THADY D'ARCY: A STORY OF IRISH LIFE. BY JEANIE SELINA DAMMAST (REEVES), AUTHOR OF ST. MARY'S CHAPTER IV. CONVENT," ETC. he is such a wretch? Why, for twenty years an' more a month hasn't gone by that I didn't give him full an' plenty; an' is this the return he makes?" "The thunderin' vagabone!" shouted John. "If ever I come across him I won't leave a whole bone in his carcass. What spite can he have agin' us at all at all, I wondher? Me blood runs cowld when I think of our darlin' so near such a frightful death; an' we may thank you, me brave boy, that we have her to the fore," he cried, clasping Thady's hand in his manly grasp. "'Twas the lucky hour you [APRIL, 1866. come here for us, at all events." | tant part of the country. He had He then detailed how Thady had called him; and the hero of the night was obliged to go over the story of his hearing the noise and following the man, two or three times, before the party were fully satisfied. Mrs. Connor embraced him heartily, and called him the saviour of her child; and if loving words and cordial approbation ever gladdened any one's heart they did Thady's that night, or rather morning, for the daylight had stolen imperceptibly upon them as they talked. Lily had been examining the hat for some time, when she exclaimed, "There's something here, mother, up at the top; I wonder what it is?" "Old rags, you may be sure, darlin'," said her mother; sure he's nothin' but a mass of rags, the same boccough." Mother, John, look here!" cried Lily; "these are not rags!" and to the amazement of the party a bundle of bank notes lay before them-crumpled and dirty, but still bank notes, and to their further surprise, on counting them, they found that they amounted to a sum of nearly three hundred pounds. It was in vain to conjecture how such a miserable object as the boccough came to be in the possession of such a sum of money; but on applying to a magistrate that day a course of inquiry was instituted that brought strange things to light. The notes were discovered by the numbers (which had been stopped at the bank) to have belonged to the barony constable, who had been waylaid and robbed some years before as he was returning late one night from a dis described one of the robbers as a very tall, powerful man, but as his face was concealed by a mask he could not give any particulars that would lead to his identification. Just at the time that the bank notes were discovered, a man well known as a robber was in the county gaol, undergoing punishment for robbery; and the magistrate (Mr. Maloney) being anxious to throw, if possible, some additional light on the subject, and to make “ assurance doubly sure," went to his cell and told him that the long-lost bank notes had been found in the hat of the boccough, and asked him if he knew anything of the affair. "Is the boccough dead, then?" inquired the man, starting forward. "I suppose he is; for he never would have gev them up while there was life in him." "He's not dead," said Mr. Maloney," but he has been discovered setting fire to a house." "Whose house?" asked the robber, eagerly. "Mrs. Connor's." "Whew!" whistled the man. "Was that the way he revinged himself afther all?" "What do you mean?" inquired the magistrate, who had become very much interested; "why should he owe Mrs. Connor a grudge? She is a most inoffensive, good-hearted woman." "Well, sir, it's a long story," replied the robber, who evidently thought the boccough was in custody, and Mr. Maloney did not think it necessary to undeceive him. "You see, Jim Fagan-for that's his raal name" THADY D'ARCY: A STORY OF IRISH LIFE. "Is it Fagan that was sentenced to be hung for murder, and broke out of gaol?" interrupted the magistrate. "The same, sir. He was put on his thrial for the murdher iv a lone widow woman, that he thought had some money by her; and he was condimned be the evidence of ould Connor, Mrs. Connor's husband; an' that's why he ever an' always had the spite agin them. I only wondher he let it shlumber so long. Shure he was the captin' iv the set that pathrolled the country this thirty years; an' many a boy-meself among the number might he honest an' dacint to-day if it wasn't for him. I owe him no thanks, any how, for makin' me what I am; but for all that, I'd never have sphlit on him, only he was found out." "If you had a chance would you reform?" asked the magistrate, who felt that he had gotten some valuable information from the man, and who he understood had been well conducted while in prison. "Reform, is it?" cried the robber, eagerly. "Och, if I only had the chance! But it's no use talking," he added, with a groan; "I'm too well known, and no one id thry me." "I tell you what it is, my man,' said Mr. Maloney, who was a humane, kind-hearted man, as well as a just one; "if you are determined to become an honest man, I will help you when you get out of this. I'll give you work, and a bit of land with a cabin on it; and, if you deserve it, you will always find me your friend." The man listened with open mouth and distended eyes, as if he could 75 scarcely believe the news, that seemed too good to be true; and then, taking in the full measure of it, he threw himself at the worthy magistrate's feet, and sobbed like a child. Greatly affected, Mr. Maloney spoke a few encouraging words to him and left him; but before he quitted the gaol he saw the governor, and interested him so much in the man, that his lot was made as endurable as possible until he was discharged from prison, when Mr. Maloney fulfilled his promise of putting him in a way to be an honest man; and had the satisfaction of seeing him steadily pursue an upright course, and become not only a thriving farmer in a small way, but also a respectable and respected member of society. But meanwhile every exertion was made to trace the boccough, more particularly now that he was known to be such a desperate character, but without avail; he seemed to have some charmed place of abode, or to have entirely deserted that part of the country, for he never was seen or heard of there again. In about two months after the attempted burning of the house by the boccough, a second encounter took place between "the poor scholar" and the schoolmaster, and this time Thady was victorious and came off with flying colours. He bore his honours meekly, and without any undue elation of spirit; but, remembering the longing hearts at home, he compelled himself to the inevitable decision that he must leave the hospitable roof that had been a second home to him, and see a new position and a more able teacher. It was with sincere sor come here for us, at all events." He then detailed how Thady had called him; and the hero of the night was obliged to go over the story of his hearing the noise and following the man, two or three times, before the party were fully satisfied. Mrs. Connor embraced him heartily, and called him the saviour of her child; and if loving words and cordial approbation ever gladdened any one's heart they did Thady's that night, or rather morning, for the daylight had stolen imperceptibly upon them as they talked. Lily had been examining the hat for some time, when she exclaimed, "There's something here, mother, up at the top; I wonder what it is?" "Old rags, you may be sure, darlin'," said her mother; sure he's nothin' but a mass of rags, the same boccough." "Mother, John, look here!" cried Lily; "these are not rags !" and to the amazement of the party a bundle of bank notes lay before them-crumpled and dirty, but still bank notes,-and to their further surprise, on counting them, they found that they amounted to a sum of nearly three hundred pounds. It was in vain to conjecture how such a miserable object as the boccough came to be in the possession of such a sum of money; but on applying to a magistrate that day a course of inquiry was in ted that brought strange thing tant part of the country. He described one of the robbers a very tall, powerful man, but as face was concealed by a mask could not give any particulars ti would lead to his identification. Just at the time that the ba notes were discovered, a man v known as a robber was in the cou gaol, undergoing punishment robbery; and the magistrate (M Maloney) being anxious to thro if possible, some additional light the subject, and to make doubly sure," went to his cell an told him that the long-lost barl notes had been found in the hat the boccough, and asked him if he knew anything of the affair. assurar "Is the boccough dead, then?" inquired the man, starting forward "I suppose he is; for he never would have gev them up while there was life in him." "He's not dead," said Mr. Maloney," but he has been discovered setting fire to a house." "Whose house?" asked the rob ber, eagerly. "Mrs. Connor's." "Whew!" whistled the man. "Was that the way he revinged himself afther all?" |