Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-01

"Hilloa!" says Dan, says he, who are
you, good man? or what are ye? or what's
yer arrand with me?"
I'm Death" says the skeleton bein',
and my arrand with you is to tell We that
yer time has come to go with me-"
"Phew!' says Dan, says he. with a bit Of
a whistle. SIS that the way OF it?"
THAT'S the way Of it," says Death. says
he Are ye ready to come along?"
II am" says Dan, eff ye only wait till I
put me things into the budget 1 might
need it."
$50 Dan gathered into his budget all his
Instruments, and slingin' it over his
J shoulder, told Death he was now ready,
and to come on. Out Death and Dan then
started, and trudged away. But they hadn't
gone far when Dan stopped and told Death
he had wan request to ak of him.
What is 5ft?" says Death.
Its this" says Dan. well be meetin'
many Of my neighbors as we go along, and
many people that knows mel don't mean
any manner Of disrespect to you, but you
know your looks aren't just the handsomest
an I'd sooner ye weren't seen in my COM
pany."
well, what can I do?" says Death. "It
l part you 1 might have throuble catchin'
We again, for ye're very thricky. Dan Ma
loney, as all the wurrl' knows"
81 don't ak ye to part me-" says Dan, 81
only ak ye to transform yerself into very
small and light bulk, and go into my budget
and remain there as we CO."
III do anything to oblige We, Dan" says
Death.
80 he thereupon thransformed himself
into a very small bulk, and very light
weight, and went into Dams budget.
81 wish ye luck, me lad says Dan,
when ye get out of there
1.-THE first lodgin' house Dan came til he
put up at, and hung the budget by his bed
stead till mornin'. Next mornin' he started
off again, and didn't thravel far till he
came to where three men were quarryin'
stones. Dan went Until the quarry to them,
an layin' down the budget on a rock, axed
the men to come and bring their sledges
an sledge the budget for him.
"Bekase why?' says the men.
"'Bekase l have got the devil in IT, says
Dan.
"And when the three lads larnt the divil
was in the budget they lost little time, but
were lammerin at it tooth and nail with all
their might and the weightiest sledges they
possessed.
Every sillendher they come down on the
budget poor Death kicked and screamed for
all he was worth inside. And this made the
men lay on their blows thicker and faster
and harder every time.
Death bounced and danced inside and
yelled and roared, and cried out to them and
to Dan to show mercy. But Dan allowed
them to whack away and sledge away, he
standin' by ~enjoyin' the thing with all his
might, till the sweat rolled off them in
dhrops as big as pigeon eggs. and the arms
of them WAS Rettin' tired and weak.
"Then Dan made terms with Death, that
II Death would let him OFF for a year and a
day longer he'd let him out OF the budget,
This Death agreed to and Dan let him out,
and he went of limpin' and rubbin' his
sores.
dan, he went back lone and wrought for
a year and a day longer, and lived as happy
all that time as ever he had done in his life
afore. And again, on a night that Dan was
seated upon the floor, mendin' or maxim
some article, he suddenly looked up, ana saw
Death standin over him.
"'Hilloa!' says Dan, It's welcome ye
are
81 hope so,' says Death. Are ye ready to
come along with me?'
always ready says Dan, says he, when
a gintleman calls. I'm with ye in a jiffey.'
$50, when Dan had tidied and thrigged up
things, and slung his budget on his back,
himself and Death started out wanst more.
~ have Just bare one request to ak OF ye,'
says Dan. when they got outside the door.
land what is that?' says Death.
1T is says Dan, that afore partin' 1t
forever should like to have with me wan
apple OF my little apple three in the garden
there-would you mind pluckin' me wan?'
Why. sartinly not says Death. And
In he went to pluck Dan the apple But be-
hold ye! When he caught hold CT II, his
hand stuck fast 30 that apple. and the apple
to It's branch, and there was Death wrig-
Gin and pullin' thryin' to get free and Dan
Maloney standin' lookin' on smilin'-but IL
Death was pullin' and sthTiyin' from then
TIL now he wouldn't nave been an inch