The Florence daily tribune., 1899-01-27
MRS. 0'GRADY WATCHES
Mo,ooh, the Great Dane, Helps.
Bad Cess to Him.
NoUNG SAMUEL PERKINS and his
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sister Sarah were both away at a
L0use party. Corde1ia, the maid, and
Helen, the cook had begged this par
ticular night of fer month in advance,
on the plea that they were to be brides
maids at the wedding of CordeIia's sis
ter. Mrs. Perkins knew when they
asked that the ATion ball must be set
or that particular Friday night. Cor
elias and Helen's relatives always Sc
ccted the same night for their we'd
iiuCs as that on which the Arion fes-
yities were held. Father and Mother
Perkins also had planned to take part
their annual poker game with the
Petersons on that identical night al the
.'Ctcrsons' home. This disposition OF
he household, however. would leave no
enc in the house except Moloch, the
Great Dane. Up to the time of the oc-
,urrcnces here chronicied Moloch had
never been credited with any particu-
lar intelligence. In this emergency the
Perkinscs summoned Mrs. O'Grady.
She arrived at six o'clock and was in
structed to keep the fires burning in the
study. the kitchen range and the
furnace and to open a third-story win
dow and yell bloody murder if anyone
not known to her as member of the
household attempted TO get into thc
house.
All these things Mrs. O'Grady cheer
Ily promised to do. She laid her bon
.ct and umbrella in the middle of the
"ring-room table, hung her cloak on
he hall rack and set her overshoes or
ne study hearth to dry. She surveyed
me premises over with evident apprCva
snd pride. She saw the Perkinses out
the door with as much ceremony Il.
&c they were the guests and she the pre-
prietor.
MY dear" said Mrs. Perkins TO Sam
uel the elder as they stood on the corner
waiting for car, Mrs. O'Grpdy l.
such a comfort. If only that silly Coc
doesn't take fright from a stranger be
ing in the house and jump out Of =
window or something, am sure. aren'.
rou?"
"Of course | am" said Samuel, whJ
vas so well acquainted with Mrs.
'erkins that he never wasted time ask
ug her to fill out hiatus.
At half-past five o'clock the next
uorning the Pcrkinses approached
heir home once more. Before NJ
Perkins hand reached the knob III,
locr opened and Mrs. O'Grady marched
ut upon them.
Good morning, Bridget" said Mrs
Perkins, pleasantly.
ITS divil "A word of good morning
ave to say to you. Mis- Perkins, re
lied Mrs. o'Grady with surprising
auteur.,
Why, Bridget" said Mr.. Perkins, oh.
crving the utter dumfounding of Mrs
'erkins. What is il? ?"
We'll may We ask what is it?'" she
aid, standing on the sidewalk and
nrandishing the umbrella at him.
Well may ye ask, you who keep the
divils own dog Ia worrit the soul of q
respectable lady that until the present
day had no thought but of the greatest
respect for you and all your family"
"Ye black-faced, red-eyed long
toothed, lazy vilyun," she scrcE1n.,l
with suddenly increased venom.
Bridget, how dare you speak to Mr.,
Perkins 500" said Mrs. Perkins
"0idare spake to amy manas place"
| half screamed Mrs O'Grady, but Oi
was not regardip' the man, but the
| baste!'
The Perkinscs looked down and saw
that Moloch, the dog, stood between
them. There was Il drawing up of ,,lc
left side of his upper lip that suggested
satirical grin, otherwise his face was
as stupid as ever.
What in the world has the dog done,
Bridget?" asked Mrs. Perkins. "Did
he bite you?"
Bite! Let The baste try onct to do
it,"
She lowered her tone from that of
wild denunciation to that of spirited
| narration
''Sit We both down. she said, whilst
I tell ye the tale of what the baste has
done by way of putting insult and bodi-
y misery on me this night"
Side by side the Perkinses sat on the
top step and the dog sat behind them
and blinked serenely over their heads.
THE two of yez," began Mrs.
O'Grady, went out of the house amt
left me alone in il but for the two girls,
and they went soon after. had looked
to the fires and they needed no tending.
The windows they were all down ans
bolted, | went to the top floor, and the
door TO the roof it was likewise shut
and bolted. So then | sat meself down
by the lamp in the parlor with me lace
work, for there was naught else to do,
andit was too carly to think Of sleeping.
had no sooner set down than up comes
that same divil's baste that sits behind
ye now, for ali the world as il lie were
presuming TO Judge a human beings
conduct He set down before me and
| then he laid down and turned his bad
red eyes up to me. And he never took
'em off, | would have paid no attention
to him, but he annoyed me so. So at
last | says to him, says /: