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The Red Leprechaun The Three Wishes of Jimmy o’£ea and liis Sister. By S. RISDALE Copyright by PercivaJ S. Itisdale. "Ye mind the fairy sthory I w«s af tlior telliu' ye this day week?" asked Harney Mellale. "It went in wan ear and out t’other." said liis frienil Condy McMonegal se renely. “ Tis an empty head ye have, then," said Harney. "No thanks to ye. Harney Me Hale," was the rejoinder. "Sure the sthory was thrue.” ex postulated Harney. "Didn't Darhy O'Dea toll the same to me. and hasn't Jimmy O'Dea. his son, proved it l»e catchin' a red leprechaun?" "A what?” asked Condy. "A red leprechaun.” Condy shook his head and .puffed silent contempt into the air. “Aw. the ignorance of the man." sighed Harney. “Well, I’m not objectin' to the sthory.” said Condy coolly. “’Tis me self lias two ears.” “And him from Ballydnliin." sighed Harney. "Not me.” said Condy proudly. " 'Twas in Kallymagooly I let me first yell. There, now." “Well. Darhy O'Dea was from T’.ally dahin, and ’twas from there he brought the fairies acrost the wather in his cobbler’s ebest.’’ "tie says lie did.” said Condy pro vokingly. "'Tis well ye’r hey and the reach o' me fit. Condy McMonegal." cried Har ney "Sure he daccnt and listen." "I'm listenin',” said Condy: "pass me yer ’baccy.” “Well." said Harney, settling him self. "ye know Jimmy, Darby O'Dea's sun. right well. Jimmy, ye know, is the laziest man this side of the wather. if I do say tr. And for why? Afther. his father died he did nothin’ hut lay around in the shade and slimoke his pipe and move when the sun caught up with him. And for why. I ask ye again? Just this—the heart of him was set on entailin' a red leprechaun. 'Tisn't for the lilies of Ignorant men like ye to know what that is. so i ll just tell ye. A rod leprechaun is a fairy, and just the meanest, grossest, stingiest fairy ye ever seen—like your self. Condy McMonegal. ’’ Condy took a big pipeful of his friend's tobacco and threw it in the i mid. “There." said he: “ 'tis easier than answerin' of ye. Barney Mellale." Harney sputtered, but swallowed his words and puffed himself hack into an even mind. “Well." said lie, "a red leprechaun is so mean that they set ’em to guard all the fairy gold, knowin' they'd never give it away unless they was forced to. and Jimmy lie knew just how to force them, and what did he do but spend all his time lookin' for one. so that by the turn of Itis linger he could be a rich man.” "Whew!" said Condy. "And by and by what di/1 Jimmy do but ditch one. Yes. he did. He had searched in the low grass and the high grass, on the hill and off the hi!!, by water and away from it. on the road side and in the forest, for years and years. One day. just passin' along the hedge by tile Widow McShane's gar den. what does he see but a bit of fiery red in a bush. In he springs, and. tankin' a tpiick grasp, what lias he in • his lingers but a red leprechaun. " *Ah, ha.’ says he. ‘and I’ve got ye at last!" " ‘Well, 1 know it. Jimmy O’Dea.’ said the leprechaun, squirmin' and kickin' and liltin' and ser.utchln’. "•No. ye don't. 'Tis I know-how to hold ye.' says Jimmy, and he takes him be the middle between his thumb and forefinger. 'I ain't studied about j fairies for nothin'.’ says he. “ 1 'Tis a wise man ye are,’ says the leprc-h'uni. ‘and a handsome man. with a bon’d figure.’ says lie. “ ‘Yes. and a strong man.' says Jim my. givin' him a squeeze to let him know he wasn't to be won by any blarney. " ’And what are ye goin’ to do with me now ye've g>t me?* says the lep- j reehuttn. says lie. " ‘That.' says Jimmv. cool as ye like. Ms for ye to say. What'll ye give me to let ye go?' says he "Ms it a wish ye want?" asks the leprechaun. " ‘That's providin'.' says Jimmy. “ ‘Well.’ says the leprechaun, ‘catch me brother, then. lie's there in tlie hush.’ and he points with his finger. " ‘No. ye don't.' says Jimmy, for well he knew that if ye take yer eyes off a leprechaun for even the tiniest bit of a second "Poof!" says tlie leprechaun, and lie's no longer where ye are bold in' him. •••No. ye don't' says Jimmy; ‘'tis a trick ! know mesel',* says he. " ‘ ‘Tis fine eyes ye have. Jimmy O'Dea.* says the leprechaun; ‘’tis trou ble they make among the gir-rls/ says lie " 'That’s neither here nor there,’ says Jin. my. " ‘Where?