The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-24

clay pipe which he drew from his mouth
when the girls started singing.
Sing away now, we Will" he cried.
"Ye'll not sing much afore ye're long
away" For all that he was singing
louder than any three Of the party him
self before we arrived at the railway
station.
The platform was crowded. I saw
youngsters who had come a distance OF
twelve miles and who had been travel
ing all night. They looked worn out
and sleepy. With some Of the CT ildren
fathers and mothers came.
1--WE are goin' to drive a hard bargain
with the masters" some of the parents
said.
"Some Of them won't bring in good
penny because they're played out on the
long tramp to the station" said others.
They meant no disrespect for their
children. but their words put me in
mind OF the manner Of speaking OF
drovers who sell bullocks at the harvest
fair Of Greenanore.
There was a rush for seats when the
train came in and nearly every carriage
became crowded In an instant. There
were over twenty in my compartment
some standing. a few sitting. but most
Of us trying to look out of the windows
Next to us was a first class carriage and
Il noticed that II contained only one
single person. had never been in a
railway train before and I knew very
little about things.
"why is there only one man in there,
while twenty Of us are crammed in
here?" / asked the boy with the clay
pipe for he happened to be beside me.
My friend looked at me with the pride
Of one who knows.
"Shure, we know nothin'," he ans
wered. "That mans a gintleman."
IT would like to be a gintleman," I
said In all simplicity.
Eye a gintleman!" roared tho boy.
Eye haven't a white shillin' between ye
an the world an we talk as II We were a
king. A gintleman, indeed! What put
that funny thought into yer head, Der
mod Flynn"
After while the boy spoke again.
"D'ye know who that ginteman ISL"
he asked.
81 don't know at ALL" answered.
That's the landlord who owns yer
fathers land and many a broad acre
forbye."
Then knew what a gentleman really
was. He was the monster who grabbed
the money from the people, who drove
them out to the roadside. who took six
ears Of every seven ears of corn pro-
duced by the peasantry; the man who
was hated by all men. yet saluted on
the highways by most of the people
when they met him. He had taken the
money which might have saved my
brothers life, and 1t was on account OF
him that I had now to set out to the
| 70 Of mid Il
the platform again and stole a glance
at the man. He was small. thin Tipped
and ugly looking. did not think much
OF him, and I wondered why the Glen
norman people feared him so much.
We stood huddled together like sheep
for sale in the market place Of Strabane.
Over our heads the town clock rang
out every passing quarter of an hour.
II had never In my life before seen a
clock so big. felt tired and placed
my bundle on the kerbstone and sat
down upon 1t. A girl. one of my own
country people, looked at me.
sure, yen never get a man to hire
We II ye're seen sitting there" she said
got up quickly, feeling very mucf
ashamed to know that a girl was ibl,
to teach me things. II wouldn't have
mattered so much II boy had tod me.
There was great talk going on about
the Omagh train. The boys who haC
been sold at the fair before said that tho
best masters came from near the towr
of Omagh, and so every one waited
eagerly until IL O'Clock, the hour al
which the train was due.
1t was easy TO know when the Omagt
men came. for they overcrowded an al
ready big market. Most OF them were
fat, angry looking fellows, who kept
moving up and down examining us after
the manner Of men who seek out Tx
good and bad points of horses which
| they intend to buy.
, Sometimes they would speak to eacl
D other saying that they never saw such
!, a lousy and ragged crowd of servants IN
= the market place in all their life before
, and they did not seem to care even !.
we overheard them say these things. Or
, the whole, had no great liking for tn,
, Omagh men.
j A big man with heavy stomach came
A up to me.
5 How much do We want for the ST,
5 months?" he asked.
4 "Slx pounds" / told him.
/ shoulders too narrow for the money,
. he said, more to himself than to me- and
Q walked on.
| Standing beside me was an old father
! who had son and daughter for sale
5 The girl looked pale and sickly. She
r had cough that would split a rock.
"Arrah. an will ye whisth that
] coughln!" said her brother, time and
Y again. Sure ye know that no wan
Q will give ye wages If we go on in that
Y way"
T The father never spoke. suppose
= he felt that there was nothing to be said
Y During one of these fits OF coughing ar
e evil faced farmer who was looking for O
j female servant came around and asked
the old man what wages did he wanl
5 for his daughter.
give pounds" said the old man. ant
Q there was tremble In his voice wher
e he spoke.
!, And maybe the cost OF buryin' her.
!, said the farmer with a white laugh al
: he passed on his way
, High noon had just passed when Q
q youngish man, curiously old in appear
:, ance stood in front of me. His shoul.
- ders We're very broad. and one of then
was far higher than the other. Hi
- waist was slender like girls. but hi
lbuttocks were heavy out of all propor