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DROLLERIES OF DONEGAL
THE OI.D HAG OK THE FOREST.
BY SEIM VS Mac MAM'S.
(■Copyright. 1899, by S. S. McClure Cos.)
CHAPTER —:
Once on a time, long long ago, when
til'.re were more Kings and Queens in Ire
land than O'Donnell's old castle has win
,l and when witches and enchantments
w, ;• as plentiful as blackthorn bushe3,
there was a King and a Queen, with three
sons, and to every one of these sons the
ojeen had given a hound, a hawk and. a
ji’iv. The filly could overtake anything,
the hound could catch anything it pursued
0 n dry land, and the hawk could come up
with anything in the air or In the water.
In the course of time, when these three
lads had grown up to be fine, able, strap
ping young men, the oldest said one day
(hat he would go away to push his fortune.
The King and the Queen were vexed at
ihis. and wrought him high up and low
down to keep him from going, but ii was
a): to no use, he wouldn't be said by them,
and so, asking their blessing, he mounts
the filly, and, with the hawk on his shoul
der, and the hound at his heels, sets out.
And he told them as he was setting out,
to observe, from day to day, the water
that settled in t'ne filly’s hoof tracks out
ride the gate, "for,” says he, "as long as
that water keeps clear I’m all right; but
when you see it frothing, I'm fighting a
hard bottle; and if ever you see it turn
bloody I'm either dead or under enchant
ment. So himsoif, the hound, the hawk
and the filly, they started, and off with
ihem. and they traveied away, and away,
far further than I could tell you or you
eou and tell me. till at last one evening late
he comes in sight of a great caslle. When
he got sight of the castle he pulls up his
Ally, anil, looking about him. he sees a
small wee house convaynlent, and he drew
or this house, and, going In. found only
one old woman in it and saw that it was a
rent, clean little house entirely. “God
save ye, young gentleman,” says the wo
man. "Cod save yourself, kindly, an.-l
thanky; and can I haye lodging for the
night for myself, my hound, my hawk, my
filly?” says he. “Well for yourself, you
can.” says the old woman, says
she, "but I don’t like them other animals,
but sure you can house them outside,”
sin? she. Very well and good, he agreed
to this. When the old woman was getting
bis supper for him she said she supposed
hr was for the big fight the morrow. He
axr-d her, “What big fight?” “And, oeh,"
gays she. “is that all you know about It,
commencing and telling to him how that
the King's daughter of the castle beyond
was to be killed by a great giant the next
day unless there was a man there able
to beat the giant, and to any man that
would fight him and beat him the King
was to give his daughter in marriage and
the weight of herself three times over in
goold. "Oeh,” says he, "I’ll find some
thing better to do. I'll not go near it.” So
the next morning early he was up be
times and pretending he was going away
to hunt, doesn’t he go instead to the
King's castle, and there he say no end of
a crowd gathered together from the four
winds of the world, some of them think
ing to fight the giant and win the King’s
daughter, and more of them only come
out of curiosity, just to look on. But, my
gorras, sir, when the giant made his ap
pearance, and they saw the sight of him,
not a man of all the warriors there, cov
ered all over as they were in coats of Iron
mail from the crown of their heads to the
soles of their feet—the sorra resalve the
one of them, but went like that, tremb
ling with fear, for the like of such a tar
riffle giant none of them ever saw or
heard tell of before. So, my brave King’s
son waited on till he saw there was none
of them present would venture to fight
the giant, and then out he steps himself,
and the giant and him to it, and the like
of their fight was never witnessed in Ire
land before, and he gave the giant enough
to do; and the giant gave him enough
to do: till at last, when it was going hard
with him. he gave one leap into the air.
and coming down with his sword just
right on the giant’s neck, he cut off his
head, clean off. and then when he had
I that done he disappeared in the crowd,
and after killing some game on the hills,
came home and gave the old woman the
game for supper. That night when the
old woman was giving him his supper she
told him about the great gentleman that
had killed the giant that day, and then
disappeared all of a sudden into the air.
And then she said that giant’s brother
was to be there the morra to fight any
one that would fight for the King's
daughter, and she told him he should go,
for it would be well worth seeing. But,
‘'Och," says he, "I’ll find something bet
ter worth doing—l’ll not go near it.” So,
afler his supper, to bed he went, and he
won up again early betimes in the morn
ing and making pretend he was going to
hunt, he went off to the castle again. This
day the crowd was bigger than ever, and
when (he giant appeared, and if the first
giant was tar-riffle, this one was twice
over double as tar-riffle, and he could get
no man with the heart to venture to fight
him, till at length my brave King's
son had to step out this day again and
encounter him. Weil, if the fight was
hard the first day, it was this day double
as hard, and the giant gave him his fill
It, and he gave the giant his fill of it.