* asks the leprechaun, look in' around, innocent-like. “ ‘Ye old fox.' says Jimmy, ‘HI squeeze the lift* out of ye.' says be. “ Do.' says the leprechaun; ‘'twould just lie like the big lump o' nothin' ye are and lose yer wish.' si.vs he. " ‘Oh. it's a wish then yer alter givin' me ' says Jimmy. " ‘Hein' as I can't help it—yes.' says the leprechaun. " •What is it ye wish?' says he. " "That's for me to decide.' says Jimmy. " •Ye've only a minute." says the lep reehaan. “ Tve as long as I hold ye. ye weasel.' says Jimmy, not to he tooled “At that the leprechaun, seein' that Jimmy was a smart man and In couldn't get the b< st of him. thought and thought and thought. J’is pin linin' ve are to get away.' says Jimmy, makin' up his mind to get the most In* could before lettin' him go. “•'Tis not. my wise mail.' says the leprechaun, 'but 'twas flunkin' of ye I was. Yer a fine man. Jimmy O'Dea. and I wish ye well. And it was think in' I was that if ye took me home to ver sister Mag she'd lie after helpin' ye make the wish, bein' the wise girl that she is.' "•Thank ye kindly.' says Jimmy, off his guard, ‘and she is that. Tis a good idea.' "•Hick up the bag of gooid I left ill the bush and come on. then,' says the leprechaun. "Jimmy he looked down, and whisk. Mr. Leprechaun was nearly away, but Jimmy, who hud only got one eye and a half on the hush, held him with the half of his eye and he the foot •‘•Ah. ha. ye rascal.' he cried. *ye nearly fooled me that time, didn't ye?' says Jimmy. . ••‘‘Tis no use. ! set*.' says tin* lep rechaun: yer a smarter man than I took ye for.' says he "‘And Mag’s smarter than me.’ says Jimmy, ‘so come along home with me and we'll set* what she says.' says lie. "So they went home, and when Mag sees what Jimmy has slit* just goes wild, for, like all women, she had a thousand wishes on the end of her tongue. Hut she had a wise head hack of it. “ ‘Lot's sit down and talk this over. Jimmy.’ says slit*, ‘and I'll hold tin* coattails of the lift D * man.' "So down they sat. and they talked and talked and talked, and at the end WHEN MAO SAW WHAT JIMMY HAI) SHE JUST WENT WILTS of an hour they hadn't decided. The nearest they could come to it was Mag's suggestion: “ ‘Let's make it a mountain of gooid.' says she. “Jimmy, bein' a careful man. thought three thoughts. “‘No,' says he. ‘'twould be too hard work keepiu' the thieves away, and we haven't room for it in the cottage.' ; says he. “ ‘Well.' says she, ‘a bushel of din- i monds as big as yer head.' “Jimmy thought again 'No.' says he: ‘they'd be so big nobody could wear ’em.’ "And so they talked and talked and talked for another hour and were no nearer the wish than when they start ed. Be this time the little divil of a leprechaun was gettin' unaisy. for he had to be home soon or else ids wife would find he had been passin' the time o' day with a beautiful fairy in the gooseberry bush, and if she found that out he knew what would happen, it not bein’ the first time, d'ye mind. "So he ups and says, says he. 'Jimmy O'Dea. ye are a powerful line* man. and 'tis the likes of ye as should be get tin' somethin' big. so- provided ye let me go at once—l'll not only give ye one wish, but three —one for Mag and two for yeself.’ “‘Done.’ cries Jimmy, who was as quick to see a bargain as the next one. “‘Done.' cries tire red leprechaun, and off he goes. "So there was Jimmy with his two wishes and Mag with her one. “Now. ye'd think it was easy for them to decide, wouldn't ye? Well, it wasn't, for be this and be that they wanted so ' much they didn’t think they could put lit all in askin'. And so they sat and pondhered and pnndhered And they sat all Friday and Friday night and Saturday and Saturday night, growiu' pale wi' the thinkin' and pal»»r and paler. But they was stubborn, so they sat on and on. They forgot to feed . the chickens aud milk the cows, and | by and by they forgot to go to early ; mass. For 'twas Sunday mornin'. And | at that they comes to themselves. “Says Jimmy. ‘Let's sthart for the | church and make our wishes before , we get there.’ says he. “ ‘Let's.’ says Mag. knowin' a wise ! plan when she saw one. THE C(V 7VrTV roi'VTV RI Twim a<v r.i*"f>i?