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Show landing, 11 "THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE." !r court II (By " M Jaclson) ecretary IH Whcn Sam Keel appeared in Razor- '0r dues 1 1 vino where market farmers loaded their be good i wacons with anthracite atfc dollar per near5 to ioaa this was in the good old times ral evi- before trusts were invented ho was i looked upon askance by the Irish pop- usunjer. ulatlon, which had no use for "a na ,lt Truth H ,,r For Sam was black. Not so "out the yerj. black, but black enough to under. be identified as a son of Africa, bo- at noth. g,(le3 Whlch he had kinky hair. But :vltn the 'for the last characteristic ho might have 'r apP. passed in some localities as an Indian the ex. or ovon a Spaniard, but having the 1 "at the short cri8p wool of his fathers there ct, may H wns nQ uge trying to conceal his Idon- it i?W!' H tlty. Sam located In a small shanty, ini T H vacated a month or two previous by Imii il' B a Welshman, who found lifo among the mi. I LB Irish a hit loo strenuous, hung out a 7 ii H sign indicating his willingness to do notice Bj whitewashing, or any sort of manual , i m1 H labor, and waited for something to o, t M come his way. "p ne Work didn't come howling 'round tat m tllG uoor of llls ,lumulG homo, for no ' J I one seemed to want a colored man in provide I any capacity. Tho foremen in the ck ani I mines ln tno neIBhborhood told him ipnMnn. I in language both forcible and profane I to got out, and one of them throat-least throat-least I cned t0 sot 'Th0 Mo,lles" after hlm-uro hlm-uro the B Sam' wll 0011,11 rea1- nml I,a(1 roau aternal ffi of many of 1110 atl0c,t,es committed by ,ra W M that mysterious brotherhood, fled in nt that dismay and mado no more applica- uember B tlons tor worlt ln tno mlnes- Tll big and he IS coarso and gruff superintendent of 1 ffial.e H tho Lackawanna gravel train declined s to It B to nston to 11,3 humblo petition for 0 done B worIc wItn a sllovcl at one dollar ten tter of B per c,ay' an(1 otllor white men being tlce of B equally obdurate and hard of heart, lgsent B things looked black Indeed for the there- M darkey. To add to his discomfort aris- H ing from lack of employment tho vag- ilng as m rant hoys Irish boys with frcckols it abol- M as larG as three cent pieces, and cn- n their B "lowed with a natural antipathy to- merelv B wartI nny ono wlth a dark complex- of gov- B ion persisted in heaving "dornicks" feet of B through his windows and alluding to in fu- B Illm ,n lanBuaKe intended to bo facet- J ious, but which was In reality vulgar j and soul harrasslng. Sam, however, D B 11,0 t,1G ualance f his race, had an H even disposition and a forgiving na- itlonal'IB tlIrc' 80 1,0 mad0 t,1G best of tno slt- r ihpn nation, to tho great satisfaction of .the 1ds an(1 the safety of his own hide, some m for, had ho resented tho ill treatment at the and laid a chocolate hand on any of notion. M Uieso scions of tho house of Murphy, umand Callahan, Daugherty, Shaughnossy i. I r the balance, ho would have undoubt- iereis m ediy been hammered into a pulp with from M a pick handle by some indignant sire. ig the I Sam had a littlo money when ho jutant 1 arrived in Razorvlllo, but economize led I aa he m,ght 11 m?lted away, so thero 1 1 cam, a timo' whcn. aftor eating sup- wthe I per.he noted that ho had provender d and I enough for ono small breakfast. It been I was then that ho indulged in a brief ame I Bll of cogitating, honor 1 Something gottor tu'n up sho' nuff" tne J soliloquized Sam, as ho washed his ono omto- I"at. his ono knife and fork and his wear ; ono cup, for his china closet boasted es to 9 o saucer, "but Ah reckons 'twill ithto ?,no B00(1 Lawd takes care ob his gslde ciuimns." Whereupon tho nogr fflcer ceased worrying and took from its c0ffl' i w , ,, 01(1 nddle Preparatory to drlv- m liuM.r1 ,caro away )y a