ck as that. But they all belaved it, bekase
widdys judge iverybody be themselves, so they were mighty mad.

"The Widdy McMurthry was first to hear the news, as her dawther towld her,
an' she riz in a fury. 'Oh the owdashus villin,' says she; 'to think av
him comin' here an' me listenin' at him that was lyin' fasther than a
horse 'ud throt. But I'll have justice, so I will, an' see if there's law
for a lone widdy. I'll go to the judge,' fur, I forgot to tell ye, it was
jail delivery an' the coort was settin' an' the judge down from Dublin wid
a wig on him the size av a bar'l.

"Whin they towld Missis O'Donnell, she bust out cryin' an' says, 'Sure it
can't be thrue. It isn't in him to desave a poor widdy wid only two
childher, an' me thrustin' on him,' so she wint into the back room an'
laid on the bed.

"But whin the Widdy Mulligan learned it, they thought she'd take a fit,
the face av her got so red an' she chokin' wid rage. 'Tatther an' agers,'
says she. 'If I only had that vagabone here five minnits, it's a long day
it 'ud be afore he'd desave another tinder-hearted faymale.'

"'Oh, be aisey,' says wan to her, 'faix, you're not the onliest wan that's
in it. Sure there's the Widdy O'Donnell an' Missis McMurthry that he's
desaved aiquelly wid yerself.'

"'Is that thrue?' says she; 'by this an' by that I'll see thim an' we'll
go to the judge an' have him in the prision. Sure the Quane's a widdy
herself an' knows how it feels, an' her judge 'ull take the part av widdys
that's misconshtrewed be a nagurly blaggard like owld Dooley. Bad luck to
the seed, breed, an' generation av him. I cud mop up the flure wid him,
the divil roast him, an' if I lay me hands on him, I'll do it,' says she,
an' so she would; an' a blessing it was to Misther Dooley he was not in
town just thin, but at home, diggin' pitaties as fast as he cud, an'
chucklin' to himself how he'd send the pitaties to town be Paddy, an'
himself go to Clare an' get away from the whole tribe av widdys an' owld
maids.

"So the Widdy Mulligan wint afther the Widdy O'Donnell an' tuk her along,
an' they towld thim av the Widdy McMurthry an' how she was done be him,
an' they got her too, fur they all said, 'Sure we wouldn't marry him fur
him, but only want to see him punished fur misconshtructing phat we said
to him an' lying to us.' Be this time half the town was ready an' aiger to
go wid thim to the coort, an' so they did, an' in, wid the offishers
thryin' to kape t