The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-03-30
HEART AND ARROW.

"Ttm Casey" said Mat Brennan on the
eve Of Widow Moloney's birthday, al
want yes 70 give her this birthday card
from me- It's . great red heart. with a
akewe sticking In IL. That riprisints
nooine--the heart, i name. The skewer''-
"It's an arrow, Mat-thst's what they
DO be calling it,"
"We:l, Tim, an there's good Irish
sound about that same They can't do
without us anyway, you Sec"
r"Sorra bit, an you want me to be
aftber giving her thatf"
"Yoe; I've improved It. I've made IL
stif. with red lead an put in few dhrops,
rs II it was the blood of me heart that was
flowing for her, an she's SO ecornful of mo
Sufferings."
"It's illigant." said Tim, with great ad-
miration.
."An zee here, now. I've written some
varses 60 her to the tune Of 'O'Shaugh-
neesy's Hat Bcdad, an they rowl as
swatcly as q jig an as deludhering as the
Mayther.
He sang them over in his rich voice and
delicious brogue, and Tim got excited and
promised his most devoted aid.
sion. First he sat down on a cold door
step and reflected.
"Take her a dhirty, painted, twopenny
piece of paper with red lead heart on 1t!
Bedad an begorra an won'tl I'll do bet
ter than that, or my names not Tim
Casey. Mats decent bhoy an dhivil of
poet, but widdies is practical. 1t takes
the likes Of me to understand the likes of
them" 81
Within ten minutes after this soliloquy
he was seated In Mrs. Moloney g disoriered
and unventilated room.
There IL ID, Mrs. Moloney. dear, an II
must go 20 the heart Of you to rade the
hidden m'aning," said he as he pointed to
. large healthy looking pigs fry on the
table and q bottle of whisky which was
standing beside it. He had suppressed the
paper missive as poor, artificial and inex.
prcesivc, and out Of his devoted friendship
and the spirits which he presented In Mats
name
''It's an emblim, honey" continued he
"Here's his heart, In manner Of sp'ak.
ing, at your fate--on your dish, name
The liver shows that he can't live without
you; the lights, that you re the light of his
breath, an the fare, that there'll be all the
you're unkind 30 him an refuse him It'a
emblim, bedadi'
profoundly touched, ss she uncorked the
bottle and filled up two large port glasses.
Then she added: IAN III cook It. Tell
Akvxx t<.. Tiki kayv
come you too, Tim, an Misthriss Casey"
So 1t was all understood. Tim bad, like
most Of his oountrymen, the feelings of .
gentleman and the tact OF o courtier. That
was why he and his wife arrived designed.
~ late, having cent . message that supper
WAs Dot 20 wait. tg .f
Had they como sooner q slight incident
might have been avoided, though possibly
Il all happened for the best For, leaving
the tete a -tete meal and the conversations
TO be imagined by the reader, the orumpled
rose leaf arose In this way Mat had lit hie
pipe and had asked the widow how she
liked the card and the verses
She laughed and replied that she didn't
know about the verses, except those he
had been talking for tho last hour. But,
as for the card, he ought to know, for hs
had eaten the bali Of It.
Upon this Mat had Jumped of his chair
and exclaimed Then it's a dead man
am, An it's O wake I'll be afther attend.
ing, an not q wedding! thought there
was quare taste about that piece Of friz
xled fat"
What docs the crsturp be m'aning al
allf' cried she In SURPRISE. .s~~ -s'r
"It's poisoned / am. That heart wa.
all over red lead" said he, falling book
into his seat.
Poisoned, you black hearted villain9"
screamed Mrs. Moloncy. "Then TAX,
thati" And she broke a jug on his head.
1t was nt this point that the Caseys ar.
rived. Tim promptly knocked Mat down.
and then no naturally became curious t.
know what the ambiguity was about
Hes poisoned me!' said she between q
shriek and sob.
Tim seized Mat and threw him on an
incomplete but unmatched dinner service,
part Of Mrs Moloney's stock, which stood
in corner on the floor.
: The widow, hearing the crash, smashed
q chair on Tins back, whereupon Mrs,
Casey took her by tho hair. and the tive
women fell into some miscellaneous lots In
another corner. Then tho ncighbors oomt
IN and took indiscriminate sides, and mat
ters generally hummed for short time.
Eventually Tim got an inkling Of tn.
difficulty, told them TO be quiet and mar
rated all the circumstances, TO tho gres.
relief, Joy and amusement Of all the par
tes. ~ ~ sl.s4.eE +& tH4O q.
A pailfui Of water and Q yard or two o.,
sticking plaster, with few pins for the
women, quickly - things smooth and
smiling. Mrs Moloney made them all
welcome, and soon Aberal supplies Of whis
~, porter and tobacco were formulated
Additional candles were Lit, illuminating
n0uily the front shop, whose contents
eeemcd The cmbodiment Of the confused
thoughts Of tho sucsts-tables stacked
with their legs In the air, cane chairs hang
Ing on the walls, blank gaseNers suspend
Cd from the ceiling, while lighted lamp
stood on the noor 70 prevent stumbling
Into the business portion Of the estabiish.
nncnt and oil went merrily. Ma Moloney
for one brief ecstatic moment eat on Mats
kneo, but they wcro sevcrally picked Ut
and revived, though the chair was pnlycr.
tsed, and Mat sang the "varses" which
Tim had produced fron his pocket alona
With tho card
Tim had nYslauded vrcr,x aca -. a.