till at long and at last when lit was go
ing hard on him he takes otie spring right
U P > n, o the air and landing down with his
sword on the giant's neck he cut the head
right off from the body and then again
disappeared in the crowd, and after a
while's hunting on the hills he come home
with plenty of game; and this night, just
like the night before, when the old woman
was giving him his supper she made great
wonders of telling him of the tor-riffle fight
that d a y again between the
strange gentleman and the giant,
a| id how he killed the giant
•ml then disappeared right Into the sky
before all their eyes. And then she said
’hut on the morra the third and last giant
Was to fight, and she said this would be a
wonderful day entirely, and he shall surely
So to see It, and to see the wonderful gen
fifman that killed the other two giants,
nut ’’Oeh.” says he, “I'll find something
better to do—l’ll not go near it, to look at
b ; m or It.” And (he third morning again
“ went to the castle, purtending that It
*. as ’o hunt he was gr>ln’; and the third
Slant appeared, and him far more tar
fme than the first two put together. And
*o make a lone story short, my brave
” i g'p son and himself went at It, and the
nshtlng was the most 'odious ever was
W in.sped before or since, and the short
8,1,1 lhe long of It was that he sprung up
8t length into the air, and coming
down on the giant’s neck cut off hts
■'d. and then again disappeared In the
,r °wd and went home; but as he was dis
appearing, doesn’t one of the King's men
snap ihe shoe off his foot; so home he
J. to go that night wanting one shoe.
• p xt <lay, and for eight days after, the
v, r.g h a d h ji his men out scouring tho
.® nlr i’ f ar and wide to see if they could
th .'i lo OKTl er of. the shoe; but though
ev flocked to the castle In ihousnnds not
eoi hi'm would the shoe fit. And
'ry one of these days the King's son
o o ut W | (t) fjjiy. His hawk and his
;! n ‘ on the hills hunting. At last one
up i! le 01,1 wom an went to the castle and
10 " r had a lodger that come home
the last giant was kilt with one
, ’ wanting. And the next day the King
j- lller ® himself with a corrlage and
io i horses and took tho King’s son aw ly
on w <u * lle> and there when they tried
as if‘ n ,ho boot - doesn't fit him like
Kim. 11 w ® 3 m ade on his foot; and the
eiam Eavp blm his daughter,, and the
'age was performed, and all the whole
fnvu?a ® 3 nobl!ity of 011 ’he land was
11 t 0 a bl ™ falsi. But, lo and
behould ye, on that very night when all
the spree was going on, and the fun was
at Its higbt in the. ball room, and all
were as busy as bees in the kitchen, what
would ye have of it but at that very time
doesn t there come lo the kitchen win
dow a hare, and puts in Its head and
commences licking a plate of some par
ticular n.ce dainty that was cooling in
side the window, and the cook was so
enraged at one of her very best Ashes be
ing destroyed that she got up in a pas
sion and put off all her sorts and said it
was a nice how do ye do that with a hairo
in the house that killed glams a dirty
hare would be allowed to come in and
spo 1 her cooking. This word soon came
to the groom's ears in the ball room, and
though the King and the Queen and thif
bride and a.I the nobility and gentry tried
to persuade him against it he wouldn't
stop, and there was no holding of him. He
said he wouldn’t stop two nigh is, or eat
two meals’ meat in the one house till he
would catch that hare and bring It back
dead or alive. So mounting his filly, and
taking with him his hawk and his hound,
he started off hot-foot in pursuit. He
pursued the hare all that night and all
the next day, and at evening late he drew
on a little wee house he saw in a hollow,
and he went in, for. he was tired, and
determined to rest that night. He wasn’t
long in, and he was warming himself at
the fire, with his hound, his hawk and
his filly, when he hears a noise at the
wee window of the house, and there he
sees a dirty, wizened old hag of a woman,
trembling and shaking down to her very
finger tips. “Oeh, och, och, it’s cold, cold,
cold,” says she, and her teeth rattling in
her head. “Why don't you come in and
warm yourself?” says he. “Och, I can’t,
I can’t,” says she. “I'm afraid of them
wild animals of yours. But here,” Ays
she, pulling three long hairs out of her
head, and handing them in by the window
to him, “here,” says she, “is three of
the borochs** we used to have in old times,
and if you tie them wild beasts of yours
with them then I’ll go in.” So he took
the three hairs and tied the hawk, the
hound and the filly with them, and then
the old hag came in, but she was trem
bling no longer, and, says she, with her
eyes flashing fire, "Do you know who I
am?” says she. “They call me the Old
Hag of the Forest, and it was my three
sons you killed to win the King's daugh
ter, but you’ll pay dearly for it now,”
says she. With thaf he drew his sword,
and the hag drew another, and both of
them fell to it, and I couldn't he able to
describe to you the terrible fight they had
entirely. But at length the Old Hag of
the Forest was getting too many for him,
and he had to call on the help of the
hound. “Hound, houd,” says he, “where
are you at my command?” And at this
“Hair, hair,” says the old hag, says she.
“hold tight." “Oh,” says the hound, “it’s
hard for me to do anything and my throat
a-cutting.’ Then he called on the hawk.