concourse of lderJ S fuiBOllndB- Tho molody was U? r ntl y .? th 1Ulck a"d 'lOVllIsh'' va- pan .?ly: Satan'B Dream" chased "Mon- ' Jn, "s t "Turkey in tho Straw" Ma 0t f00t aftor th0 "01d Woman 1 D . Covnri "ayJ??ow" and "s,r RBor do tl0? muZ y" , Th0 8l,anty vibrated to tho f ' rnm .an' Pa(ldy Connors, returning Se 5 to iisStenayS Wr, ln th braSt Imlt" SH ei"pri0? h (, bat0 th0 dlvll,"oJaculat- ullL t0, "nself- as 1,0 "Hed and :m I B ted his audeen" preparatory to I 15 down n Keel's doorstop to take I " au th free music. "Arra, listen IB , UlIatS?w 110 C01ltliicd as Keel ren- n1, nnU'lck's Day 111 ' Morn- ng with all the technique that time-honored time-honored composition is entitled to Sure he plays that like a ralo Irish- mn'V An! tllcrc's MlBthress McLcod's rteol, faith. Yorra, but phat a nngur no is. Bu gob ho can play nnnyflng ," chuckled Connors to himself as Sam aftor a minuto of rest, sawed off "Tho Irish Washerwoman," in correct stylo an tis mesilf as belavos I'll go inside and cultivate his acquaintance, for bo tli' same token he's Casey, tho old scaramouch, faded, phen it como3 to th flddlin' Av ho can call off as well 's ho can fiddle, bo's th' b'yo for th' dances." Whereupon Paddy went inside and greeted Sam cordially, to that gentleman's gentle-man's infinite surprise and satisfaction engaged hlm to play lor a "shindig" at the Connors rosidenco tho noxt night but ono, listened to tno darkey's talo of woo, loaned hlm a dollar on account after hearing it, and men hied homo-ward homo-ward to spread tho glad tidings of his discovery and incidentally to inform the juvenile Connors thnt "Th' nixt wan av thlni who'd mako trouble for that jool av a nagur l feel th' weight av his list" a threat which the scions of that noblo house communicated bo-foro bo-foro bedtime to every lad ln tho neighborhood, neigh-borhood, thus assuring Sam pcaco and safety until tho edict should ho repealed. Sam fiddled for tho dance and was so successful that every participant was willing to vote hlm a second Olo Bull. Ho proved to be thoioughly conversant con-versant with tho science of "calling" and ho had every dancer perspiring before tho first "sot" was off tho lloor, which mado his calling and occupation sure. Tho collection taken up amounted amount-ed to trllle over four dollars, enabling him to return Connor's dollnr to that worthy's satisfaction, besides which drinks wero numerous, whilo his lunch during Intermission was of such vast and varied chnractor that Sam was qulto overwhelmed. Ills good luck did not end thero either, for visitors from other places wero profuse in their admiration of his abilities to. the extent that ho was engaged to play for a danco at Hydo Park, another at Capouso and another at Dunmore during dur-ing tho coming week, an era of prosperity pros-perity that qulto dazed hlm, and caused him to wonder several times during tho courso of tho evening if ho was awako or having visions. For somo weeks all went well with Sam. He mado money fast and wns seriously contemplating tho ndvlsibll-lty ndvlsibll-lty of uniting In marrlago with a dusky chambermaid in a down-town hotel, when a serpent unexpectedly entered his Eden. It will bo romem-bored romem-bored that Mr. Connors, when talking to hlmsolf outside Sam's door, mentioned men-tioned ono Casey. Martin Casey was his full name, and Martin, until the advent of Keel, had done all the fiddling fid-dling for tho neighborhood. Ilo played by ear entirely, and that organ or-gan being a bit defective, thero wero times when his music was of a disconnected dis-connected sort Important passages boing ofttimes omitted to the Intense disgust of the educated ones engaged ln "welting th' fluro." Sam played "by note," and learned his music by heart beforo attempting to reproduce it in public. Casey saw his occupation occupa-tion was gono unless ho checkmated his black rival and formulated