The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-06
(Continued.i

(Continued.i
 '1 am not i'll Joy-in the way you
 mean. Indeed I was never in better
 physical health in my life.' She said
 this with grave primness. The girl | laughed outright:
 | Why on earth Aunt Judy, if you're
 well, do you go to bed a ten o'clock in | the morning?" Miss Hayes was not
 in her eye as she said with mani | festedly exaggerated dignity!"
 You forget my dear. that I am an | old maidi"
 with it? But anyhow you are not an
 old maid. You are only forty!'
 Not forty. Joy! Only forty, indeed
 My dear child when that unhappy | period comes a single lady is put on
 the shelf-out of reach of all masculine | h .nauity. For my part I have made up my mind to climb up there. of my | own accord. before the virginal under | takers come for me. I am in for it any how; and I want to play the game as well as I can"
 | Joy bent down and kissed her affec- tionately. Then taking her face be- tween her strong young hands. and looking steadily in her eyes, she said: Aunt Judy you are not an old any thing. You are a deal younger than l am. You mustn't get such ideas into
 you head. And even if you do you mustn't speak them. People would be- | gin to believe you. What is forty any howl" The other answered sententious- ly:
 What is forty? Not old for wife: Young for a widow! Death for
 maid,'
 Really Aunt Judy" said the girl smiling lone would think you wish to
 be an old maid. Even I know better than that-and father thinks I am younger and more ignorant than the yellow chick that has just pecked its way out of the shell. The woman has not yet been born-nor ever will be who wants to be an old maid.' Judith Hayes raised herself on one elbow and said calmly:
 or young one. my dear" Then as if pleased with her epigram she sank back on her pillow with smile. Joy paused; she did not know what to say. A diversion came from the stewardess who had all the time stood in the doorway waiting for some sort of instructions:
 'Bedad. Miss Hayes it's to Ireland ye ought to come. A lovely young lady like yerself-for all yer 1abber about an ould maid iv forty-wouldn't be let beyant Queenstown, let alone the Mall in Cork. Bedad if ye was in Athlone it's the shllelaghs that would be out an the byes all f1ghtin' for who'd get the hould on to ye first. Whisper me. now. is it coddin' us ye be doin' or what?" Joy turned round to Ter. her face all dimpled with laugh ter, and said:
 That's the way to talk to her Mrs. OBrien. You just take her in hand; and when we get to Queenstown find some nice big Irishman to carry her off,"
 ''Bedad will! An sorra the shtrug- gle she'd make agin it anyhow I'm thinkin'!" Aunt Judy laughed:
 Joy" she said you'd better be careful yourself or maybe she'd put on some of her bachelor press-gang to abduct you.''
 Don't you be onaisy about that ma'am." said Mrs. OBrien quietly I've fixed that already! When seeH Miss Joy came down the companion shtairs sez to mese1f: There's only wan man in Ireland-an that's in all the wurrld-that's good enough for you, me darlin'. And he'll have you I for sure or I'm a gandherp'
 'Indeed!" said Joy. blushing in spite of herself And may I be permitted to know my ultimate destination in the way of matrimony? You won't think me fnquisitive or presuming I trust" Her eyes were dancing with the fun of the thing. Mrs. O'Brien laughed which was infectious:
 ''Wid all the plisure in life Miss. | Shure there's only the wan, an him | the finest and beautifullest young man ye ever laid yer pritty- eyes on. An himan Earrl, more betoken; wid more | miles iv land iv his own then there | does be pitaties in me ould fathers | houldin! Musha. he's the only wan that dL dll 10 CaRo yer SWdte SelI in his charrger'
 ''H'm! Quite condescending of him I am sure. And now what may be his | sponsorial and patronymic appella- tfves?" Mrs. O'Brien at once became grave. To an uneducated person, and more especially an Irish person, an unknown phrase is full of mystery. It makes the listener feel small and dis concerted, touching the personal pride which is so marked a characteristic of all degrees of the Irish race. Joy, with the quick understanding which was not the least of her endowments, saw hastened to set matters right before the chagrin had time to bite deep:
 Forgive me. but that was my fun. What meant to ask are the names Master?" The stewardess answered heartily. the ruffle of her face soften ing into an amiable smile:
 "Amn't I tellin' ye mis. Shure there is only the wanp'
 And who may he be?'
 . "F'aix he may ebe anything. It's a King or a Kazer or an Imperor or a Czaar he'd be if I had the ordherin' iv ourable the Earl av Athlyne. Lord Liftinant av the County iv Roscommon ana jcol!''
 "Oh. and Irishman!" said Miss Judy Miss OBrien snorted: her national pride was hurt:
 An IrishmanI God be thanked he is. But me Lady. av it'll blaze ye bet aher he's an Englishman too, an a Welshman an a Scotchman as wellI Oh, tn injustice t Ireland. Him born in Roscommon. an yit a Scotchman they call him bekase his biggest title s Irishv'
 Mrs. O'Brien, that's all nonsense" said Miss Judy tartly. We may be Americans: but we've not to be played ; for suckers for al lthat! How can a have an Irish title?'' ]
 That's all very we'll Miss Hayes yous American is very cliver; but yez { don't know everything. An I may be ( an ignorant ould fool: but I'm not so ignorant as ye think. ayther. Wasn't ] there a Scotchman thit was marrid on ( the granddaughter iv Duane Victory nersilf-An Arril begob, what owned the size iv a counthry in Scotland. An Jim all the time wid an Irish Errldom, ill they turned him into a Sassenach De makin' him a Juke- Begorrai isn't ( t proud tn ould Laady should ha' l ,een to git an Irishman iv any kind { 'or the young girrli Shure an isn't f Athlyne as good as Fife and day. f I,4 I