little orphan girl, whose father had gone to Ameriky and
whose mother was dead, that was found one night, years before, in
front of old Mrs. McGuire's door. She was about the same age as Kitty,
and the owld woman took her out of kindness and brought them up
together. She got to be jist as ugly a looking a gal as Tom was a man.
Her hair was redder than his, and her face was just that freckled that
yees couldn't tell which was the freckle and which was the skin
itself. And her nose had a twist, on the ind of it, that made one
think it had been made for a corkscrew, or some machine that you bore
holes with.

"This gal, Molly Mulligan, used to encourage Tom to come to the house,
and was always so mighty kind to him that he used to kiss and shpark
her by way of compinsating her for her trouble. She used to take this
all _very_ well, for she was a great admirer of Tom's, and always
spoke his praise. But Tom didn't make much headway with Kitty. It
wasn't often that he could saa her, and when he did; she was mighty
offish, and was sure to have the owld woman present, like a
dumb-waiter, to be sure. She come to tell him at length that she
didn't admire his coming, and that he would greatly plaise her if he
would make his visits by staying away altogether. The next time Tom
went he found the door locked, and, after hammering a half-hour, and
being towld there was no admittance, he belaved it was meant as a kind
hint that his company was not agreeable. Be yees listening, ye
riptile?

"Tom might have stood it very well, if another chap hadn't begun
calling on Kitty about this time. He used to go airly in the evening,
and not come out of the house till after midnight, so that one might
belave his visits were welcome. This made Tom feel mighty bad, and so
he hid behind the wall and waylaid the chap one night. He would have
killed the chap, his timper was so ruffled, if the man hadn't nearly
killed him afore he had the chance. He laid all night in the gutter,
and was just able to crawl home next day, while the fellow went
a-courting the next night, as if nothing had happened.

"Tom begun to git melancholy, and his mouth didn't appear quite as
broad as usual. Molly Mulligan thought he had taken slow poison and it
was gradually working through his system; but he could ate his pick of
praties the same as iver. But Tom felt mighty bad; that fact can't be
denied, and he went frequently to consult with a praist that lived
near this ind