< \ “ 'Aud let's go i>t- Uillereut ways, says Jimmy, ‘so we'll no he botheriu the other with question*/ >ays he. " 'To be sure, says Mag. and of! they went. " 'Twas a fine mornin'. the same, hut Jimmy took no heed of that. No; tic was thinkin' of what he'd do with all his wealth, for havin' the wish In* was sure of the money. He'd court the prettiest lass in the parish. He'd bam tin* finest clothes and new hrogaus and a bat for winter and summer and a new pipe and a cigar now and then, on Sundays, perhaps. And s«> he weui on. funiisbin' himself and the cottage j till it was like a palace and never big enough to hold the thing's fie put in it. And so lie went on uphill and down, j past this house .and that house, till tie came t" tie* lane which led to tie* | church, and bedad he hadn't made his wishes then. “All this time Mag was walkin' with her back to Jimmy, who was goin' to church the other way. and she was btiyiti' new hats and shoes and ribbons for herself and never thinkin' to wish the wish. And so she went uphill and downhill and past this house and that house till slu* came to the lane which led to the church, .and she had not made her wish then. "At the entrance to the lane there is the cottage of the widdy Doiigher. ye mind, and (he widdy was at the door Mag. bein' a polite girl, passed the time of mornin'. “ * 'Tis tine.' says the widdy. ‘l'm after walkin' about a bit with my new muff. Did ye ever sec* anything like it. Mag?" “ Wo.' says Mag. admirin' it with her woman's eyes. ‘lt's tine. 1 wish I had one like it.’ “I’hist No sooner had tin* words left her lips than in her hands was a line muff, like the widdy’s. "Then Mag. seein' that by a slip < f I he* tongue slu* had lost her wish for no more than a two dollar muff, set up such a errin' and bawlin' as ye never heard, and all the neighborhood was alarmed. She kept on moanin' and sobbin'. and I wouldn't tell why. being ashamed. “And in the midst of all this noise up comes Jimmy, runnin' to see Die sight. And there he saw his sister Mag with a two dollar muff in her hand, eryin' and bawlin' as yet never heard. “ ‘What's !:a;>n<‘jH»d. me dariint?’ ask ed Jimmy in great v.orrument. for be loved his sisther dearly. “ ‘Ochoiit*.’ slu* cried, ’’tis all vour fault. Jimmy O'Dea. Many's the time I wanted ye to buy me a muff and ye wouldn't.* •••Well/ says he. not knowin' where the wind was a Mowin'. •••! forget the wish I had and wish ed tin* wish on this,’ says she. moanin' and sobhln’. " ‘Ye loos'* tongued gal.' he cried, 'had luck to yer wishes. 1 wish tile ouid muff was down yer throat.’ “Fhisr. No sooner had the words | left his lips than the muff was in her; throat and slu* was chokin' to death. •■Then Jimmy was for killin' every body and cursin' his luck for havin’ wasted one of his wishes so foolishly, j and he made up his mind he’d make rhe most of the other. “Ail this time Mag was gaspin' and j splutterin' and chokin’. "And tin* neighbors, seein' she was [ dyiu'. called out. 'Save yer sisther,! Jimmy O’Dea.' "'How?' says he. “‘Wish the muff out of her throat.’ says they. “ ‘Divil a hit.' lie cried, mad enough! at losing one wish. “All this time Mag was gaspin' and splutterin' and chokin'. “‘Save yer sisther.' cried the neigh- j hors again •“Divil a bit.' says Jimmy again. “‘Then we'll hang ye for a murder er.' says they, and they laid hands on him. •‘ ‘Stop.’ says Jimmy. ‘l’ll save tier then.’ for he loved his sister very dear ly. So. black and red in the face and nearly chokin' himself with the words stiekin’ in his throat, he wished the muff was in the bottom of the river. “I‘hist! No sooner had the words left his lips than the muff was out of Mag's throat and in the bottom of the river ." Condy McMonegal shook the ashes out of his pipe and slowly refilled it. "Did he ever catch another lepre chaun?" tie asked. "Ye poor ignorant man." said Barney Mellale contemptuously, "the chance comes but once in a man's lifetime, d'ye mind." "Aro.” said Condy. Perry’s 3ig Guns. Commodore Ferry had not yet elec trified a grateful nation with his im mortal message. “\Ye have met the en emy. and they are ours." While tile battle was in progress tile sound of the guns was heard at Cleveland, about sixty miles away in a direct line over the water. The few settlers there were expecting the battle and listened with intense interest Finally the sounds ceased They waited for a re newal. None came: the lull was pain ful Then they knew the battle was over: but tin* result—ail. that was the point. One old fellow, who had been lying flat with his ear to the ground, soou settled that |xiint. Springing up he clapped his hands and shouted' "Thank God! They are whipped! They are whipjied!" "Flow do you know?" tlie others In quired. “Heard the Mg guns last!" Periw's guns were tiie Itwriest. His Idea. Memlier <>f Investigating Committee For what purpose is a coroner's jury called to sit on a case? Applicant For Job - T'i ascertain what reason, if any. tl> dece.