The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-23
PART I.

Few people. I think. can ever have
pccn impressed by the liveliness of lit
tie Eillymeen, set in its nook among
the lonesome mountain ana mOorland,
its one humble street joining the nu-
ClruS of "A SuarSc cabins -Sprmklin%,
which strews white Hncl>s GA the far
sweeping green folds hardly pientier
than hailStones on a grass plot. half
sunny hour after July thunderstorm,
Yet to bridget Dorau, the gill who had
lately taken service with the CaSeNs
up at the Quarry Farm, it seemed a
center of fashion and gayety, being,
indeed, the most considerable place
she had seen i'm all her seventeen years.
For they had been spent ~ at. L"uGh-
druhmesk, hamlet fun ten miles deep
er among the widest tOWnlandS, with
only rough cart track threading u
black bog, and climbing endless shaggy
slopes and dropping oyer a purple
mountain shoulder. to connect II with
Killymeen. She had left behind there,
three months ago her feeble old
grandfather and alert old Erandmoth-
tr. in Il tiny high-pcrchcd cabin, which
fell Il world too wide for it's other in
dWollers. when this third of their lives
had gone. And since there had been
much travelling of thoughts to and
fro between it and the CaS"y's prim
Whitewashed farmhouse at the foot of
ShleVc Clasarua. At first Bridgrts had
made the journey as constantly as her
grandmother's. hut she was yuunC ana
busy in d new place, and, as the weeks
went ON. she became more rrcuCcupi"d
with what lay Immediately before her.
The 'Surree' at MahuuS fixed for a
day in Christmas week, was tn" most
exciting Of the fresh prospects that
unfOldcl themselves, and was looked
forward To with much pleased interest
by killymren at large. There had been
no Surrees in the neighhorhuud during
long spell of bad times: hut this year
matters were looking brighter, and old
Barney Mahon. who had a thrifty turn
ana 1t commudious Kitchen, was en-
Cuulagcd to make a venture which
promised fair profits at a small risk.
For a surree, which has with quaint
effect borrowed it's name from poiit"
French, is a sort of subscription
dance, little more elaborate in its ar
rangcmentS than are the klloys, or
cUnVcrsaHiOncS. that bcgUilc 50 many
wintry hours in DONEGAL homes, whom
all the dark out-of-dOors hurtlcS and
FLASHES with wind and rain, and The
neighbors, drife into their places round
some appointed hearth as prumiSCUUU2-
~ as wreath of dry leaves swept,
Iustling, together by an aerial eddy.
AT Surree each couple pays a shilling,
but no rcfrcshmcnt is expected save
frugally dispensed tea; and The fiddler
Is content To ScrapC for a modest fee,
and his chances Of small coins from the
DANGERS. Dark Hugh McEVOy, being
BarncY's cousin, was willing To supply
the music for thiS occasion. on cspc-
cially easy terms: and in short, cir
CumStanCCS cOnsplrCd To make il seem
desirable that Barney should meet the
often expressed wishes of his younger
friends by announcing the first surree
of the season.
1t would be Bridgat's first taste OF any
formal dissipation, and Rose Casey. her
masters niece, and Kate Puffy. his
plowman's daughter, who lived i'm the
yard, set her expectation ON tiutuc cX-
tremcly by their accounts of like enter
tainments. Kate ana she were tO go
together, as II is the custom to- attend
SurIces in couples. These often are
formed Of a colleen with the boy who
is "suakinG'" " to her. but often also q
brother ana sister make a pair, or any
other two friends. Rose Carey was ia
marry Peter C'DOnughuC at Shrnyc-
tide. So she would Of course. go with
him. fact of which she made 4 little
parade tn Bridget, who felt however
perfectly content with Eatos escort:
sweetheart of her own would have
seemed indeed an alarming possession
Her mistress had advanced her shil-
ling out of her quarters Wages-a
whole Dound-and she had expended
the siNpenCe left after securing her ad-
mission to the sulroa upon a splendid
red glass brooch, which made her think
her equipment very complete.
But just when everything seemed
Elidin" most smoothly toward the de
li%htfTl goal, an obstacle suddenly
cropped mp and threatened to overthrow
all her plans with one disastrous Jolt
ON a certain fr0sr-snanglCd morning.
the postman brought to Bridget a let
ter whose contents agreed with her
wishes as i'll as a dash of vinegar would
have done with the thick cream which
She was churnin% when the mail ar
rived. Her grandmother wrote to say
that, "she thought bad Of Hiddy to I've
trampin' the long way her lone from
Killymccn to their place. and that old
Bill MOllOy was sliDDin' over wild his
pony and q gatherin' Of eggs to the
Magamore on next Thursday morning
and 'ud give her Il lift II she'd start
along wild him when he would be goin
back. So BiddY had n right to AK lave
of her mistress, and come home wild uuld
Bill. who'd turn a bit out Of his way
to pick her up; and real glad they'd be
to set eyes on her again." For Mrs
Casey had promised Bridget her choice
of three days in Christmas week to
spend Mt home. dairy work being slack
Bridget had looked forward to the hOl-