“Hawk, hawk,” says he, “where are you
at my command?” And, "Hair, hair,”
says the old hag. says she, “hold tight.”
“Oh,” says the hawk, “sure it's
hard for me to do anything
and my throat a-cutting.” And then he
called on the filly. “Filly, filly,” says he,
“where are you at my command?” “Hair,
hair,” says the old hag, says she, "hold
tight.” “Oh,” says the (lily, "sure it’s
hard for me lo do anything and my throat
a-cutting.” So the end of it all was that
the hag overcame him, and then taking
out of her pocket a little white rod she
struck him with it, and turned him into
a gray rock, just outside her door and
then striking the hound, the hawk and the
filly with the rod she turned them into
white rocks just beside him.
Now, at home they watched the water
in the filly's hoof tracks as regularly as
the sun rose every day, day after day,
t’,ll at last the one day saw the water in
the hoof track frothing, and they said he
was fighting a hard battle; and so he was
for that was the very day himself and
the first giant had the encounter. Next
day it was frothing more than ever, for
that was the day he was fighting the sec
ond giant, and on the third day the water
frothed right up out of the tracks, and
then they knew he was fighting a desper
ate big battle entirely; and sure enough
himself and the third giant were at it
hard and fast at the same instant. But
at length didn’t thy find the water turning
to blood and they thought h must tie
killed. So the next morning the second
brother set out and he said he wouldn't
stop two nights or eat two meals of meat
in the one house ti l he’d find out what
happened to his brother. He took- hi?
hound, his hawk and ills filly with him
nnd he traveled on and on, lar further
than I could tell you, till at length one
evening late doesn’t he come to the very
wee house near a great castle where his
brother had put up before him. And when
he comes in the old woman that was in
the house flew at him and kissed him and
welcomed him hack with a hundred
we’eomes ten times over, for he was so
like his brother she was sure it was him
was in it. Then she told him that they
were all waiting for him anxiously at
the castle, expecting him back every day,
and that he should lose no time in going
to them, for that the bride in particular
was down-hearted entirely since he had
went away, thinking that shed never see
him any more. So off he starts at once
for the castle to find It all out. and its
there was the welcome and the rejoicing
and the pretty King’s daughter covered
him all over with kisses, and there was
a great spread, and all the gentry and no
bilitv were aske<J in again, but that night
again, what would you have of it, but.
the hare comes a second time, and spoll
ed the cook’s best dish, and drove the
cook into a frightful rage, and-’Tt s a
nice how do ye do. indeed, says the cook,
sava she, “that with a hairo in the house
that slew three giants that hare would be
allowed to come in and* spoil my very
choicest dish, and then go off with ltsel,
scot free,” says she. And this word came
to the new groom in the bail room, and
”Bv this, and by that,” says he, I won
Sion till I go after that hare, and 111
never stop uvo nights or eat two meals
in the one house ’til I bring pack that
hare dead or alive.” And so, off he
starts himself; the hound, the hawk, and
the filly and atl that night and the next
day he persued after the hare, and late
the next evening when he was feeling
tired out and not able to follow any fur
ther doesn’t he sees in the hollow below
him'a little house, and drawing on the
house, he went In and was warming him
self by the fire with his hound, his hawk
and his fi.ly about him when he hears a
noise at the window, and there he sees
an old hag quaking and shaking all over.
“Och och och, it’s cold, cold, cold,” says
she, trembling all over. “Why don’t you
come in and warm yourself? says he.
“O” savs she, ”1 couldnt go In. for
I’m afraid of these wild animals
of yours, But here," says she.
nulling three long hairs out of her
head “here’s three of the kind of
borocks we used to use long ago, and
tie vour animals with them, and then I'll
go In ” So he takes the hairs and ties the
hound the hawk and the filly with them,
and then the old hag came in, and she not,
trembling at all now, but her eyes flash
ing fire, and say3 she, "Your brother kill
ed my three sons, arid I made him pay
dearly for it. and I'll make you pay dear
ly ” says she, "too.” So with that she
drew a sword, and he drew a sword, and
both of them to it, and they fought long
and they fought hard, but the hag was
too many for him, so at length he had
to call on the hound. "Hound, hound,
sez he “where are you at my command?”
Sez the old hag, sez she. “Hair, hair, hold
tlcht o” sez the hound, “how I do
anything and my throat a-ruttlng?" Then
he called on the hawk, "Hawk, hawk,
sez he “where are you at my command
“Hair’ hair,” sez the old hag, sez she,
"hold’tight!” "O,” sez the hawk, “how
could I do anything and my throat a-cut
ting?” Then he called on bis filly, "Killy,
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17. lS9n
filly,’ fays he, "where are you at my
.command?” “Hair, hair,” says the old
hag, says she, “hold tight!” “O," says
the filly, says he, "how could I do any
thing and my throet a-cutting?” So the
end of it all was again that the hag got
the better of him, and, taking.out a wee
bit of white rod out of her pocket she
struck him with it, and turned him into
another gray stone outside the door, and
then struck the hound, the hawk and the
filly, and turned them into three white
siones just beside him.