-iaM had for dying —Chicago Tribune. The Flaming Quest Tor a Hidden Ruby In the Hills o i China By JAMES A. RELLICK The iitt!e woman in black had kept to herself during the long voyage from San Francisco to Shanghai, and now with the China coast lying straight ahead, a long. Hat line of yellow merg ing into the muddy, yellow waters of the broad month of the Yangtzekiang. .she eyed her fellow passengers v» ith a close scrutiny. Archer Clarkson had noticed her from the very beginning, perhaps be cause of her evident though self im posed loneliness, as well as the serene beauty of her face. To her fellow pas senger she was Mrs. Pearce, a widow. TO Clarkson she was an object of in terest. Ho was surprised on this last day of the voyage when she approached him where lie stood near the ship's rail and spoke. "Mr. Clarkson." she said, rather tim idly. while a faint color flushed her ■dear skin, "the captain tells me that you are a resident of Shanghai and may lie of assistance to me. 1 am a perfect stranger here and—l need help!” "It will give me the greatest pleas ure to bo of assistance, assured Clark sou courteously. "Fray command me: 1 mu entirely a. your service." "You are more than kind." she said, with a little tremor in her voice. "1 need a friend, oh, so badly! 1 have :i most delicate and dangerous mission to perform, and 1 need the advice and help of a friend. May 1 call you that. Mr. (MarksonV" "I shall l e honored. Mrs. Pearce.” he said sincerely. "Thank you. Now. let me say that, although my mission is a dangerous one. if it is successfully accomplished it will make me a very rich woman— and you a rich man. although, pardon tnc. you may be rich ‘beyond the dreams of avarice’ already!” She smiled charmingly. "1 am anything but rich.” laughed Clarkson. Mrs. Pearce put out an eager tittle hand. "Then you are just the man to life Ip me out!" she cried entlm dastically. Again Clarkson laughed. "I begin to see that poverty lias its advantages." he said, clasping her hand in his for an instant. "Thank you." she said simply. “I felt that I could before I approached you. Let me state the case briefly: 1 am the widow of Henry Pearce, who commanded tin* big steamer Catalpa. piping between Vancouver and the far eastern purrs. My husband had lived in China many pears and laid good friends among the Chinese as well as the toreigners. "Four years ago Captain Pearce had a vacation and when lie reached Shang hai turned the Catalpa over to a com -1 it * f§§ 'igC JiM I j p v <c C£ j “tite flaming heart!” ejaculated t'IiAIiKSON. petent commander and took a long desired trip up the Yangtze river. It was up there th.tt lie fell upon the trail of the Flaming Heart.” She paused and drew a long breath. “The Flaming Heart?” ejaculated Clarkson, deeply interested. Mrs. Pearce nodded, and tears fi!l«*d her beautiful gray eyes. “The Flaming Heart cost my hus band his life. For three years after ward he suffered from the effects of a stab wound he received when lie dis covered its hiding place, and on his deathbed he told me the story and made me promise that 1 would take measures to interest some honorable men in the enterprise to recover the Heart that is his by rife lit of discovery. I knew that the men 1 could interest must be found here on the s|x>t. some one who knows the Chinese.” “It sounds good to me." said Archer Clarkson -.rtierly. "Tell me tile rest of it. please.” -it seems that uu a previous voyage to the exst my husband befriended a munuari i who’ was returning home to die. This Chinese, who was very i-V'v to! i my husband of a certain jewel, a very valuable ruby, called the 'naming Heart. This ruby was s creted in one of the niches of a rock temple along the upper gorges of the Yangtze river, and there was a bitter rivalry between Lin \\ all. our man dariu. and Fub Kieuso. who ruled another province, for the disco\er.