The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-05-31
Seleet Storp.
THE FACE PAT PAID FOR.
BY ALBERT J. KLINCK.

enormous forehead, the awful nose, the
grinning mouth, the hideous cheekbones.
And Pat was not crazy, nor was he lntoxi-
Gated.
Rational as he was, he did not believe
his own senses. And, going back once
more, he peered through the half-opened
door at the strange figure in the armchair.
He was more startled now to find that
everything but the face belonged to his
wife. There was the lowered waist she
had worn when he left in the morning;
there was the same snowy kerchief about
her neck; there was the same skirt; and
there, clasped upon its somber folds,
were-yes, those were his wife's hands.
Of this he Was as certain as that two and
two are four Even the cloth slippers
protruding from beneath the skirt belonged
to his wife. But the face-oh, that awful
face! Yes, his wife was sick, but no dis
ease could distort human countenance
into the grotesque one that was most GER
tainly his wife.
Pat went out on the doorstep and pom
dered. Then he went and sat on the
bench by the pump. From there he moved
to an old stump opposite the widow at which
the strange being was seated. He tried
to look in, but tangled growth Of vines
prevented this. So he advanced cautious
ly, and when he reached the window he
peeked through into the room. There it
still sat, solemn, stolid, awful. Pat made
hasty retreat. He sat down on the
doorstep again.
He began to wonder where Mary, his
daughter, had gone. Why had she left
cit that's what he now began to term
the figure in the armchair-alone? He
had cautioned her before he left, telling
her to be sure to remain constantly at his
wife $ side This awful catastrophe would
not have occurred had she needed what he
told her. Well, how could anything like
it happen, anyway? Pat ran his fingers
through his hair. How could his wife get
another face? How could? Pat swore
under his breath and went back to the old
stump again.
At length Mary came sauntering down
the road. She had parcel or two in her
arms. These she placed upon the step
beside her father, and then asked how her
mother was feeling.
"Why didn' ye sthay to homer Pat
asked. Then with true Irish abruptness
he added. "Yer mither's lost her head.
She's gone. Ye got"
But Mary listened no longer. Her
shrill voice rose in wild weeping at hearing
her father say she no longer had mother,
and she rushed up the stairs and into the
house.
Pat sat on musing, and of a sudden an
awful shrek came from within the house.
A moment later Mary, her face white, her
eyes staring, almost fell out of the door
way into his arms. She was bordering on
Mysteries.
"Did ye iver in your loife see sich
lookin' -mither?' Pat asked.
cit amt mother" Mary sobbed, ''it
ain t mother. But it's her dress, and
and-her hands But her face! Oh, it
ain t mother, it can't be mother!'
"It' s mither all but the-the fa-ace,"
Pat declared. "But how did she git that
fa-ace? Did ye iver see wan loike it? It's
enough to scare the divii himself. -
Mary clung to her father. 81 had to
60 to the store" she began by way of ex-
PLANTATION. 81 went just as the doctor
came in so mother wouldn't be alone for
long. | hurried as much as could. Oh,
if hadn't only gone, if | hadn't only
gone!' ''Yis, yis, said Pat, ''if you d
"a sthayed at home, you could "a seen
how it happened anyway, even if ye
couldn't "a stopped it. Mary, you don't
think-No. Oi don't think mesilf they
could gra-aft anither head on; do ye?
Shtill, they do wonderful things these days.
If the doctor did put it on, whoy didn't
he put on dacent one? Oh bet he put on
the worsht one in the lot. Oi won't pay
for it, Mary, no, Oi won't pay fur it, not
till L m satisfied. He's got to put on
better lookin' fa-ace than that before he
gifts amy money out me: Oh tell ye. Did
ye iver see sich for-ead? And sich a
nose! It's plashtered all over the ia ace.
The mouth is laughin' all the tonne. Oi
don't want face loike that that grin
min all the tonne. He's got to put on
dacent one, or he don't git no pay"
Pat folded his arms and threw back his
head.
''He couldn't do it." Mary now said;
''no, he couldn't put on different face"
"Will, is that yere mither's fa-ace p
Pat asked. "Oi say, is that yere mith-
er s fa-ace?'
Mary had to acknowledge it was not.
"And the rist of it's your mither, amt
it?'' he further questioned.
Mary had to acknowledge it was.
"Will, there you be- Pat said. ''The
docthor said the poison oivy moight git in
her oiyes and bloind her, didn't he? Will,
Oi suppose it did. But Old ruther have
her bloind than with such mug. In all
me loife Oh niver saw fa-ace loike that.
He's got to ta-ake it off, Mary, Oh tell ye
Oh won't stand it,
Mary sat down and held her head in her
hands.
"Honest, now, Mary persisted Pat,
"did ye iver see sich fa-aceT'
"It's awful, it awful, she moaned.
The next moment they almost fell off
the steps from fright. Some one called
Mary. 1t was her mothers voice.
"D' you hear?'' Pat whispered, you
hear? She's callin' and with that-that
fa-ace. But it's her voice. Amt it,
Mary?'
They listened. Once, twice, three
times they heard it call Mary. There was
no mistaking that voice.
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