Now, at home as before, they • were
watching his filly’s hoof tracks every day
regular, and everything went well till at
last one day they observed the water in
them turn b’.oody and then they were
afeerd he was kilt. Then the very next
morning says the youngest son Jack, says
he, "I'll start off with my hound, my hawk
and my filly, and won't sleep two nights
in one bed, or eat two meals
in the one house till I
find what has happened to my two oiler
brothers.” So off he starts —himself, his
filly, his hawk, and his hound—and he
traveled and traveled away, far further
than you could tell me or I could tell you,
till he came in sight of the very same cas
tle, his two brothers reached before him,
and drawing on the wee hut he saw near
it he went in, and ihe old woman Jump and
and threw her arms about his neck, and
welcomed him home with a hundred thou
sand welcomes, and told him it was a poor
thing to go away and leave his bride the
way he did, twice, and that she was in a
very bad way, down hearted entirely,
thinking and ruminating what had be
come of him, or happened to him at all,
at all. And then she hurried my brave
Jack off to the castle, and, och, it's there
the welcome was for him and the rejoice
ments, bekase he had come back again.
And this time, just as before, the great
falst was given, and the gentry and nobil
ity all asked in to it, and the play was at
its liight when the word come to the ball
room once more about the unmannerly
hare spoiling tfie cook’s best dish the third
time, and how the cook said it was a purt.v
how de ye do, entirely, that such a thing
would be allowed, with a hairo in the
house that slew three giants. And wi.h
that, without more ado, off my brave Jack
insisted on starling, and there was no
holding of him, good or bad, for he sai l
he have to fetch back that hare, dead cr
alive. So off Jack starts himself, his hawk,
his hound and his filly, and Jack had a
sort of notion in his eye that this same
hare was nothing good, and that 'twas it
led his two brothers astray,
whatever had happened to them. So he
traveled on, and on, and on. for
that night and all the next day, and nev
er come up with the hare, till at length,
late that evening, he saw from him the
same wee hut in the hollow that his
brothers drew on before, and on it my
brave Jack drew, too. And after he had
been in the cabin some time himself his
hound, his hawk and his filly, he hears
the noise at the window, and there he
sees the old hag, trembling and shaking
and quailing, and "Och’, och, och, hut it's
cold, cold, cold," says she. "And why, ’
says he "but you come in and warm
yourself?" "Och," says she, "I'm afraid
of them wild animals of yours. But here,"
says she, taking out of her head three
hairs, "here’s three of the kind of bo
roehs we used to use in old times, and
tie your animals with them, and then I’ll
go in.” Jack took from her the three
hairs, and, pretending to tie the hound,
the hawk and the filly with them, he
threw them instead into the fire. Then
the old hag came In, her eyes blazing in
her head, and, drawing a sword, she
rushes at Jack to have his life. And Jack
drew his sword and rushed at her, and
both of them to it hard and fast, and
they fought long and they fought hard,
till at length Jack, finding the hag put
ting too sore on him, called on his hound.
"Hound, hound, where are you at my
command?” "Hair, hair,” says the old
bag, sqys she, "hold tight!” “Oh,” says
the hair, “it’s hard for me to do good
and me a-burning in the fire.” And then
Jack called on his hawk. "Hawk, hawk,”
says he, “where are you, at my com
mand?” “Hair, hair,” says the old hag,
says she, “hold tight.” "Oh,” says the
hair, “it's hard for me to do good and
me a-burning in the fire.” Then Jack
called on his filly. "Filly, filly,” says he,
“where are you at my command?” ‘ Hair,
itair,” says the old hag, says she, "hold
tight." "Oh,” says the hair, "it’s hard
for me to do good and me a-burning in
the lire.” So the hound, the hawk and
the tilly all rallied to my brave Jack's
aid, and Ihe hound got hold of the hag
by the heel and wouldn't let her go all
she could do; and with one fling the filly
broke her leg, and the hawk picked out
her two eyes, so she cou’dn’t see what
she was going, or where she was striking.
