CROOKED LAKE. 35 



at the O'Leary residence, where she was -welcomed in 

 the most cordial manner by Mrs. O'Leary and informed 

 that Andy was not at home. After the first greetings 

 were over and a little preliminary chat had been 

 broached, Mrs. McCarty came straight to the matter in 

 hand. 



"Mrs. O'Leary," she said, putting on her most per- 

 suasive smile and best company manners, "Oi would 

 loike to know where Andy found that devil of a goose 

 he left at my cabin two weeks ago?" 



"Shure, darlint, I'll tell you," the other replied, " 'twas 

 old Patsy; me husband, the Lord forgive him, killed 

 the bhurd by mistake, and 'tis mesilf that haven't done 

 crooning and lamenting for the loss of my old favorite 



"Old Patsy!" ejaculated Mrs. McCarty; "who's old 

 Patsy ?" 



"Why, Mrs. McOarty, dearie, '<is joursilf that's 

 aware me maiden name was Patsy before I married 

 that unthinking gossoon, Andy O'Leary; and, bedad, 

 'tis thrue that Patsy and I were gossoons together. 

 Me father prisinted me wid the bhuird for a playmate 

 whin I was jist a year old, and I'm jist sixty-three years 

 this coming Michaelmas!" 



"Holy Katie!" yelled Mrs. McCarty; "tell me, is it 

 thrue I attimpted to cuke and ate a goose sixty-three 

 years old?" 



"Indade and 'tis," sorrowfully acquiesced her old 

 neighbor; "sorra the day such a terrible mishtake hap- 

 pened. But, Mrs. McCarty, darlint, shure ye can sym- 

 pathize wid me loss. I know ye have never aiten the 

 poor, stringy old darlint; send me his ramanes, if 'tis 

 only Ms bones, and take a sorrowing lone woman's 

 blissing and the fattest and best goose in the pig-stye 

 home wid yees!" 



The upshot of the matter was, Mrs. McCarty de- 

 parted with a plump green goose, and well satisfied 

 with her old neighbor's explanation. -Old Patsy's re- 



