Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-25
A WOMAN's QUICK WIT.
The Story of Saving Ireland by a
Pack of Cards.

From Iloyd's Weekly Newspaper.
In the year 1857 Queen Mary, at the in
stance of DIR. Cole, issued a commission
ordering immediate prosecution of the Pro-
testants Of Ireland. The commission duly
signed by the queen, was to be carried by
Dr. Cole himself, and, overjoyed at his
trust-for he was a relentless prosecutor
hated by Catholics and Protestants alike
he set off on December 10, 1911, promising
"a merry Christmas to Irish heretics" On
the way he had to stop one night at Ches-
ter, where he found lodgings in the house
of a Mrs. Edmonds. As queens messenger
and churchman of distinction, he was
visited by the mayor of the city, to whom
he boastingly said, Here is a commission
that shall lash the heretics," at the same
time drawing a box out of his cloakbag
and displaying the small square parcel the
commission formed.
Now 1t CHANGED that the landlady heard
what was said, and, as she was Protest
ant and had brother in Dublin, she was
much alarmed and upset. Not long before
she had been rating her son for gambling
| ana mad taken from him pack of cards
OF which he was the proud possessor. The
size OF the packet produced to the mayor
by Dr. Cole was exactly that of a pack of
cards, and gave the good woman an idea
OF now she might render the prosecutors
journey futile. Her chance came when the
mayor left and DR.. Cole with great cere-
mony, attended him downstairs to the door
to take leave. She quickly seized the box,
which was left upon the table, opened IL
TOOK out the commission, slipped off the oil
skin coverings and put them over the pack
of cards. which she placed in the box while
she put the commission in her pocket
when the doctor came back to his room
he mad no suspicion of what had happened
but put the box again into his cloaking and
next morning set forth on his Journey He
arrived IN Dublin on boxing day, and, hav-
ing notified his arrival at the castle Lord
Deputy F1tz-WalterS summoned the priyv
council to hear DR.. Coles mission TIL.
doctor made a long speech, in which he ex-
planned the object of his coming, and then
presented the leather box with its contents
to the lord deputy. When the deputy
opened 1t for the secretary to read the
commission mis- surprise and Dr. Coles con-
fusion may be imagined when nothing an
peared but pack of cards, with the kuaye
OF clupS laced uppermost. The doctor as
sureu the lord deputy and the council that
ne had a commission, but knew not how or
where II could be gone Then" said Fitz-
walters, you go back for another COM
mission and we will shuttle the cards in the
meanwhile The doctor withdrew in great
trouble of mind and eventually made his
way back to England. Here he was sound
ly rated and abused, and not till October
IooS, did he get the fresh commission With
this, however, he dallied some time before
starting, and just as he was about to sail
Marys death rendered il null and void
That is how, at Christmas time a nack
OF cards saved Ireland from the trouble of
persecution, and why the knave of clubs
was for a long time known as 'IreIand's
friend Elizabeth Edmonds, who burned
the commission, was soon afterward mar
r1ed to man named Mathershead and
queen Elizabeth, sending for the two to
court, gave them pension of $40 a wear
LOT trumping the trick of her enemy