The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-22
PART III.

aflrortfed at their uDccNihohiouS u"
trance and dealings with his iastenings
and furnitare. That's great ouid
slamm M of the door you havs--and |
what for would We be tmmin' the
bench aguin it, unless you're intendin
tbe next body that comes thro' IT to be
breakin' his shins?"
"Troth, ,on'y hopes iit may-and It's
reck. too-Iexween us and harm-if
st's offeran' I'd come in on us--l do so,
said Peter O'Dpnoghue, painting. he
left his comrad6 to finish barricading
the door. and pushed himself further
into the room, until several groups IN
terposed between him and the danger
ous point. after Us it may be this
minyit of time" he said. "Och, but
this was the quare fright I gothic
Saints look down upon us this night.
ats herself below at thould gate
there" said Ned Kinsella, who was
caImer than Peter, though evidently
much alarmed, "and morebetoken, it's
not inside she is this night, but sittin
crouched upon the bank be the path.
And the grab she made at Peter goin
bv: deed thought he'd never get his
coat-tail wrenched out of her ould
hand"
TT might as well ha' been caught in
n rat-trap the way she held on" said
Peter. 81 give you me word me hairs
rtandin' on end yet. fit TO rise me hat
off the roof OF me head, what wild that
md the onnathural screeches she let
won'er YOU didn't hear them here.
And it's nv belief she set off leggin'
after us--goodness preserve us-ony
was afraid O. me life to look round
cnd see"
these things spread general conster-
nation among the company, as under
the circumstances they well might do.
For only a few hundredyards down the
loaning lay q; ancient burying ground,
with its ruined chapel and weed-tangled
tombstones. a place whose ghostly rep
utation had long been established at
Killymeen. In particular the wrath
of little old woman was often to be
seen Of an evening peering out through
the rusty patebars. and sometimes
stretching forth fearsome hand to
pluck at the unwary passer-by. But
her appearance out on the roadside was
n new development, and. one which
made Peter and Ned's report unpleas-
ant hearing for people who would pres
entIy be obliged to talSe that route
home. The dance came 70 standstill,
AID in its stead n series of dismal ghost
storics began TO circle round the room.
Perhaps the most gruesmnc OF them
was Nick Coro,an's He related how
!, ,,1o aprp there
wns In the middle of the yard deep
WE'LL out of which on certain moonlit
niyhts n dark ficure would emerge. and
90 gliding round and round 1t, making
n wider and wider circuit. until she
reached tho house. at whose door she
raped loudly as she passed by. And
whenever that happened. there would
lie death in the family before the
fwelvcmonth was out, as sure rs fate.
general shudder followed this de-
nouemcnt. and old Mrs. Linders made a
particular application OF 1t by remark
irg glcomily that II wns a poor case
10 have the likes Of such crathurs
about: but Mrs. Coleman. comely
mutron. who continued tn sit by the
,irc urreriurbcd said. pLacidly. in n
rnrsc: "Sorra bit of harm there is IN
81 this night I'm a-thinkin'. " the lads
seen nnythn' it's apt 10 ha' jist beer
some poor body after missin' her way
in the snow"
"Troth arc belad. then n was tho
ouarc lcdy altogether" Peter asscver
FIR. t.ff IF RE iir-4ftli
tcllin' you. bristlin' straight wid tho
dhrcad Of her the first minyit / come
nigh the place"
''Ah, sure. some peoples as ready a
that as dog at coclSin' bis cars" sale
.Jccy Nolan. "May be we'd right Il
&c look Is there e'er n one in II. Som'
crathur might be strayin' about per
ishr'. an it snowin' again as thick n
sheer's wool"
'1scgor. You won't persuade me TO q
fooln' along wild vou." said Peter. I"
couldn't be gettin' me heels out OF !
fast enough. May the Saints have m
sowl. but I thought I'd lose me lif
aforc ever landed inside-and her
I'll stop. Nobody need be akin me, 70
divil fut I'll stir"
"Good people are scarce" Joe oh
served. sarcastically; but Peter went oi
IN n half-conrlnccnt tone: "One Will
81 I'll be. nforc I'm the better of tha
frightenin' | got. Every mortal bit o
mes in thrimblc wild il yet.'
"Musha then. you gnby. can't yo
WHIST about II. instead OF TO bc tellir
everybody the sort OF ould polthroo
you are?" Rcse Casey whispered 20 hin
frrccly. ready 10 cry with mortifcs
ton rs she saw significant smiles pass
ing rou-d At tho expense Of her happil
rrcorscious betro;hcd.
~ elic spoke Tie door rcsounded wit
hcavy ihu,np. which made these wi
were standing nest 10 ii hop bacl. wit
n scarcely digniHcd haste. Scme {
them tried TO carry IL OF by preteudir
that thcy were merely getting out
orc nnothcr's way. vhilcsom shricl,
unfcigrcLly. and above al! ejaculation
rose Peter O'DSnoghuc's voice. shr