The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-13

passage, knowing well that a hundred
hidden eyes were on him the while. For
dozen nights after it was the same.
At another time Maureen said:
"The King himself is going to thry you
hard the day, so beware!" She had no
sooner said the words than Darby was
called for and went up to the King.
Darby, my sowl,' says the King, in a
sootherin' way, "have this noggin of
punch betther never was brewed: it's
the last we'll have for many a day. I'm
going to set you free, Darby O'Gill, that's
what / am.
why, King, says Darby, putting on a
mournful face, "how have L offended YEP
mo offense at all, says the King,
''only we're depriving you
mo depravity in hfe!" says Darby Il
have lashins and lavings to ate and to
drink and nothing but fun an divarsion
all day long Out in the worruld it was
nothing but work and throuble and sick
ness, disappointment and care.
but Bridget and the childher?" says
the King, giving him sharp look out OF
haft-shut eNeS.
"Oh, as for that, King" says Darby,
''it's aisier for a widow to get husband
or NOR orphans to find father than it is
FOR them to pick up a sovereign day"
The King looked mighty satisfied and
smoked for while without a sword.
Would you mind goin' out an evenin
now and then, helpin' the boys to mind
the cows?' be asked at last.
Darby feared to trust himself outside in
their company.
"Well, I'll tell we how it is, replied my
brave Darby. Some of the neighbors
might see me, and spread the report on
me that I'm with the fairies and that'd
disgrace Bridget and the childher,'' he
says.
The King knocked ashes from his pipe
You're a wise man, besides being the
height of good company, says he, an
it's sorry l am you didn't take my word,
for then we would have you always, at
Taste till the Day of Judgment, when-but
that's nayther here nor there! Howso
never We'll bother you about it no
more"
From that day they tbrated him as one
of their own.
1t was nearly five months after that
Maureen plucked Darby by the coat and
led him off to lonely spot.
Eve got the word" she says.
N"Have you. faith. What is it?" saws
Darby, all of thrimble.
Then she whispered word so blasphay-
nous, so irrayligious that Darby blessed
himself. When Maureen saw him making
the sign, she fell down in a fit, the holy
emblem hurt her so, poor child.
Three hours after this me bould Darby
was sitting at his own fireside talking to
Bridget and the childher. The neighbors
were hurrying to him down every road
and through every field, carrying armfuls
of holly bushes, as he had sent word for
them to do. He knew we'll held have
fierce and savage visitors before morn
ing.
After they had come with the holly he
had them make circle of it so NICK
around the house that fly couldn't walk
through without touching a twig or leaf
But that was not all. They made a second
ring of holly outside the first, so that
the house sat in two great wreaths. one
wreath around the other The outside
ring was much the bigger and left a good
space between it and the first, with room
for ever so many people to stand there.
1t was like the inner ring, except for a
little gate, left open as though by acct
dent, where the fairies could walk in.
But it wasn't an accident at all, only
the wise plan of Maureen's; for near by
this little gap, in the outside wreath, lay
a sprig of holly with bit of Irvine tied
to it. Then the Irvine ran along up to
Darby's house, and in through the win
dow, where its ind lay convaynient to his
hand. A little pull on the Irvine would
drag the stray piece of holly into the gap
and close tight the outside ring.
Well, anyway these things were hardly
finished and fixed when the dusky brown
of the hills warned the neighbors of twi-
light and they scurried like frightened
rabbits to their homes.
Only one among them all had courage
to sit inside Darby's house waiting the
dreadful visitors, and that one was Bob
Broderick. III
For some rayson or other the Good
People were long in coming Ten o'clock
struck. thin eleven, afther that twelve,
and not sound from the outside Within
the minute "a thousand rustling voices
sprung from outside. Through the win
dow. in the clear moonlight, Darby mark
ed weeds and grass being trampled by in
visible feet beyond the furthest ring of
holly.
Suddenly broke a great cry. The gap
III the first ring was found. Signs were
plainly seen of uncountable$ feet rushing
through and spreading about the nearer
wreath, Afther that howl of madness
from the little men and women. Darby
had pulled his Irvine and the trap was
closed, with five thousand of the Good
People entirely at his mercy
Princes, princesses, dukes, dukesses,
earls,, earlesses, and all the quality OF
Sleive-na mon were prisoners. Not more
than dozen of the last to come escaped
and they flew back to tell teh King
For an hour they ragged. All the bad
names ever called 10 mortal man We're
given free, but Darby said never wod
"Pickpocket!" "Sheep-staylcr! Muarth-
erin thafe of a blaggard." were the soft
est words trun at him.
BY an by, howsumever, as it begun to
grow near to cock-crow, their talk grew a
great dale civiler Then came Begin,
pladin, promisin', AMI enthratin' but the
doors of the house still stayed shut an
its windows down.
Purity soon Darby's old rooster Terry
came down from his perch, yawned, an,