The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-10
SULLIVAN'S BARGAIN.

Il
ing the ould ass" said Mrs. Flynn to
Judy Sullivan as they toiled uphill to-
sether from their mutual we'll
I'm not sure about selling him, Mrs.
Flynn, dear; twas more Xix sWop-
ping, I take it,
AN how was that, acushaa!
aye see, my father has had 1t on ms
mind to get shut of jerry this gooo
while back; he was gettin' bit SUN,
and he thought av he waited TOO long
he'd be getting too Guild entirely.
"Oh. fax. he was ould enough to be
valuable" rejoined Mrs. Flynn, with
derisive laugh isn't he the wan age,
as yer brother Matt-as is in Ameriky-
and that will bring him in for five and
twenty year. though he is not on the
parish register? Well, mind the twol
a gray foal and fat lump av baby,
when / come to Thady's Corner, a
young slip av girl meself.
Mrs. Flynn was now stout, elder
~ woman, with pair of somewhat roll
licking brown eyes, and Drumming
tin can in either hand, while her COM
panion was slip of a girl, dressed
in a washed-out lilac cotton, With cur
ly red hair and a freckled face, who
carried with anxious care a brown tea
pot and a black kettle.
The pair were celebrities in their
humble way-the matron for her long
tongue and the maiden for her light
foot. They Lived almost next door to
one another in a cluster of cabins, too
insignificant to claim the title Of vii
lage, and known by the name of
''Thady's Corner although there was
no corner to be seen; on the contrary,
the little gathering was boldly perch
ed on the side of bare hill, about
five miles from Killarney.
and what sort of a dale did yer
father make out over the baste?" re-
sumed Mrs. Flynn.
ooh, dale, indeedi Twas travel
ing tinker as came round one day last
week when the old Jerry was bet up
with turf drawing, and had scarcely
a leg under him, and the thief had
! such a slutherin way wild him, he per-
suaded me father that the ass was
| just dying on his feet and he offered
| to take him away to bury him, so that
| he mightn't have the annoyance OF
seeing him in the death-g grip Howev-
| en- me father was not so soft as all
| that, and after the divips own har-
arguing and bargaining, the tinker Civ
| two shillings in money, a toaSting fork
and a terrible big skillet-the biggest
pot l ever laid eyes on
"Well,to be sure, twas no great price,
and yer at the loss of the ass
Fax, we are SO, and miss him at
| every hands turn. Me father spent
the money on porther and me mother
is raging mad to find her elegant big
pot was just an ould wan patched up,
| and has a hole in it the size of eau
been. Sure, it's no manner av use al
ALL at all. We have just stuck it in
the gap in the garden to keep the pig
out, and it does that as well as any
thing else, and the villain of a tinker
went and TUX couple of the best hins
away wild him, by way av keeping the
ass company"
| 3The blaggard" calculated Mrs
Flynn, now settling down her two cans
and placing her hands on her capacious
| hips. Them thinkers is shocking
thieves; they would stale the cross off
an ass back, and whatsomever they
mend just melts in yer hand! I'm ter
rible sorry for We. Would We know the
| chap agin?"
Me father says he'd swear to him
| in Jerusalem. He had a patch over
wan eye, and black and-white waist
| coat"
| well, I'd a wish fer ould Jerry
there is not a funeral or a wedding, nor
a wake in these parts he hasn't had
hand in. Many and many a lift he
| Civ me; bedad, he was as souple as
the best in it, and when he had mind
| he would rattle car as we'll as any
ass going the road"
Maybe the next wan will do as we'll
Mrs. Flynn, DEAR rejoined Judy, with
smiling complacency.
''The next wan, do yer sayl Begorra!
the price of a cracked skillet won't &c
| far in buying a good baste."
Sure, didn't me father have an or
der from Matt, ere yesterday, fer four
pounds! 1 expect Matt would be vexed
if he heard tell about ou1d Jerry, see
ling they was reared together and
wor' companions, as I may say We
wor' laying out to buy a SOW, but, af-
ter all, We see we have the cart and
lacking, so me father is going to buy
a fine young donkey, or maybe a. jen-
net at the fair at Killorglin"
rs that SOP" returned Mrs Flynn
| drawing in her double chin and cycling
the girl gravely. STILL I'm thinking
ye will be lost widout old Jerry; he
was a grand one to draw turf or hay
| or 70 go to chapel and market. He
knew every turn in the road, and who
will bring yer dada safe back on fail
| days, avick? Sure, they had only tc
stretch him on the car and Jerry just
TUX MIN home same as a Christian
and maybe betther, for he was a wa
Their drinker. Where's the young wan
will do that? He was terribly expe-
rienced, We see," warming with he1
theme, land no expense WHATEVER, but
KEEP himself. 1t isn't every ass would
ate turf and whins and sticks-aye!
I've seen him breaking his fast on a
newspaper before now. I'm thinking
a young wan will be twice as inpi-
denti Howsomever, / can't be wastin
me whole day discoursin' of an ass
though he was the only one in Thady's
| Corner"
| And taking up her shimmering cans
Mrs. Flynn pursued her way with an
air of logged resolution, until she hap
pened to encounter another matron en-
route to the well, and again felt called
upon to halt-though Judy, with the
fear of her mother before her eyes
hurried on with a civil good evening.
| Did We hear of Sullivan shopping
away old Jerry for a cracked Skillet?
inquired Mrs. Flynn of her acquaint-
ance.
Troth. and I did so.'' replied Mrs
Macan, with a superior smile.
And as Matt has sent four pounds
| from Ameriky in a letter."