Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-11-05
Pat Cronin and the
ForeteIIin' Lady
BY ELLIS Parker BUTLER
(Copyright, by J. B. Lippincott Coz

copyright py y. q. Applncott CoJ
Once there lived in Ireland, when all
of us was young, lady that had the
gift of foretellin' what would come to
pass, and the knowledge OF all kinds
of magic, both black and white and
mixed; but trade was poor with her,
for she could foretell only the unlucky
things, and not the good ones, and
that is poor way to build up a fore
tellin' business. as many told her.
But over behind the hill lived one
man that was not afraid Of the worst
she could foretell, for he was married
to Maggie Murphy, and it was saying
in that part of the country that any
one that dared to marry Maggie Muir
ply would be afraid of nothing what
ever, and that whatever happened ne
would be glad of it.
So Pat Cronin-and that was the
poor fellows name-went to the fore
tellin' lady to find out what she could
foretell, him having been married to
Maggie Murphy going on a month and
feeling that foretell of sudden death
would be the best news she could fore
tell to him, sudden death being quick
er than the kind he was getting at
the end Of broom.
The foretellin' lady, trade being SO
poor with her, was glad to see him,
and gave him the best seat she had,
which was all the same with the
worst. there being only one, and took
his hand and immediate began to weep
tears as big as chestnuts.
Wurroo!" she cries. az see be tn
lines of yer palm ye are Maggie Muir
phys man, and tits bad luck ye have
ahead Of ye."
"I had an intimation of tn same
mesilf, ma'am." says Pat, no bit scared ;
ego on, ma'am, and tell me the truth
of it."
"Well, then" says the fortellin'
lady, 81 see by the lines Of yer palm
that ye will have as many children
as ye have fingers and toes"
At that Pat Cronin fell into dead
faint, and it was twenty-four hours be-
fore he came to himself.
When Pat, with the tears stream
ing down his face, told Maggie the
words of the foretellin' lady, she was
glad, for she was that fond of chill
dren!
praise bel" she said. "'Twill be
a grand family we will be havin', Pat,
wild as many as ye have fingers and
toes, for ye have five fingers on one
hand and five on the next, and five
toes on each foot, and, whether ye add
or multiply or divide, tits twinty 1t
makes"
81 was always the unlucky crea-
ture," says Pat, who liked children no
better than a pig likes a ring in its
nose.
"'Twill be grand thing t. have
twinty sons and darters t. care for me
whin I'm DID," says Maggie. 9Th
first would likely be a thumb, and a
boy, and tn name fer him will be
Patrick, for will have him christened
nothin' else but after his father"
bad cess t. him!" says Pat.
"And tn next would be girl, be-
like" says Maggie, land she will
be christened Mary, after me mother .
"Say no more" said Pat hopeless
ly; "mebby tn foretell will not come
true"
"And tn next will be Larry" says
Maggie, afther me own dad, bless
his SOUL"
al was born on Friday" says Pat,
land tn bad luck follies me-"
Don't We think Bridget w'u'd be a
fine name for tn next girl?" asks
Maggie, quite cheerful.
"Ten fingers have" says Pat, with
a sigh, "and not duck in tn world
that has any! And ten toes I have
and a horse has but one on each
foot!"
"That's four" says Maggie-mean-
| ing the children she had found names
for, and not the number OF toes a
horse has" and five," she says, count.
ing them off on her fingers, will be
Michael, and six will be Anne, and
seven will be Terry, and eight will be
Maggie, and nine will be Dennis, and
tin will be Lizzie, and that's all tn
fingers"
"'Tis plinty," says Pat "and any
man that wants more is a born fool. -
"And for the toes" says Maggie, as
pleased as boy in pig-killing time,
"elivin will be Garry, and twilve will
be Gerty, and thirteen will be
John"