So then, she cried out, “Mercy, mercy,
spare my life and I’ll give
you back your two brothers.” “All
right,” says Jack, "tell me where they are,
and how I'm to get them.” “Do you sec the
two gray stones,” says she, “outside the
door, with three smaller white ones round
each of them?” ”1 do,” says Jack. "Well,”
says she, "the gray stones are your broth
ers, and the others are their hounds,
their hawks, and their fillies; and if you
take water from the well at the foot of
that tree below the house, and sprinkle
three drops of it on each of them stones,
they’ll all be disenchanted again.” Jack,
you may suppose, didn't lose much' time
doing this, and !o and behouid you from
the stones comes up his two brothers,
every one of them with his hounds, his
hawk, and his filly. Just the same as they
were before they had been enchanted by
the old Hag of the Forest, and that was
the meeting and the greeting between Jack
and his lost brothers, that he thought he’d
never see again! Hut off they soon start
ed, all of them, with their hounds, their
hawks and their fillies, away back for
the castle again, and the eldest brother
got his briSe and the faist was spread
ihls time again and all the gentry nnd
nobility of both that and the surrounding
countries all come to attend it and do
honor to the bride and groom; and such
a lime for eating, drinking, dancing, sing
ing, fun and amusement was never seen
before or after. Jack and the Second
brother started away off afterwards for
home with their hounds, their hawks, and
the fillies with them and ns much go!d
as they could carry. I got brogues of
brougham and slippers of bread, a bit of
a pie for telling a lie, and then come
slithering home on my head. „
•Odious is a very comprehensive word in
the mouth of a Donegal shanachy. It
generally means everything Inexpressible
bv the English language.
•’The Boroch Is the rope used In tying
a cow to the stake.
HOW THE KING PAItDOVED ROSIE
O’GRAIJY.
How Millionaire nnd Tenement Child
Found Common Ground.
By Melville Chater.
(Copyright. 1898, by Melville Chater.)
Music Is often only an acquired taste.
Also, music hath charms to soothe the
savage. In the case of the King, however,
it roused fhc savage. What he was king
of doesn't concern us here. It was im
mense and it was incorporated; It had of
ficers who received large salaries, employes
who received small salaries and stockhold
ers who received nothing at ail.
If you frequent Lower Broadway during
the mldmomlng hours you may have seen
the King a hundred times as he stalked
downtown to nurse his royal sinecure. Heig
a thick-set man of 50, immaculately groom
ed from the gloss of his hat to Ihe gloss of
his bools. He has close-cropped, steel-gray
hair, small, hard, steel-gray eyes and a
square, clean-shaven face, so inflexible in
expression it might have been forgetl from
t . YVTTTTvr*nnrb vvvvvv , ri' , t
Stands Without Rival!
. HURRAY HILL CLUB
a Known and sold by all first-class dealers from tbe
Atlantic to ttie Pacific.
P BEWARE OF REFILLED BOTTLES; DEMAND THE
I Jos, A. Mapus &, Cos,, Cincinnati, 0.
the same metal. His bearing and walk
are Infused with equal rigidity, and h a
voice resembles the clang of a hammer up
on a section of armor plate. He would
make an imjiosing figurehead for a lit si
class battleship.
Every morning the'TCtng stalks south
ward. figure erect and eyes front. It h?
doesn't know you, he doesn't see you; tf
he does, you may or may not receive a
steely nod, according to his royal mood.
You must bow and scrape, In any case. He
expects and receives it all the way down
the street; then the doorkeeper scrapes,
the bootblack scrapes, the elevator boy
scrapes, and the entire court rises up and
makes profound obeisance. The day over,
salaams are repeated, and he stalks north
ward lo his great, handsome, lonely bach
elor apartments, and spends his evening
heaven knows how! Ceriainly not at con
certs. He hated music of evt ry kind, save
the harsh jingle and roar of downtown
traffic. He might have replaced the pipe
and bowl of that other monarch by a
drink and a cigar; the fiddlers three he
would certainly have strangled.
Which brings me to a certain morning
when he stalked siiffly southward, with an
ugly look in his eye and strangulation in
his thoughts. And he didn't allow any
one to divert his attention from it either.
The doorkeeper, the bootblack, and the el
evator boy bowed and scraped in vain; and
Ihe entire court rose up and salaamed to
utter vacancy. He ascended ids throne,
pressed a button and stared Ids calendar
out of countenance until the imperial sten
ographer arrived, when he sunk lower in
his seat, thrust his fists deep in his pock
ets, scowled ferociously at the toe of his
boot and dictated as follows:
"Editor of the Now York : Sir: While
heartily applauding the complaints pub
lished in your columns from time to time
against petty nuisances, I regret that the
most abominable outrage practiced upon
New Yorkers has so far escaped censure.
I allude to the blackmailing practices of
those Italian vagabonds who, until the
necessary biibe is extorted grind out their
ear-splitting discords beneath their
victims' windows. I am not an invalid
nor a crank; on the contrary, normal and
good-tempered. (Here the imperial steno
grapher felt his eye turned on her and
moved not a muscle.) “But, sir, could the
inventor of the piano organ be found to
day, I should unhesitatingly say 'strangle
him;’ and os for these mendicants and
their equally criminal supporters, nothing
short of slow torture would do them jus
tice. I was racked all last evening by one
of these hideous Instruments, and the
neighborhood of my office is positively
haunted by a certain rascally Italian
blackmailer, who renders work absolutely
impossible by the repetition of maudlin
ballads. I allude especially to the present
epidemic of ” But here he, was Inter
rupted.
Swe-e-et Rosie Q’Gra-a-ady,
My dear little Rose!
