The Washington herald., 1921-08-21


the one provision warehouse In Ballyconnei
sown, and gave upon the only street. MIR.
Rahilly's imaginative temperament was
spelling for adventure, aud nothing really
thrilling had occurred since Hogan's ass had
dropped dead in the street two months ago
and was carried away BY a living ass, with
is four feet appealing to heaven from the
cart. Therefore, when Mr.. Rahtlly be-
held O'Sulliyan, the postman, in the act OF
delivering letters at almost every door In
the street, and when the recipients imme-
diately burst forth to gossip in gesticulatins
groups upon their steps, to wave estate
arms, to clap their hands and to betoken
every sign of spiritual delight and e1alta-
ton, the soul-staryed Mr.. Rahilly became
convinced that something quite electric had
burst upon the place at last. Evictions,
mailbag robberies, missions, brass oand
competitions, feises aud hurting matches
present but q shadowy minimum OF what
passed through Mr.. Rahilly's glowing brain
Is he toyed with the murky curtain which
drew . veil over the interior of Rahily's
Emporium, as viewed from without.
He withdrew bis head on the approach
of a customer Of four years, who had three
halfpence with which to paint the town red,
and was distracted between the rival claims
Of a Christmas card, some colored candles
and a poke Of painted sweets, to discover
a letter lying on the counter, which must
have been delivered during his rhapsodic
contemplation Of the animated scene upon
the street. At sight of the address upon
the envelope, however, Mr.. Rahilly's black
brovs ran up like two pennons to the eI-
IRENE verge Of his hair. In times past he
had had good cause to know the writing of
Miss Eliza Doolan, dressmaker to Bally-
connel town. In one yielding hour he had
caused a beautiful melodeon to be delivered
at Miss Doolan's lonely door. The circum-
stances which had prompted this peculiar
sign Of Mr.. Rahilly's regard had been q
random interview beside the grave Of Mr..
Rahilly's mamma, q massive and unpleasant
personality in life, whose policy had been
The obstruction of every natural and over
whelming instinct in her son but in death
the one soul who had ever come within
speaking distance Of Mr. Rahilly's own,
Miss Doolan had found the hatless Mr.. Ra-
billy, with his best trousers pressed into
the moist turf, and apologized for inter
rupting his oriSons, which Mr.. Rahilly's
lips were depositing, it seemed, within the
depths Of his wide awake hat.
A TOUCHING confusion between both
1 i parties followed; then Mr.. Rahilly re-
marked that he should never find another.
He did not mean a prayer, but a mamma.
Miss Doolan had replied that nothing could
ha MAJ fo fr,,a NJ.
remark, and that the same deep conclusion
had been forced on her, touching the ten
year old wound left BY her own mothers
death. After this Mr.. Rahilly had com.
across Miss Doolan planting primroses on
Mrs. Rahilly's grave. Forthwith Miss
DOolan had received a Christmas card. on
which was represented the tender union Of
a male and female hand. In consequence
of these attentions, he had received a letter
from the practical Miss Doolan, inquirinE
the nature of Mrs. RahilIy's intentions.
Dere Sir miss Doolan had vritten):
On account Of me bein' a lonely girl
Miss Doolan was exactly forty -four)
with no one to care for me or gard me
best intrests or take advantage of me I'M
perfected sitty washin, i write TO thank
~ou for your trewly bewtifuIl Christmas
card and to AZ you If their was any
meanln in the young gentleman squeedgin
the young lady's hand and if so been IL
you would kindly make your deckTerashun
in person and before some witness al
cant entertane the noshun of auny under
hand coOrtin which me dere mother was
ever averse to. All must be fare and
square between you and yours lovingly
and trewly E. DOOLAN
To which Mr.. Rahilly made answer m.
nature of his intentions was to have tn.
melodeon he had SO kindly loaned Miss
Doolan returned to him forthwith. The
next move in the thrilling drama was tn.
announcement on the part Of Miss DooIsn'.
partisans, that only for the Unborn prid.
of such a perfect lady" which shrank from
parsding her most tender feeling in a public
court Of justice. Mr.. Rahilly would GER
tainly have found himself the loser in
breach Of promise case.
After this for several months the Who'll,
time, energy and ingenuity Of Mr.. RabiIl,
and Miss Doolan had been absorbed nv
vilifying each other to each others hack.
and pretending that no such person crawI.d
beneath a mutual sun, to each other,
faces. II Mr.. Rahilly saw Miss Doolan'.
green and braided jacket at the bottom Of
the street, such time as he was issuing forth
from his own door, Mr.. Rahilly would clan
to his door, and barely breathing in hi,
hall, until this tyranny be overpast, -"
would wait until some partisan of bis would
wink, or whistle warning from the street
that Miss Doolan had disappeared.
Or should Miss Doolan, at the distanc. Of
several hundred yards, espy the aging,
wide-awake Mr.. Rahilly drawing nearer
on her path, she would dart like frightened
rabbit into some neighbor's house or shed
until James Rahilly had "hurtled harmless
by"
After that, as a year or two marched By
they seemed to take delight in courtin,