Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-06-21

THE FACE PAT PAID FOR
By ALBERT ]. KLINCk


will, is that we're mithers fa-ace?"
Pat asked. "Oi say, is that yere
mither'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 blond her, didn't
he? Will, Oh suppose it did But Old
ruther have her blond than with such
a mug. In all me loife Oh niver saw
a fa-ace loike that He's got to ta-ake
it off, Mary, Oh tell we. Oh won't
stand it."
Mary sat down and held her head in
her hands.
Honest, now, Mary" persisted Pat,
did we liver see SIGH a fa-ace?"
Its awful, it's 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, "d'you
hear? She's calm, 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.
1t was getting dark now. The trees
about the doorstep threw that region
into deeper gloom. AS they sat there
Pat and Mary heard sounds from with
in. They crouched closer together.
Both were shaking from head to foot.
And when they beheld. framed in the
doorway, the familiar figure bearing
that awful face, they skunk away in
mortal terror. When they reached
the bench by the pump they sunk
breathlessly down upon it.
"Oi say, Mary, Mary, where be We?
Pat! Pat! come loight the lamp. 1t
must be tonne fur me med cine. Mary!
Mary! Nary"
The words came to them, striking a
chill to their hearts
Finally Pat became emboldened.
ITS moo use, Mary" he said. "Oi
got to go and foind out about 1t. But
Oill niver be satisfied Mither's got
to have dacent fa-ace, or no fa-ace
at all. Oh won't pay rid clint fur SIGH
a-fur-sich-a-
The words died away as he moved
toward the open doorway, through
which there now fell the feeble rays of
the low-turned lamp. From a distance
he could look in, and there, seated at
the table, was the wellkGown figure,
the hideous countenance. The lamp
light made it look still more horri-
ble
While Pat was gazing Mary crept up
to him. and together they continued to
look in silence.
Lets go In suggested Pat
Mary shook her head.
Come on" said Pat, "T'll lade the
way and face the face of her."
So they went in, like two culprits,
stealthily.
Where wuz ye?" Mary's mother
asked. AN why didn't We come whin
Oh called?"
Neither answered. While they stood
u NhAOtAAS WI .. hulQOOu SlOWly ldlOCQ
her hands and removed the cause of all
their fear, laying it upon the table be-
side her.
''Oh, OH" gasped Pot, praise be to
Godi It's falst fa-acei"
Mary heaved sigh of relief at sight
Of the familiar cotton-battiug with
which her mothers face had been COW
cred for the past week.
''Was you fur foolin' us, mother?' she
asked.
Twas a good jo-oke," Pat said,
and began to laugh boisterously.
Twas no jo-oke at ALL said his
wife sternly. "Oi'H have We under
stand Oh don't feel loike jo-okin.' .
When Pat heard this he ceased
laughing. The statement that it was
no joke aroused in him a new fear
Perhaps, after all, the face was not
false, perhaps
Pats wife arrested his further
thoughts by clapping the face into place
again.
THROW that thing out." he now ex-
claimed. "Oi won't be havin' it scarin'
the loife out O. me- T'row it out, Oh
say! D'you think we look noice with
it en-? Ye look worse than the divil.
What We wearin' it fur?"
'What'm Oh wearin' 1t fur?" repeated
Mrs Muldoon. What do We suppose
Dim wearin' it fur? It's to hold the
cotton-battin'. an the salye on ME
fa-ace. That's what Dim wearing it
fur. They have regular masks fur that
the docthor troied to git wan, but
couldn't, so he got this here falst face
It answers the purpose juisht as WE'LL"
"0i'm willia' to pay fur that face"
said Pat chuckling. From The Home
Magazine
A new railway has been built by