\ mid possession of the jiwvel. “Lin Wall had the advantage over Ills enemy because lie alone possessed the directions how to find the ruby, bm it became necessary for Lin V\ali to go to the United States, where he had relatives, and during his absence he left trusted men to guard the rock temple until he coukl return ami com plete his search for the Flaming Heart ••gut tlie mandarin was taken ill and died before the Catalpa readied Sluing liai. and he gave the precious paper to inv husband and with Ins d.iing bieath willed him the Flaming Heart. Thai is why Captain Pearce took a vacation the following year and went up the Yangtze river. “When he reached the rock temple he discovered by careful inquiry that Lin Wall's guards had been killed at their posts ar.d that the rock tempo and its vicinity were swarming with the men of Full Kieuso. who were making a frantic search for the gem They evidently suspected my husband's interest in the matter, and one day they stabbed him. and after searching ids clothing and finding nothing (foi lie had taken the precaution to commit the directions to memory) they left him for dead and ran away, abandon ing for the time the search for the ruby. “Captain Pearce was an invalid fot four years, and before lie died he learn ed that the mandarin. Full Kieuso. was also dead and therefore the way to the safe discovery of the Flaming Heart must be open. If you will go with mi and discover the gem half of it will lu yours." finished Mrs. i earce. "That part may be settled after ward." said Clarkson gravely. A week later Archer Clarkson and Mrs. Pearce were sailing up the Yang tze river in one of the steamers that ply the great stream as far up as Han kow. There they hired a boat and boatmen, and. alwavs accompanied h Clarkson’s trusted Chinese "boy.” Van Ping, they proceeded up the river. At last they reached a point where they bade their “trackers" make can: by tile boat, and Mrs Pearson and Clarkson went on with Van Ping, who had been born in that province and knew the country well. Another day’s journey by a devious path that sometimes skirted the rivet or again wound around through the pine clad hills and at last they emerged on the top of a mighty rock that frown ed above the river. Standing at the edge of the precipice. Archer Clarkson looked down at the river, boiling down through the rocky gorge below. Mrs. Pearce uttered a little cry of alarm, the first symptom of weakness she had indulged since they began the journey. “What a dreadful place!" she shud dered. “Captain Pearce said the open ing to the rock temple was just below the summit of the rock, but how can one reach it?” “We must rig a sling and lower our selves down in front of the entrance Either Van Ping or I must go first.” “Let Van Ping go—there might be danger!" she cried quickly, and tears filled her eyes. Clarkson felt a queer throbbing in the region of his watch pocket. A great tenderness for the plucky little woman filled bis heart. Van Ping, who had not fallen in love with any one. had been studying the situation from a practical view point. Now he approached his master and. apologizing profusely for the in trusion. begged to offer advice. “Fire ahead!” was Clarkson's sug gestion. V;t!i Ping declared that as a little lad he haul played about this groat rock, and he remembered that there was a legend concerning a heart that was buried in the rock. “But.” said Van Pin" earnestly, "the way to the hiding place is from the top of the rock and not by the entrance that overhangs the gorge.” "The top of the rock?” Clarkson was asking when from behind them there came a shrill cry of triumph, and the.', turned to see a dozen rascally looking Chinese approaching them through the pine woods. in an instant Clarkson realized the great danger that faced them. It would be an easy matter for the ban dits to rush them and crowd them over the edge of the precipice into the river, where ail traces of them would be forever lost. He caught Xita Pearce by the hand, and. calling to Van Ping to follow. Clarkson pulled out his revolver and ran to meet the Chinese. This unex pected move so startled the latter that they paused in confusion, thus giving the fugitives an opportunity to get down from the rock and out of the danger that threatened them. Van Ping went forward to interview the attacking party. Presently he returned to Ms master. "These scoundre’s velly wicked men want Flaming Heart—say so king ago—way back, their