Dowd himself; who, somewhat later, returning to the
Queen Anne cottage, called the entire Fogarty family about him and
announced to the assembled household:

"Well, sirs! Ye could knock me down with a feather!" after which he sank
into profound silence.

"Huh! And is that what ye're wantin' of us, is it? Well, you never had
sense," remarked Mary, turning away indignantly.

Thus roused, the railroader repeated:

"Sure, an' ye could. A feather'd do it, an' easy. But sit down, woman.
Sit down as I bid ye, an' hear the most wonderful, marvelous tale a body
ever heard this side old Ireland. Faith, I wish my tongue was twicet as
long, an' I knew better how to choose the beginnin' from the end of me
story, or the middle from any one. But sit down, sit down, lass, an' bid
your seven onruly gossoons to keep the peace for onct, while I tell ye a
story beats all the fairy ones ever dreamed. But--where to begin!"

"Huh! I'll give you a start," answered Mrs. Fogarty, impatiently. "You
went from here: now go on with your tale."

"I went from here," began Timothy, obediently, and glad of even this
small aid in his task. "I went from here an' I follyed the three of 'em,
monkey an' man an' girl----"

"And the baby. That's four," corrected Dennis, junior, winking at a
brother.

"Hist, boy! Childer should speak when they're spoke to," returned
Timothy, severely, then continued, at length: "I went from here. And I
follyed----"

Here he became so lost in retrospection that Mary tapped him on the
shoulder, when he resumed as if no break had occurred:

"Them four to the gate. But havin' no business of me own on the place, I
stayed behind, a listenin'. An', purty soon up pipes the beautiful
music; an' right atop o' that comes--bedlam! All the dogs a barkin', the
women servants screeching, the old gentleman commandin', and me colleen
huggin' the Angel tight an' saying never a say, though the poor Dago
Eyetalian was trembling himself into his grave, till all a sudden like,
up flies Glory, heedin' dogs nor no dogs, an' flings herself at
Broadacres' feet, demanding her grandpa! Fact, 'twas the same old
gentleman she'd been blamin' for spiritin' away the blind man; and now
comes true he knows no more the sailor's whereabouts than them two
twinses yon. But I've me cart afore me horse, as usual. For all along o'
this, out comes from that elegant mansion another old person, the lady,
Miss Laura Bonnicastle, by your leave. An' she looks at