry
the yoong Teddy, an wish.n' her her de-
sarvin's av betther partner. The sair-
cumstances Is well known to Misther Bro
gan, av the mare not coomin' to the FORE
an the pigs BEN none av the best; it's lit
tie I'm carin for the valye, be it what it
may. but no man'll say he met fool in
Rafe ONeil. I'm givfn' oop, an willin' me
pratIes, an turf an odher things an neces-
saries, an it's we'll PLACED am to bestow
thin an the yoong Teddy. If she'll do me
the amer to recaive the same an little
enoof for her thrubble But, there's no
harrum done, an wishin' well to all, an
sorry to d.sappoint so much good COM
! pany. There's az good fish in the say as
! lver was caught, so no more at prisint
| from your obadiant sairvant Rafe O'Neil I"
The ouf man stud starin'. about him help
| less-lke. I'll be rivtnged," seq he 'an'
| tiie HidH tudt uecdlVeO me daWter-yiS de-
| caived, the schamer, 1t was nayther the
| mare nor the pigs that stud in the way.
| The pigs were the pick O. the market an
! whin he axed me to throw in the mare. If
was laffin' an tokin' he was an the more
so. 'whin he got No for an answer But
| Ill be rivfnged.''
| Lave that to me- sez l. fac.n' him ar.
| spakin up the way 1 niver thought l cud
| dc. Gin me the right to dale with the
! but the word sthuck in me t'roat I cudn't
call him Ill name. for wasn't he Rafe.
me comrade an me friend?"
Then the neighbors KEN about u.s. "Ah-
h-h-that's the by. sDont We know he'll
! do it? It's hims.lf that will. An wasn't he
| dyin' about the gairl an isn't he till this
m.nnit? Don't go betune them, Patchy-
| don't!'
He stepped back piece an looked at me.
| 'Ye backyard" seq he. what's that yer
! sayin'?' sez he.
''Yis." sez 1. BLACKBOARD or not, it's no
saycrit: There's plinty prisint knows I
| coorted Ailsie. an none betther than yer
self. that sint me packin'. Now" sez /, II
| hev noth.n' to Civ her but the han that'lI
| worrak for her an the haart that looves
| her. an honest b'y's ham an haart," sez +.
| "that's all hev to offer, an If it's not yer
daWterS. MiSther Rrogan for M N