The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-22

| i=A2
IN THE MIDDLE AV ALL THE
FLOORY IN KEN LITTLE DlNNY
QUIN ROONIN.
her desarvin's av a betther partner.
The circumstances is well known to
Misther Brogan, av the mare not coom-
in to the fore, an the pigs bein' none
av the best it's little I'm carin' for the
| valye. be it what it may. but no manll
say he met a fool in Rafe O'Neil. I'm
givin oop. an willin' me own paart av
the plenishin', not to mintion praties,
an turf an Odher things an neces-
saries, an it's Well PLACED | am to be-
stow thin an the young Teddy If she ii
do me the anner to reCaive the same an
little enoof for her thrubble. But,
there's no harrum done, an wishin'
well to all, an sorry to disappoint so
much good company. There's as good
fish in the say as iver was caught. so no
more at prisint from your obadiant
| sairvant, Rafe O'Neil."
The our man stud starin' about him
helpless-like. "Fll be rivinged," sez
he, ''an' the man that decaivcd me daw-
| ter-yis, dccaived, the sChamer. 1t
| was nayther the mare nor the pigs that
| stud in the way. The pigs Were the
| pick o. the market, an when he aXed me
to throw in the mare, it was latiin' an
| jokin' he was, an the more so, whin he
got No for an answer. But I'll be re-
Lave tina. to me-" sez |, facin' him
| an spakn' up the way | niver thought
| cud do. "Gim me the right to dale
with the"-but the word sthuck in me
| troat. / cudn't call him an i'll name,
| for wasn't he Rafe, me comrade an me
| friend?"
Then the neighbors KEN about us.
"Ah-h-thats the by. Don't ye know
| he'll do it? It's himslf that will. An
wasn't he dyin' about the gairl, an
isn't he till this minnit? Don't go be-
| tune them, Patchy-don't!"
| He stepped back q piece an looked
at me.
"Ye backyard" seq he, whats that
yer sayin'?" sez he.
"Yis," sez !, "blackgard or not. it's
no saycrit. There's plinty prisnt knows
l coorted Ailsie, an none betther than
yerself, that sint me packin. Now"
sez /, II hev nothin' to give her but the
han that'll worrak for her an the haart
that lOoves her, an honest b'y's han an
haart." sez |, that's all l hev to offer,
an if it's not yer dawter's. Misther Bro
gan. it's for no wan else"
With that the weemin' began like as
NANNY geese gabblin' on the common.
They were all for takin' q modher's
part to the gairl that he'd no modher.
AN dye hear that. Misther Brogan,
it's yer dawter is in luck this day. BE
thankful the disgrace'll pass yer dure.
An We hevn't the haart av a milestone
in yer body, / dunno? Look at the
modherless crayture. an it was mesilf
stud up wild you an Peggy Rourke."
"Wheest wild ye; wheest," seq he. 'Di
ye want to drive me crazy, out an out?
Lave me spake to me dawter. Ailsie,
come forrit; ye're listin' to what's say
in, gairl?"
Ailsie walked over the hure, an I
| niver seen her walk so proud, an she
stud there. forninst us all. as white as
the Slave av the dhress she had an.
I'm listenin', fadher," seq she. AN
is it yer wish I'd marry Connie Kane?
Sure, isn't it for you to say? An are
ye manin' to give yer blessin' to-Con-
ME an me?'
AN di ye think whin I'd give me
consint the blessin' id be groodged?"
SEE he. "Say the word, me dawter, an
the weddin' IL go an. Well show the
schoundhrel there's a betther man'll
take his place. ....
Ailsie niver turned her face to look
at me, but she put out both her weeny
hands an clootched oul Patchys
arrum.
''Fadher," seq she, "fadher'-layin'
down her purity head with the dark
curls about it an his shOuldher-"ye de-
sarve betther dawter-sure an ye
do! but I AK Yer pardon" sez she. "an'
Gods pardon, an it's only wild yer
blessin'. full an free. that I'll marry
Connie
Well, an so the weddn wint an an
spachin' an dhrinkin', an attn. yis,
an the bonfires. an cheerin'. for the
whole town hard av what happened.
But whn it was oil over. an we were
alone, at last, in our own little house
an the dure shut betune us an the
worl', Connie" seq she. but it was the
wicked shame to decaive the oul man!
Didn't 1 nearly oop an tell him the
schame from beginnin' to end, it was
that haard to stan an hear the dacint
by abused. Poor Rafe," seq she, with
the tears i'm her eyes-"the Lord loove
him. Was there iver such friend?"
Twas he had the brains for plan
min, anyhow" seZ |. "Didn'tShe know
well what wud be the resoolt?"
But I'm fearin'," seq she. again.
I'm fearin'. dear. 1t wasn't right to
decaive the Oul' man. I'll not rest aisy
till tell him, dear
'Di' ye think ye'll rest aisy afther
it?" seq I, lafiin'; for i'm troth it TUX
little to make me laff at the same
tonne. Hell raise ructions. high an
low, but we hev his blessn' amy how,
an he can't take that back It'll be
tonne enoof to tell him, darlin', when
Rafe comes home"
But It was five years. out an out afore
we saw the by again. Thin he KEN back
from Ameriky an wife be his side:
fine slip av u Brooklyn g,,irl. as slen-
dher as a sally rod, with ankles like a
goat, an lips as thin as a sixpence, an