Show H ION HOW 0 fJ LITTLE PAT PR PROVED 0 V ED HIM HIMSELF SELF W WOR WORTHY 0 R THY 0 OF F HIS N NAME A ME 1 I n ly y a St. St Patrick's Patricks tin day dav a near iwar and the children of Little LillIe Pond 5 Southern Florida had hall decided on haIng hasS has'S having has hav S ing log a celebration befitting the lie occa occa- S lion sion They tiey hud planned tl on in holdIngS holding their thell festival In Iii the open upen alt air In a lit lit- S tic clearing at the outskirts of oC time the village viiI vii vil I lage which bordered on u it pine for for- fori i est I Each boy hoy and antl girl hall had been re requested ze rc- quested to lo prepare himself timid and herself her hel self with a short sketch sketch sketch-of If the good sonic some Incident Saints Saint's life lifo relating connected with It It- hud had been For Fol days tho ho busy preparing for fur I the lie coining event of th the spot lJ by cleaning the ground chosen choH n for fol the tIme gathering piling wood soOl ansi and ru rubbish in a u heap for fot a it hi big bonfire small on S and erecting a U platform which the were to t stand and antI the thc laying haying of or rude pine board benches Gay Chinese lanterns were from nearby pine branches merely merel to lend to the scene for the lie light 1 would 11 be lie blinded by that thal of the great crackling bonfire hon bon fire of Florida en emm a awill will as a. ups imps aue are ae so 80 fond gall in lit the lie c of St. St Patrick's Patricks cia day the youth of the village triage as assembled at their theil place of meeting the lie girls bringing well tilled luncheon baskets and the time boys hotI carrying ln quantities of small harmless for Cor the lie occasion was va to be e one of or if unusual tra- tra tion When hen all ha had assembles assembled Tommy Peters s spokesman of tIme tile evening called the lie laughing chattering crowd to lo order and anti proceeded to call upon each for fur fora a minute two speech on he heS subject of ut Good G SI St Patrick S Quite readily the lie little ln ones omus responded respond S ed ell chosen well awl and timely IC re- markH each giving his or 01 her own 5 S 5 version oC ot the he tc SL Patricks Patrick's Toul and Snake Story Hut But when Tommy called upon Pal It to step stepto to In the he platform ansi and be lie heard hearil from that young Irishman hman shook his rc red redhead head antI and blushingly stammered that I he IH got sot ito no speech fixed Li up I and I nd begged e lo tu be bl excused excused- Pshaw that al aint fair exclaimed Tommy emphatically As you ou are the only real meal I Irish boy present an an anno no 1 Irish girl bill here at all you nIl you ou ought ht to 0 tomake tomal mal make c the real hit of or the lie l' l evening Besides Be lie- sides Hides you arc the time namesake of the th- f we WC 31 are celebrating I If f anybody lieu heie e knows the lie real truth of the lie toad a and Mia lIa But suddenly Tommy hushed speaking speak speak- I ing uig hi ills hit Is mouth It 1 dropped wille Iule open his hll'S e eyes cs became ly on iso something at at al the tIme ed edge c of or the lime platform near the lie bonfire which was throwing throwing- out hot bot heat h at and light lI hl Tightly TI he lie douched clenched his hands as If in iii an arm a agony ony of fear As he stood there speechless motionless motion I less g he was the picture of or u abject ter ter- Cr- Cr 01 01 At first the lie children were inclined to lo laugh at Tommy Tomm thinking thinking- he lie s-as s about to lo spring sonic some neW joke hut but bulas butas as time color chiot left his Ills face ace and the lie f fear I deepened In his eyes all turned their Itch attention to lo the hue spot on omi whIch his imPs gass' gass coined s-coined riveted i Then a Ii l low exclamation II of horror fell CeIl from the the- i lips II's of the lie emu children wIlli sat salon on 00 the the- benches as os though turned to 14 tt l stone II erho e. e The lime horrible thing thi whIch Ich had 1181 thus thu trant- trant tu 1 them to their seats teats and whIch lh time the one exclamation robbed rob bed them of speech p ch waH as nothing I less bk than a ut hu huge c rattlesnake coiled colled the bonfire honOre whose genial warmth hud had dou doubtless driven the tho reptile u from omit n a I hole too near to be he lo Its Ill Hat bat head was us raised fully a foot in tin tin- air ah and amid Its burning eyes ees were holding Tommys Tommy's orbs as by hy a spoil spell I Then little Pat OI the only real