The blackmailer had arrived. A lord
in-waiting rushed to the window. The
King grasped a paper weight and stood
by. The imperial stenographer shudder
ed. The wizened little Italian below melt
ed into a Joyous smile, poor, deluded
wretch, and waved his hand playfully.
She-e-es my steady la-a-ady,
Most everyone .
What most everyone did was never di
vulged. The blackmailer trundled his or
gan off, still wearing the joyous smile. The
Lord-ln-waiting was dispatched to the
street with orders lo have him arrested if
he continued within earshot. The imperial
stenographer resumed her pencil with
trembling fingers, while his majesty, stalk
ing up and down, continued at white heat
He closed wiih this powerful peroration:
"Why are these gross violations of pub
lic order permitted by the authorities?
Certainly dally life contains enough un
avoidable nuisances without our foster
in gthis one, which is a disturbance to all,
a pleasure to none, and, I repeat, vir
tually a petty blackmailing scheme.
Truly we are a long suffering people!”
A few hours later the I<!r.g, who pos
sessed eonsldcrahie Interests on the East
■river, boarded a car and jolted across
town. That is, the other passengers jolt
ed; he retained his adamantine rigidity.
But fate decreed that a horse should drop
sunstruck across the track: a block en
sued, and the royal horsecar was stalled
quite a distance from the river. The King,
who regarded any obstruction of his im
perial progress as a personal affront,
fretted and fumed, pulled out his watch
and tried to make h'lmself believe he was
in a tremendous hurry, but appttrently
the horse, a dozen blocks away, was an
anarchistic beast. His majesty might have
got off and walked, but the sun was hot
and the way unsheltered, so he preferred
to mop his brow and scowl up the cross
street.
It was a short one, consisting of grimy,
stunted houses and one' large, handsome
building at the further end. The front of
each house was decorated with it’s ln
mt tes' underwear; and on each doorstep
sat a small, dirty child, holding a baby.
The King had never seen so many children
before; he was reminded of a swarm of
files. In a shady corner sal a knot of
laborers, drinking from tin palls, devour
ing immense sandwiches and smoking clay
pipes: while on the housetops were stretch
ed dizzy labyrinths of clothesline, and
more underwear.) Every one seemed to be
on the most Intirfiate terms; and Ihe e xact
season might have been ascertained by a
careful study of the refuse vegetable.mat
ter.
Disgusted with the prospect, the King
c osed his eyes and ruminated over cer
tain stocks: but presently a shrill chatter
broke the noonday lull, and, looking
abroad once more, he beheld coming down
the street, led by a little 10-year-old clat
tern, his friend, the blackmailer, pulling
his organ after him, waving hiß hand play
fully at the children and wearing the same
Joyous smile—which, it appears, was
chronic.
The King clutchel his knees, gasped
and nearly broke a blood vessel. Twenty
yards off, the blackmailer halted. And It
seems almost like a sly Joke on the part
of fate, that the first sounds should have
been:
most every ones knows.
And, when we are mar-ried.
How happy we’ll be!
I love sweet Rosie O'Gra-a-ndy,
And Rosie O'Grady loves me-e-e!
By this time the babies had been for
gotten. th® doorsteps deserted, and a
score of frowzy heads had appeared at
the upper windows. The Blackmailer,
smiling upon the circle of upturned faces,
adjusted a lever and started oft again on
an Irish Jig.
Then two of the children entered the
ting. A lean, ragged little pair they were,
not over 8 years old; but with what zest,
what spnse of rhythm and even a sort
of rough grace they danced there under
the scorching sun. Face to face, back to
back, side by side, with quick steps, out
kicked feot, swaying IxxJies, arms akimbo,
heads aslant; and now, clutching last
to each other, they circle about in n Jaun
ty little Hast Side waltz. And how their
face* brightened! And how the rest
watched and beut time on the cobble?*,
e.ifter for their turns! And when the
two fell out exhausted another couple
took their place; then another, and an
other, until they had all danced, and the
Ulackmaller’s repertoire was exhausted.
At length, when "Sweet Rosie O’Orady"
was reached again, the little one who had
brought him executed a aolo, in humble
imitation of Borne costumed performer,
seen from Ihe gffilery of a Bowery music
hall. Fingering her ragged skirts, as
though they were beautiful tinsel and
gauze; waving her thin, grimy arms, as
though they were white and fair to look
upon; pirouetting about on tiptoe, as
though her shoes were gilded and dainty,
instead of three times too large, button
less, down at tile heel and broken at the
sides. In fact, a very miniature of the
heavenly, fairy-like original, in the old
clothes of poverty, and fhe clumsy graces
of the slums.
But how the rest cheered! And how
the frowzy heads at lhe windows called
“Go it, Rosie!" “Shore, it's foine, it Is!"
