The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-13


been stolen at some time by the Good
People. He saw lots of people there
from every parish in Ireland, both
commoners and gentry. Each was
laughing, talking and divarting himself
with another. Off to the sides he could
see small cobblers making brogues,
thinkers mending pans, tailors sewing
cloth, smiths hammering horSeshoes,
everyone merrily to his trade, max
ing divarsion out of work.
Down near the center Of the mountain
was room twenty times higher and
broader than the biggest church in the
worruld. AS they drew near this room
there arose the sound of reel played
on bagpipes. The music was so be-
witching that Darby, who was the
gracefullest reel dancer in all Ireland,
could hardly make his feet behave
themselves.
Al the rooms edge Darby stopped
short and caught his breath, the
sight was so enhancing. Set over
the broad floor were thousands and
thousands of the Good People, facing
this way and that, dancing to reel:
while on a throne in the middle of the
room sat ould Brian Connors, King OF
the Fairies, blowing on the bagpipes.
L
on his head wearing beautiful green
velvet coat and red knee-breeches,
sat with his legs crossed, beating
time with his foot to the music.
There were many from Darby's own
parish; and what was his surprise to
see there Maureen McGibney, his own
wife's sister, whom he had supposed
! resting dacintly in her own grave in
/ holy ground these three years.
AS tould you before, tell you again,
Darby was the finest reel-dancer in
all Ireland and he came from a
family of dancers, though 1 say 1t
! who shouldn't, as he was my mothers
| own cousin. Three things in the
! worruld Danish sorrow-love and
| whiskey and music. So, when the sur
| prise of it all melted little. Darby s
| feet led him to the thick of the throng
right under the throne of the King
where he flung care to the winds and
put his heart and mind into his two
nimble feet. Darby's dancing was
such that purity soon those around
stood still to admire.
| 1t wasn't long till half the dancers
crowded around, admiring, clappins
| their hands, and shouting encourage
ment. The ould King grew so ex-
cited that he laid down the pipes, took
up his fiddle, came down from the
| throne, and standing feminist Darby
began a finer chune than the first.
| The dancing lasted whole hour, nc
one speaking word except to cry out
Foot it, We diviii" "Aisy now, he's
| treading on fiowers!" 'Hooroo! hooroo!
hooray!" Then the King stopped ane
| said:
well, that bates Banagher, and
| Banagher bates the wDrruld! Who
| are you and how came you here?"
Then Darby up and tould the whole
story.
when he had finished, the King look
ed SPURIOUS. I'm glad you came. an
I'm sorry you came" he says. IF we
had put our charm on you outside to
bring you in you'd never die till the int
of the worruld, when we here must gt
| to hell But he added, quickly
| there's no use in worrying about thai
now.Those willing to come with us can't
come at all, at all; and here you are o.
/ your own free act and will. Howsomevel
you're here, and we darn't let you gt
outside to tell others of what you have
| seen, and so give us a bad name abou
about taking things, you know. Wei
| make you as comfortable as We can
and so you won't worry about Bridge
and the childher. I'll have goole
sovereign left with them every day o.
their lives But I wish we had comet
| Their on you," he says, with sigh, "fol
it's aisy to see you're great company
That's how Darby O'Gill began hi
six months stay with the Good PEG
pie. Not a thing was left undone tt
| make Darby contented and happy.
civiler people than the Good Peopl,
he never met. At first he couldn't &c
| over saying, God save all here" ant
God save you kindly" and things lik'
that, which was like burning then
with a hot iron.
| If it weren't for Maureen McGibne!
Darby would be a Sleive-na- a
this hour. On day when they TIVE
were sitting alone together she said t.
| him:
DARBY, DEAR" says she, II
\ isn't right for a dacint man of famil!
| to be spending his days cayortin' ant
| idlin' and film the hours with spor
| and nonsense"
'sThrue for yet" moaned Darby, @ant
| my heart is just splittin' for a sight O
Bridget an the childher."
II know well how you feel say
Maureen, for I'd give the world to sa,
| three words to Bob Frederick, since "
tell me that out of grief for me he ha.