a dark schemo which ho kept entirely to himself. him-self. A part of his plan demanded a visit to Sam's shanty and, mucTi against his will, ho called ono evening. even-ing. Llko tho serpent of old, Casey was smiling anu affablo of countenance as much, so as a man of his contour of faco could bo at least and agreeable in demeanor de-meanor and conversation. "Good avenin' to yo, Mlsthor Keel," ho exclaimed to tho astonishod Sam, as ho crossed tho threshold of tho humblo dwelling, "a flno avenin' 'tis, praise bo to God, an' how's th' wor-ruld wor-ruld usln' av yo?" "Tola'ble, tola'blo. sail," replied Sam, not yet recovered Troin tho unexpected un-expected honor of Casey's call. " 'Tis "good," rejoinqd Casoy, "ye desarvo it. Yo'ro a lino mon. Now yo don't knaw phat I've called for. I'll gamble," at tho samo timo bcninlug benevolently upon his dune host. "No. sab, no, sab; All's gottor confess con-fess dut do tribulaslnin ob yo' clrcuni-stancln' clrcuni-stancln' in heah so't ah knocks mo curllununlxod lnlk," replied tho fiddler. fid-dler. "Well, now d'ye inolnd," said Casoy, "It's yor llddlln. D'ye knaw there's thlni that do bo snyln' yo'ro nblo for to play music rr'ni th book. A-r-r-o they right?" "Yes, snh," said Sam, "dat's do way Ah plays. Ah learnt how to read iniraic fr'm nn olo nigger down In Souf Ca'llnn. Ho b'longcd to Oln'ral Wndo Hampton, sab. Somo folksos said as lie wore a son ob u wblto man what had money, snh, nn' ho had dls ntpgnh taught music. Ho learn mo 'Twns easy, sab. Why, olo Jeff said Ah tul; to music Ink a duck docs to wrltnh. An' ho snld, Bah, Ah'd novah be no 'count fo' nnnyt'lng olso, sab. An' Ah guess ho wns right. But Ah cpii suttlnly piny nnnyt'lng Ah fccos, sah." "Well, well," ejaculated Cnsoy, "l'y inolnd that. Sure 'tis niosllf as would gtvo mo left leg to bo nblo to do that same. Whlsth thin. Could yo piny this?" at tho same timo producing n sheet or two of music, evidently copied from a printed form and with no tltlo. Sum's reply was to take down his flddlo and glvo a very fair rendition of tho music. Casoy listened with evident delight anil when Sam had finished, commented: "Ye done well. Thry It agin." Sam repeated and showed such n mnrked improvement thnt Casoy applauded ap-plauded vigorously. When ho had ceased ho spoko as follows: 'Tis good; 'tis very good. Now listen to nio Yo'll play for th' danco nt Cornoy Donovan's Don-ovan's on Saturday night, av coorso. L'arn this bit av music bo henr-r-r-t. 'Tis Cornoy's request, suro 'tis. Phon th' hilarity's at It's height, d'yo molnd. piny that chuno. But sn-ay nawthln' to nnny wan. Cornoy wants to surprise sur-prise thlni all. That chime's a fav'-rlte fav'-rlte wan In certnin par-r-r-ts av Olro-land. Olro-land. Good night to yo." It was a largo crowd that gathorod at Cornoy Donovan's. Not only tho house, but many of tho guests wero full. The, danco wont on and Joy was uncondncd. Novcr had Sam played or called better. Tho dancers wero pleased and oxprcsscd their satisfaction satisfac-tion many times. Tho negro was tho subject of flattering cnconlums. When tho festivities had reached tho apex ho aroso to address a newly formed sot. "Ladles an' gemmon," ho said, "Ah has th' honah to info'm yo all dat All's gottor now pleco ob music; new to mahsolf, but one what yo' all will 'predate. Ahm tol dat it am Irish. Honnhs all. Join yo' linn's nn' clrclo to do lot'." Thon, to tho amazement and Indignation Indig-nation of all present, oxcopt Cnsoy, who was watching tho nffalr from a point of vantage, that old fiddle begnn singing tho "Battle of tho Boyno," which, as every ono knows. Is by no means popular south of Galway. Tho subsequent proceedings woro too assiduous as-siduous for languago to describe. But when all was ovor Paddy Connors was heard to mutter to himself: "Wlrra, wlrra, but who'd a thought th' nagur was an Orangeman." Casoy did the fiddling afterward. |