"Do it again, Rosie!" While even a few
of the big, rough laborers strolled across
to watch, and said she was "a purty slip
av a gurrl,” and “lolke me own little Ko
tey.” And when ihe Blackmailer began to
blackmail, not a child but had a long
hoarded cent to drop in the hat; one of
the men tossed him a nickel, with "Here
y’ure, Pedro," and, strangely enough, he
afterwards found a quarter amongst the
coppers, aml blessed the saints, wonder
ing, in his own happy, Italian way, how
ever It rame there.
But suddenly, with a cry of "Th‘ cop!
Th' cop!" the children scattered, seized
Iheir respective babies and slammed and
locked their respective doors, leaving the
Blackmailer, Rosie and Ihe cop with a
hand on each. It may seem incredible,
but the King was standing close by. As to
why he was there and how long he ha I
been there X know nothing; but his car'
had. disappeared, and there he stood, feet
apart and fists thrust deep In his pockets,
regarding the trio curiously, almost con
cernedly, from under Ills bushy brows.
It may seem still moro incredible, but
when the cop. threatening awful tiling?,
had released the terrified child anil re
quested the faintly smiling Blackmailer to
"git," his majesty advanced and demand
ed brusquely—though that was his usual
manner—tho reason of all Ibis. Al Hist
the cop would say only "orders,” but pres
ently, under gentler questioning, explain
ed that the street, locally known as Babies’
block, was a noisy one at best, but that
the piano organ was more than the hos
pital on tile corner could stand, mid that
he had stopped it at the directors' request,
which was kind and humanitarian of him,
though he hadn't mentioned quite all he
circumstances.
"He useter come reg'ler," he concluded,
“an’ now th’ kids bring him down when I
ain’t 'round. She's the worst"—lndicating
the premier donseuse, who had taken ref
uge on the opposite doorstep, her own be
ing blocked by the terrible cop. "Fresh lil
tie piece! * * * Annie O’Grady; bin they
call her Rosie, after th’ song." And he
-trolled off, swinging his club and whist
ling the chorus.
Meanwhile, the deserted O’Grady had
dropped his boltle and abandoned himself
(o the yell of baffled babyhood. A big,
hare-armed fury rushed out, and, seizing
the truant nurse by ihe back of the neck,
propelled her toward her sphere of duty,
crying:
"Y'cr little divil, yer!” (Slap.) “Yer will
foller th' orgln, when I put yer ter tnolnorl
!h' baby?” (Slap!) "Eh?" (Slap, slap!) “Sit
down there. If yer move an inch I'll break
lvery lazy bone in yer body.” (Slap, slap,
slap!) She disappeared In the house, and
Itosie o'Grady put down her head and
sobited, and the baby dropited his bottle
again, and squalled in concert.
Now, the street was hot and dusty; the
king hated a crying child even more than
a piano organ; and there was a passing
car, on which he might have escaped.
But he advanced instead, mopping his
brow, and growled:
“Will you kindly stop that—ah—damned
child?”
Rosie O'Grady looked up and gulped
with amazement. As if in sympathy, the
baby slid into a happy cOo and grasped
in the air at imaginary bottles. King and
culprit surveyed each other. She noticed
his steely appearance and shrank back
fearfully. Me noted her dirty little tear
stained face and paused a moment. Then
he proceeded to administer justice.
"So you are the young lady who fol
lows piano organs—ha?" He shot off tlie
last word like a minute gun in a storm,
and waited for a reply. It was a tremb
ling one.
“Ye-es, sir.”
"And you Incite these—ah—men In de
fiance of the law—ha?"
The culprit expressed inapprehension by
opening her mouth and saying nothing.
"You bring them hare against Ihe |>o
liceman's orders?”
“Only (wieet. sir,” she faltered. “Sadie
ast me ter. They wanted to dance.”
"And you support these—ah—vagrants.
You dropped something in that man's
hat. How much—ha?”
"A—a cent,” whispered the culprit, look
ing more a culprit lhan ever. "Please,
sir. It was mine. I saved it.”
The King drew himself up Judiciously.
“No doubt, no doubt. But what right
had you to use It in supporl of a public
nuisance? I was racked all last evening
by one of those hideous Instruments,” he
continued, quoting from his letter, which
he had composed in the sleepless watches
of the night, and knew by heart. ” 'Cer
tainly dally life contains enuogh unavoid
able nuisances without our fostering this
one, which Is a disturbance to all. a pleas
ure to none—ahem! That is, to few—very
few. For I Judge by the demonstration
that you made Just now. you do take a
certain kind of enJoym<nt in these—ah—
organs. Dike them, I mean. Do you?’ "
Tho culprit, while somewhat stunned,
mf naged to grasp the meaning of the last
few words, and replied timidly:
"Ye-es. Rlr.”
"Ha! Very much?”
“Ye-es, sir.” Then, still more timidly:
"I—l love ’em.”
The King paused.
"Ha! And do the other children—er—
love them, as you put It?”
“Yes, sir.”
"Ha!” And the King paused again. His
thoughts were interrupted by the cul
prit, who faltered In awed amazement;
"Don't you, sir?"
