88 TtiE STBIKE AT SHAJ^JS'iS. 



"Faith an' I don't think there's iuy body on the 

 farm now that wants to mistrate 'em, Misther Shane,'* 

 said Mike, who had come in with Tom. 



"I can trust you, Mike, for you always was opposed 

 to mistreating the animals, but I didn't know but what 

 Tom might have some of the old ideas yet," said 

 Shane. 



" Niver ye fear for that bye, Misther Shane. Be- 

 gorra, he's a bigger crank than Misther Tracy himsilf , 

 an' I think it's a young leedy of that name that's having 

 a dale of influence wid 'im on tliim points^ eh 9 " and he 

 gave Tom a vigorous poke in the ribs. 



"Oh ! shut up," said Tom, " that rattle-clap tongue 

 of yours is always clattering about something." 



"All right, me bye, 'tis Michael McCarty knows a 

 thing or two, an' he has the tongue to tell yQ of it wid. 

 Arrah, I've been kapin' me two eyes open mesilf, 

 this summer, an' I've changed the song I sung ye in 

 the spring like this : — 



Tom Shane's a bye of some good sinse — 



He's goin' to use it all, 

 An' from the looks of things just now, 



Bedad he'll marry this fall, 



Bedad he'll marry this fall, 

 An' from the looks of things just now, 



Bedad he'll marry this fall. 



That is, ye know, if he can get his feyther's consint." 

 The laugh was at Tom's expense, and they retired 



in good humor. 



"Mike's surmise was correct, for Tom Shane and 



