The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-07-10
Phineas Kelly's
Good Fortune
By GEORGE MUNSON

came home to his tea after eight
hours of peaceful employment as q
bricklaycr.
On this occasion there was an al
together different look in Mary's
eye.
"What is it, woman he ex-
claimed sensing that something
quite different from anything In his
! experience had happened. Speak
out, Mary, girl! Is it the measles?
If Tins got thin I'll whale the life
out of him !"
"No, it isn't!" snapped his bet
ter half. "Uncle Jim's dead and
I has left me all his money. The
lawyer thinks 1t will come to i've
thousand dollars"
While Phineas sat, exhausted
from emotion, in his chair. Mary
read him the letter from Ireland.
"What'll do wild IT." CALCULATED
her husband.
you're going to be contractor.
Phineas. as you have always want
ed to be-" answered Mary. And
al the end of the month we leave"
Before he went to bed 1t was
understood that he and Mr.. Hogan.
with whom the subject had heen
preached at times Of day-dreamlng,
should 90 into the contracting busi-
ness
The DAYS that followed were not
Of unalloyed bliss. Phinens wanted
to remain in the little fiat. even II
he was to be n contractor. But
Mary had the ''social bee" And. as
the days went by. the whole neigh
borhood assumed a more cordlal
friendship than ever before.
"We can't afford to he too friend
ly with that sort. Phineas." ex-
plained his wife. "Flaherty and
his wife are good enough people.
but just common clay"
| .Phineas managed to meet his old
friends by various subterfuges. and
he carefully explained the situa-
ton to them.
"rhe best woman ir the world.
Mike" he told Flaherty. "But you
know how it is with women, Mike.
The moneys sort of turned her
head"
"That's all right, Phin," respond.
ed Mike Flaherty.
| Meanwhile Hogan and Kelly had
arranged their partnership. There
was q fine = opening In the town.
and Hogan was to put in couple
of thousand. experimenting his
smaller contribution with his politi-
cal "pull." The new apartment was
leased and the Kellys were prepur-
Ing to leave.
Mrs. Kelly only required week
to pack, being q methodical woman.
But as the week progressed that
look came into her eyes more and
more frequently till Phineas. hav-
Ing no refuge now, to which to fly.
was driven to hay.
"What is it. Mary" he asked one
evening, when his wife had been
more than unusually morose.
He half expected the target OF
rejoinders; but, to his astonish-
mcnt, his wife burst into tears and
laid her head upon his shoulder
And Phineas found himself careSs
inC her as he had not done since
Tim was a baby.
"Phineas." she wept, II feel So
mean and hateful, the way I've
treated the Tlahertys and HOoii
gans. after the friends we've been
It's for the boys sake. Phineas
dear. isn't it,"
"Sure, that's all right" answered
her husband. "They understand
"Do you think they think think
they aren't good enough for us?'
inquired his wife. raising her face
wet with tears.
II guess they think they'd do rs
much If they were in your place
Mary" he answered.
"For half n pin" said Mary, "Td
stay right on here for old times
sake, and-and invite the Hooligans
and Flahertys.
But three days remained wher
the. post brought letter from the
lawyers in Ireland. Phineas brought
it dutifully to his wife. She opened
It and gave scream.
"Phineas! We haven't got any
money at all !" she gasped.
Phineas Kelly, with mixed feel
ing Of Joy and sadness. took up the
missive and spelled out:
1--WE beg to inform you," he read
"that an error was made in stating
that the estate of your late uncle
Mr.. James Smylie, was likely to hi
total amount of the estate is seven
teen thousand. all Of which goes Il
you under the will. and"
Seventeen thousand!" cried
Mary Kelly, springing from he1
chair and grasping the letter from
her husbands hand. "Phineas! IT.!
true! Listen! And check for thi!
amount will be forwarded in a few
days to you"
Suddenly the excited woman be
gan to execute a pas seul befort
her husbands eyes.
!, Marry he exclaimed, you'll b<
, too tired to pack If yOu-"
, "But we're not moving, Phineas
We're going to stay right here"
\ but we've got seventeen thou
sand, woman!" he cried.
That's why. Phineas." she an
swered. with five thousand WI
could never be sure that the neigh
bors really looked up to JUS. hui
with seventeen thousand we know
We can afford to now. See?"
Phineas saw. He saw WELDON,
corner in Rafferty's and the IA
miliar faces Of his old friend.
smiling out of cloud of tobacco
smoke.
And the kiss lie gave Mary drove
away the "lOOk" forever.
g. 1894. Western Newspaper union.I