Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-08-22
Luck of Barney
O'Laferty
By DON LIVINGSTON


suade him.
"Shure it's the omen of misfortune
foretOld by me old mother in Erin
that's pesterin'me to the grave" says
Barney. "a cody woman was me old
mother and she warned me. PAY as
We go, Barney, me lad says she to
me. Debt is a curse, but luck comes
to him as Is honest be heart"
Now, Barney owed Lutz, the vehicle
man, $64 on the new wagon. And now
Mary Dugan was to sail back to Erin
the day after tomorrow because for
these two years Barney had been
broke and couldn't marry her.
This day will raise the $64 to pay
Lutz to release me from the bad luck
as foretOld by me old mother in Erin"
says Barney.
But Barney's troubles have upset his
sense of reason. so l so with him to
the police station.
"NIr. Police" says Barney to the
man behind the desk. "give me a job
that'll pay me $64 to pay Lutz."
We've got a full force" says the
man, "and the janitor's signed the
pledge. We can't use ye."
"Ye don't understand me wants."
Barney tells him. II want not job,
but a contract that'l pay me $64."
"From the talk Of ye," says the man,
I'D advise We to see the medical clinic
two blocks down."
Barney, my boy" say l sympathiz-
ing, ''the man meant we need the doc
tors attention"
ITS me intention to see the clinic"
says Barney.
Inside the floor was like glass and
iligant without furniture; and man
with noseglasses was in booth to one
side.
Are We the clinic?" says Barney to
the man. And he tells him about his
debt, and the death of the gray mare
and the impending departure of Mary
Dugan.
Eve can use ye," says the man. 1--WE
want normal, healthy man to lie in
a plaster cast for three weeks so that
we may observe the effect the mac
tivity has on his organic functions.
Well pay you one hundred dollars a
week for three weeks"
The man went through the door and
pushes out little table with some
thing like concrete forms on it.
'"This is a plaster cast" says he
pointing to the forms. "What we want
you to do is to lie in one Of these for
three weeks"
mo, will not wear yer plaster
suit" says Barney.
Outside I tried to reason with Bar
ney.
"But did We not notice." says Bar
ney, "he wants to preserve the func-
tons Of me organs? IT'S a fighting
chance want, Toby, me boy"
BE gone" says the man. "Ye're
either born lunatlc or a moon-struck
fool. We can't use We"
did ye hear what the man saidr"
asks Barney Of me.
"Ye can't blame him." says I. "Bar
ney, me lad, your bad luck is following
We because We turned down the man
with the $780,"
"'Twas movie-struck the man says
am" declared Barney. "And twas
Mary Dugan herself said l look like
Bill Hayes, but not till he mentioned
it had thought Of exploiting me fea-
lures. I'm obleeged to the man."
1t long had been me own private
opinion that it's hard to get a job in
~~NDny;nc hut ho ~ &vo,,
want job" says he to the man,
"that'll pay me $64 today to free me
from the bad luck predestinated by
me old mother in Erin"
1--WE can't use We Ye're not the
right type" says the man.
"Have not We some wild horses to
ride or lions to fight? Me troubles
have made me strong and fearless"
says Barney.
Then the man hires Barney for a
dummy and drives us in a limousine to
strip Of hilly woods where a bunch
Of people is making pictures Of a log
cabin.
"Ye're to take charge of the bootleg
gers truck" says the man.
''Look here" says Barney, II never
monkey with bootlegger's truck"
"It's the 'Bootlegger's Daughter
we've got on location" the man tells
him. "Ye drive the truck down yon-
der hill and wreck it against the rock
with the posse chasing you. Ye are
substitute; the smash-up might injure
the hero"
Barney, me lad don't do It," says l.
Lets go back to the clinic with the
$780,"
But Barney drives the truck down
the hill through the raging forest, and
we dig him out of the wreckage and
take him in the limousine to the hos
pital. I stop at the "movie" office and
collect the 1914 for him, then go on to
the hospital by street and number. It's
the same place with the clinic we was
in before. Barney's on the table. I
show Barney the money and he grins
Count it for me, Toby" says he.
ME right arms broke"
T.