The Meeker herald., 1912-11-09
...1...
Transformation
Involving q Dramatic Scene
On s.. Patnck's Day.
BY THOMAS G. O'CRADY
Copyright by American Press Asso-
....Ha ODE s,tnHfou 1011
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.


citation, 1911.
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Pat Doolan and Maggie McShane
were u young couple living in Kill
larney town. Ireland. and at the time
this story begins were not out Of their
teens. Pat was fne atrapping young
fellow and good looking. though he
was SO poor that his clothes were rag
ged-it's not every man whose manly
beauty will show to advantage when
his bare knees are peeping through his
trousers and tuft of his curly
hair protrudes through a hole In his
hat. But when Pat smiled that good
natured smile OF his clothes were for
gotten and he was taken right into
the hearts of those he smiled upon.
AS for Maggie, she WAS housemaid
in family whose place bordered on
one of the lakes. and she was always
well dressed. She had real Irish
complexion. as white as milk and as
red as a rose. There was 30 much
mingling between the white and the
red that II was impossible to tell
where the one began and the other
ended.
Pat and Maggie did 4 lot of walking
about together on the banks Of the
lakes. and they were always noted for
the difference in their appearance.
Pats being in such marked contrast
to Maggie's. But II Maggie's clothes
were spick and span and Pats falling
to pieces. Maggie's face wore serious
cast. while Pats was always alight.
His rags could not overcome the cheer
fitness Of his disposition nor chill bis
generous heart. for whenever he would
meet any one worse dressed than him
self he would sing out:
"Arrnh. bedad. man. go sell your toys
to farmer to put up for q scarce
crow"
Then Pat would thrust his hand In
his pocket. and II by any possibility
he should ind ha'penny there he
would hand 1t out. saying. with Q
twinkle in his eye:
.'Go buy a new suit Of clothes"
The trouble with Pat was not that
he was lazy. but that he was the kind
Of young man who needed opportu-
nifty. And what opportunity was there
for him In a region where the land
had all been taken up long ago by the
gentryf Was not the road leading
around the lakes 70 hemmed in by the
estates Of the aristocrucy that the
beauty Of the scenery was shut OF
completely What was young man
to do who had neither land nor money
and whose only work-lf he could get
it-would be dressing himself in livery
and waiting on a master?
Maggie" said Pat one day when he
and his sweetheart were sitting on the
hank Of the lake near Maggie's mis-
trcsa' estate. "Orm goin' to Ameriky."
.Oh, Patr' exclaimed Maggie. her
heart falling like the mercury in a ba-
rometer before a storm.
Eyes. Dim goin' to Ameriky. where
they say gold dollars as big as cart
wheels are rollin' around in the streets
and all fellow has to do is to pick
'em up. Whin Owe collected lot Of
'em ORR send for ye.'
"But. Pat. how're ye goin' to get to
Ameriky?'
.Worruk me passage"
'In the cabin7"
"In the cabin! What would OF look
loike in the cabin in these toys? ORR
10 as coal HEAVIER. Dye suppose Ord
be dancin' around offerin' tay to the
leddies and gintlemen whin can get
4 much more respectable job below?
And do ye suppose Oi'll be lettin' the
muscles Of me arm grow soft whin OF
can keep 'em hardT'
"But how're 70 goin' to git to the
shIpr'
"Walk. What were me legs given
me fort shurely not for dancin'. be-
cause Owe no illigant clothes. no
grasshopper coat. for balls and par
des Ot'ti walk to Queenstown and 60
in the first ship that'll take me-"
Maggie had none of that happy-go-
lucky disposition which was at the
bottom Of all her lovers actions. But
Pats disposition was not only happy
go-iucky: he was a natural gambler
His proposed move to America seemed
to Maggie jump in the dark. Pat
was looking at the chances. There
were surely none for him in ireland.
and there might be some for him in
America. Ergo. America was the
place for him. As to his getting there.
why. any one can go anywhere. All
he has to do is to 90.
On the morning before Pats depar-
ture he stood with Maggie on the banks
Of the lake where they had stood so
often before and would probably never
stand together again. They were look
ing out on the beautiful scenery.
though It is questionable II they saw
h. The mingled boughs Of beeches
elns and oaks were putting on thei,
summer apparel. Ivy vines springing
from tanRle Of molly and arbutus
chung to the taller trunks. Beyond NIL