mandarin he promise Flaming Heart if they help hut no can find, and he die. Now they search some more and find you. They say you die.” “Well.” mused Clarkson, “suppose you tell them to go ahead and search We won’t interfere with them if they will let us alcne." After half an hour of parleying Van Ping returned to say that the Chinese would search on their own account. ;v only thiy stipulated that the Ameri cans should not follow them to the rook cave. To this Clarkson agreed after talking to Van Ping. And presently the ragged, filthy < rew were crowded on the rock, chattering vociferously while they arranged a sling, and one by one were lowered to the opening in the face of the rock which gave entrance to the rock tem ple. When there remained only one man on the rock, lie wini worked the swing ing seat. Clarkson and Van Ping con ferred together, and finally, leaving Mrs. Pearce to watch the Chinaman from a safe position with a revolver held menacingly in her hand, they made a careful search around the base of the rock for the spot which Van Ping said he had visited once when a lad. It was here that he had learned of the hidden Flaming Heart. Many years had passed since then, but as the other searchers had been on a false trail it remained for Van Ping to find at last the little mound - J l ' \ '■tr<««gw_uw£ =as _ rf? Ha - " ‘Q.t—e v . ,—- THE GUARD SCREAMED SHRILLY. of moss beneath the crooked pine. Digging tl»e mound away revealed a little fiat stone, and the removal of the stone showed a round hole faced with cement that apparently Ic-d down into the rear of the rock temple. It looked very dark down there, and Clarkson thrust his long arm down and clutch ed something hard and round like a metal box. He brought it up and was looking down into the cavity when part of the wall near the bottom fell away and a yellow hand was thrust in from the rock temple in a futile search for the treasure. "We must get out of this,” said Clarkson quickly, and he related the incident to Van Ping. In a very short time the searchers below would dis cover that the treasure had been found by the Americans and there would be murder and bl > idshed at once. Van Ping earned the undying grati tude of his master that afternoon. Tin* Chinese on guard was an opium smoker, and his senses were dulled by the drug. Now lie sat drowsily at the edge of the precipice, the rope hang ing loosely in his hand. The end of ‘lie rope had been twisted around the sturdy limb of a tree, affording a pur chase for the manipulation of the sling. Van Ping readied up and cut the rope wound around the tree. It slip ped hissingly through the weak grasp of the guard, and before the man re alized what had happened the rope had dropped from his fingers and the sling chair dangling below fell hurtling into the river. The guard screamed shrilly, but his cries were instantly stilled by Van Ping's big bine handkerchief tied about his mouth. Then, hand in band. Clarkson and Nila Pearce went back along the way they had come, and Van Ping led the w;iy. At last they came up to the camp of the trackers, and Clarkson offered them double pay to put off in the boat at once Nitn Pearce sat in tbe stern of the boat, her hand in Archer Clarkson's. There was an unspoken understanding between these two. who had met so casually and who had taken this haz ardous journey after the Flaming Heart. They spoke of the Chinese bandits imprisoned in the rock temple, and they spoke of the moment when they might safely open the little bronze box that was hidden in Clarkson's packet. They talked about rewarding Van Ping. They did not talk of them selves. At last came the moment when, back in Shanghai at Mrs. Pearce’s hotel, they o[K*ned the bronze box and looked upon the beautiful ruby which had cost many lives and the possession of which meant the beginning of a new life for Clarkson. “Isn’t it wonderful?” whispered Nita Pearce as she looked down at the glowing ruby. “Beautiful.” agreed Clarkson, but he was looking at Xita’s face. “The loveliest thing I ever saw.” murmured Nita. lifting tier gray eyes to smile at him. “1 have seen lovelier.” said Clark son. looking deep Into her eyes. Now she understood, and presently when they stood, their faces close to gether. looking down at the Flaming Heart they saw reflected in its glow ing heart a beautiful future back home in the States.