Evening star., 1901-12-28

fooled me that time. didn't YEP says
Jimmy.
Ills no use. see.' says the Lepra-
for says he.
g And Mag's smarter than me- says
Jimmy, so come along home with me and
We'll see what she says says he.
SO they went home, and when Mag
sees what Jimmy has. she just went wild,
for like all women, she had a thousand
wishes on the end of her tongue. But she
had wise head back of it.
Let's sit down ad talk this over Jim
my says She and I'll hold the coat tail
of the little man.
so down they sat and they talked and
talked and talked and at the end of an
hour they hadn't decided. The nearest thew
could come to it was Mag's suggestion:
Let's make it a mountain of goold.'
says she.
Jimmy being a careful man thought
No says he, ''twould be too hard
work keeping the thieves away, and we
haven't room for it in the cottage SAYS
he.
We'll says she. "a bushel of diamonds
as big as your head
Jimmy thought again." No, saws he.
they be so big nobody could wear EN-
ANA so they talked, and talked, and
talked for another hour, and were no near
er the wish then when they stharted. Re
this time the little divil of a Lepra haun
was gettin unaisy, for he had to be home
soon or else his wife would find he had
been passin' the time O. day with a beauti
ful fairy In the gooseberry bush. and if
she found that out, he knew what would
happen. it not being the first time, dye
mind
so he ups and says, says he. Jimmy
ODea, We are a powerful fine man and 'tis
the likes of ye as should getting something
big, so-providin' ye let me go at once,
dna I'LL not not only l give you one WISH but three.
Done cries Jimmy who was as quick
to see bargain as the next one.
Done cries the red Leprahaun, and
off he goes.
so there was Jimmy with his two wish
es and Mag with her one
Now yed think it was easy for them to
decide, wouldn't ye. Well, it wasn't, for be
Inis ,l ana De tnat, they wanted so much they
didn't think they could put it all in askin'.
And 50 they sat and pondhered and pond
hered. And they sat all Friday and Friday
night and Saturday and Saturday night,
grown pale WI the thinkin.' and paler and
paler. But they was stubborn, so they sat
on and on. They forgot to feed the chick
ems and milk the COWS, and by and by they
forgot to go to early mass. For twas Sun
themselves
Says Jimmy: Lets sthart for the church
and make our wishes before we get there
says he.
Lets says Mag, KNOWN a wise p,an
when she saw one.
And let's go be different wavs., saws
Jimmy SO We'll no be botherin' the other
with questions says he.
To be sure says Mag, and off they
went. '
Twas a fine mornin the same. but
Jimmy took no heed of that. No, he was
thinkin' of what he'd do with all his wealth.
for having the wish he was sure of the
money. He'd court the prettiest lass in the
parish, he'd have the finest clothes, and
new hrogans and hat for winter and sum
mer, and a new pipe, and a cigar now and
then on Sundays, perhaps. And so he went
on, furnishing himself and the cottage till
1t was like a palace and never big enough
to hold the things he put in it. And SO he
went on uphill and downhill, apast this
house and that house, till he came to the
lane which led to the church, and bedad
he hadn't made his wishes then
'All this time Mag was walking with her
back to Jimmy, which was goin' to church
the other way, and she was buying new
hats and shoes and ribbons for herself
and never thinking to wish the wish And
| so she went uphill and downhill, and past
| this house and that house, till she came to
| the lane which led to the church: and she
had not made her wish then.
AT the entrance to the lane there is the
cottage of the WILDLY Dougher, We mind.
| and the widow was at the doE. Mag being
a polite girl passed the time of morning.
" 'Tis fine. says the wildly. I'm after
walking about bit with my new mum. Did
| ye ever see anything like it. Mag?"
No. says Mag, admirin' it with her
woman's eyes. It's fine; wish had one
| like it,
'.Phist, No sooner had the words left her