meal Irishman hman there ut und and tl namesake name nunie- I 55 sake ke lif of I he si saint I lit i In U tho hey were Celebrating ro rose iose e cautiously from his spat sat stealthily a at th the side of or 1 the l opposite lo to the time snake and picked d up a hu huge c lun long hung longpine pine hou bough h l Then len as cautiously he ht advanced round the time lire lo to the place the le colled reptile still MUll held lucid J tommys 1 S terrified eyes etes its own And AmId now all the childrens children's e eyes e eele ele bent ben on OH Pat thou their hearts hears leaping lo to thell lieu throats oats as they lucy saw him catlike catlike cat cat- lII like e advance acl upon ullon the tue enemy that t seemed unaware of ur his approach When withIn about aboul five feet of oC the the snake Pat raised lh the hue hea heavy stick slick In l 1 two WI strong determined ha hands Then like a bolt hull from fm heaven S so n-so so swift It il was was-thue the lilov full fell crushing the flat lint flathead flathead head of the reptile In the he earth The rite long colled body holly heaved lu straightened itself quivered in iii Its Us last spasm and then lien lay Iny In a still NUll horrid mass And AmI then bout Tommys Tommy's mouth closed us Uti ho lie heaved a n. sigh of relief relict and antl from Crom sheer exhaustion caused by hy the lime fright he lie sank down lown on the I Ihen l platform When hen satisfied that hunt the time snake was wa surely dead deader clea deadest et the hoys boys and girls hl gathered in a sympathizing group around Tommy rommy and amI helped hImi him hint to his feet Then all turned to 4 Pat who whoa was a still pounding the lie wIth witha a n burning bum brand lu II If to make sure cure of Us Its death Ileath and ll pr f XI d themselves in ill admiration fur tr hi his braxe II deed Merry l MM III but a I bl bla i ax-i V boy huy d cik-d Tic d Oil MIH fei bi hilI I. I lIlS 11 hei lucu 1 sunny curls emphatically as she took Pats Pat's hand In lie her own I I 1 should 61 i 1 so joined In Iii another little girl If It It hadn't been for tor you Pat Pal that horrible beast hea have haxe charmed u us all antI and swallowed ins tW whole I just am sure It would Yes sir sim admitted a boy boy blush blushing lug ing lol too at his hiM own confusion r I I scared 1 3 L couldn't ral raise was ivas e a ann nn tinge finger I never nevet before was sC scared lIell till tillI I couldn't yell ell Well all nil of us UH kids behaved like co except Pat calmly spoke sloke anti and I J guess I 1 was as the tIme bIggest biggest big bl- gest chump of or all hut But honest Injun 1 I belIeve c 1 I waS charmed 1 just couldn't lal take lake e my eyes 8 from that snakes nals But come come Pat tell us how you the thc smallest boy here and amI the lie only one who was isas ton tOil bashful to to lo make malc u ti speech found such courage at the lie moment of danger You see c If IC your OUlI I hadn't hit lilt just right right right-ivell ItI it I have hu been h. h en all day with you Well Vell rell said Id Pat lat somewhat HI at nt ease thus tInts finding himself the hero of the hour l I 1 reckon at I r couldn't ave uve done tono It ft If It it hadn't been heen St. St Patricks Patrick's day You see cc he lie tinted hated snakes es arid and andI aridI I am hl his namesake name e so o I just reckon h he lie done como In iii tho the form of a n. cloud that none of us us- us could see see sec and helped me mite to lo strike e with sure sine aim he lie added in lii a more practical cal way the lie old rattlers rattler's dead and und I banished from flom this place Illace- Illace By young youn St Sf Patrick number two cried a jolly jolli boy lO Interrupting So S I I J sa say three three- cJ for fOl little ii I Urn ho killer of siu s And aft r tit lilt tho rou rousing ch Ii hr i r rang out in iii hi soft n jn jis tin tin- lit bo fh the tho tI d tI-ad d SOK I Si till im it the till the firecrackers cJ ers CIO set sel setoff off ocr and aUtI then luen the luncheon was wa on the little platform which covered will a II cloth served e as a boa board od But lInt before the feast spread spi th the lie boys and ami girls examined the grounds closely heating every foul font out of it with sticks to be hc sure that no other uthel rattlers rat rat- lets let's had bind come uninvited to attend the lie SI Patricks Patrick's 5 celebration T Anti And from froni that lint day slay cIar many years ago Pat ago Pal an has lias been known us as St Si Pat the lie killer kIllem of snakes kes |