He hesitated over several scathing re
plies, and ended by shaking his head in
silence.
“When you hear ’em don’t you wanter
dance?”
The King actually smiled—a hard, grim
smile.
”1 do," aho continued, taking courage.
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Misses’ Dresses, were s4.r>o; now $1.75
Ladies’ Sweaters, were $6.00; now $1.75
Ladles* Jerseys, were $5.00; now $1.75
Misses’ Lour Cloaks, a gift, $2.00
infants’ Short Cloaks, a k 1 ft, $2.00
Children's Reefers, were $1.50, ut 99c.
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"Th’ chunes is lovely—Jizt like th’ thcc
ayter.”
"You’ve been there,” said the King.
"How often?”
"Wunst." Her fare brightened. “They
wuz lots er songs, an’ a lady she. .lanced.
It was lino. 1 told the rest all about it.”
"They'd never been—ha?”
"No, dr. But then 111’ origin come round
—every Saturday It wuz, an’ we'd save
up an’ watch fer it, an’ come out an’
dance. But th' cop he wouldn’t let him
come no more. So I'd go out an’ fetch
him. An' Sadie ast me ter this mornln’.
She couldn't dance 'cause she's sick In
bed, but she could hear It.”
“Ha! And what are you going to do,
now that I his—ah—public nuisance hua
been stopped?”
“I—l dunno, sir." And the tears actu
ally sprang to her eyes. The King per
ceived It In horror.
"Ahem!” he said, so ferociously that
site Jumped. "Have you a back yard In
this street—a good-sized one?”
"Yes, sir; back er our house.”
"And the number of your house Is ”
"Twenty-one, sir.”
The King was a bit of a wag in his
own unpleasant, Ironical way. He raised
his hat.
“Thank you. Good afternoon—ah—Miss
O'Grady."
He stalked into the throne room that
evening, long after his accustomed hour,
as grim ami morose as ever; and, select
ing a certain letter from the heap of un
signed mail, read and reread it most care
fully; then, glaring out of the window,
tore it Into small fragments, threw them
into the basket and turned abruptly on
the imperial stenographer with;
“Take letter: Miss Ros e O'Grady “
"Kxcuse me!” she faltered, amazed.
"Did you say O' ?"
"Mies Rosie O’Orady,” reiterated the
King, still glaring out of the window, with
stern disregard. "Twenty-one—Ahem!—
liaiiio’ block. City.—A-hem!—My dear
Miss O'Grady:”
There was sensation next day in Ba
bies’ block, when a messenger boy arrived
with a letter i’or Miss Rosie O’Grady, who
I .allies’ Jackets, were $10.00; now $S 00
Ladles’ Jackets, were $15.00; now $5.00
Misses’ Jackets, were $7.00; now $3.50
Misses’ Jackets, were $lO, now $3.50
Ladies’ Bulls, were $15.00; now $9.00
Ladles’ Butts, were $20.00; now $12,00
Grand Stock of Marsetlles Spreads.
Lambrequins 50c; finest silk to SB.OO
Double Blankets as low as 59c pair
Blanket Bargains $2.50 and $5.49
Smyrna Rugs, the very brat made
Art Squares, cheaper than any.
broke the seal and laboriously spelled oul
the following;
"Referring to the subject upon which!
I conversed with you yesterday afternoon,
while I still hold the same to be a publla
nuisance, in which you are a guilty par
ticipant, yet. us proof of my personal for
giveness. und In acknowledgement of tha
able manner In which you defended your
unworthy cause, I tender herewith a slight
mark of my esteem, and beg you to be
lieve inc, my dear Miss O’Grady. You*
obedient servant, etc., etc.”
Just then an express wagoo rounded tha
corner with a large case for Number
Twenty-one, and a chorus of shrill squeals
arose when the same was opened and found
to contain a great, breatMiful, shinin®
piano organ.
The King continues to stalk through
life, llio same steely Individual, but he hua
subsided somewhat on the subject of pi
ano organs, and when one starts outsldai
his window simply growls:
"Tell that fellow 4o move on. And herel
Give h<m this.”
Hl* business takes him to the East
river oflener than of old. and it has been
declared that if you follow him on mesa
excursions you will see him turn down ai
dirty little street and enter a dirty littla
house, followed by a swarm of children.
Then you will hear muffled sounds of ai
piano organ, mixed with shrill voices and
laughter, and presently he will slip guilti
ly out Into the street, turn the corner and
stalk stiffly back into the world, grimmer,
steelier and more unapproachable that*
ever.
I repeat, music Is often only an ac
quired taste.
—The opal mines In New Mexico and tha
United Slates have been about exhausted,
no gems of much value being extracted
from them, though at one time large sums
were made out of these mines. Opals oc
cur in veins In the same manner as silver
and gold. Those coming from below tha
level of water In a mine are not considered
desirable. They may lose their color or
crack after being exposed to the sunlight,
so as soon as a mine reaches water level
it la abandoned.
11