Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-02-18

PatCrorlizl and the
ForetelIin' Lady
BY ELLIS PARKER BUTLER

pass, and the KNOWLEDGE VI Oh
of magic, both black and WHITE ana
mixed; but trade was poor with her'
for she could foretell only the uniucky
things, and not the good Ones ana
that is a poor way to build UP lore
teIlin' 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 he
would be glad of it.
So Pat Cronin-and that was the
Door fellows name-went to the fore
tellin' lady to find out what she could
foretell, him having been married 10
Maggie Murphy going on month and
feeling that foretell Of sudden deatn
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 MN,
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. I see be tn
lines of yer palm We are Maggie Muir
phys man, and it's bad luck We have
ahead ofeye."
"I had an intimation of tn same
| mesilf, ma'am," says Pat, no bit scared;
ego or ma'am, and tell me the truth
of it,
"Wen, then" says the fortellin'
lady, al see by the lines Of yer palm
that We will have as many children
as we have fingers and toes"
! At that Pat Cronin fell into dead
faint, and 1t 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 BET" she said. "'Twill be
a grand family we will be havin', Pat
wild as many as ye have fingers anc
toes, for We have five fingers on one
hand and five on the next, and five
toes on each foot, and, whether ye ado
or multiply or divide, tits twlnty L
makes"
az was always the unlucky crea
ture," says Pat, who liked children M
better than a pig likes a ring in it
nose.
"'TwilI be a grand thing t have
twinty sons and darters t. care for M
whin I'm DID," says Maggie. Tn
first would likely be thumb, and
bow. and TIL name fer him will b
Patrick, for l will have him christene
nothin' else but after his father"
"Bad cess t. hi1n." says Pat.
And tn next would be girl, be
like" says Maggie, and she wi
be christened Mary, after me mother
"Say no more" said Pat hopeless
". "mebby TIL foretell will not com
true"
+ "And tn next will be Larry" say
Maggie, aIIneF Ae O"H u@u' ~
his soul"
al was born on Friday" says Pa
land tn bad luck follies me-"
"Don't We think Bridget w'u'd be
> fine name for tn next girl?" ash
Maggie, quite cheerful
"Ten fingers have" says Pat, wit
- a sigh, "and not duck in tn Worr
that has any! And ten toes l hav
and a horse has but one on eae
foot!"
"That's four" says Maggie-mea
ing the children she had found name
for. and not the number of toes
/ horse has" and fve," she says, cour
ing them off on her fingers, will
4 Michael, and six will be Anne, al
] seven will be Terry, and eight will
1 Maggie, and nine will be Dennis, al
/ tin will be Lizzie, and that's all t
1 fingers"
= otis plinty," says Pat, "and al
: man that wants more is born foo
- "And for the toes" says Maggie,
e pleased as boy in pig-killing tin
"elivin will be Garry, and twilve "
Z be Gerty, and thirteen will
John"
. "Thirrteen is an unlucky numbe
I SAWS Pat: "but twinty-is worse"
"And fourteen will be SUSAN sa
z Maggie. "and fifteen will be Jam
9 and sixteen will be Dora, and sivinte
X will be- Mark, and eighteen will
Cora. and nineteen will be Luke. a
: twinty will be Maria, and
Q "Sthop!" says Pat. Thank
= saints 1 have no more toes, and
2 temntin' me to murder We will be If
: beyant twinty!"
9 It was plain to see he was !
z nleased with the foretell the foretel
6 lady had foretold for him, but M
< gle gave him no peace with her alw;
) saving over the names lest she for
= them. She would sit on the th1
. legged stool at the door of the hut {
: time of day in her bare feet, as is
way in that county, counting off
= names on her fingers and toes lest
forget them or how they went
8 order.
B The hate of it all was SO to Pat t
be came to the pass where he CO
not hear to see his fingers and t.
= and took no wearing shoes in mids
.mer which was thing unheard
Y in that part, and at last he wore
Q mittens all the time and slept in
~ brogans, lest he should awaken in
night and see his toes. He
lost all affection for his fling