“If its Minnie ye’re swate on——” but here he interrupted and took the paper from his coat and tossed it up in the air. “Its for Miss Wolley” ses he, “and its from Mr. Harry himself.” I guv such a joomp me chopping boal wint over, wid all me prishus hash on the flure, and that the last morsil of meet in the house for loonch. “My God, Mr. Mulvaney!” ses I, “do you mean it?” He’s very lofty now, and rising oop ses hortily: “I’d like to see Miss Wolley if you plaze, _Miss O’Malley_” ses he wid emfasis. “Shes out” ses I. He moved tord the dure, me aafter him, and I cort him by his slave. [Illustration: “‘But suppose,’ ses he, leening a bit nearer, ‘that the litter was not for you?’” ] “Guv it to me Larry!” I begged, “Its niver a chance the family will guv you to hand it to the puir child and shure if ye’ll jest hand it to me I’ll slip it into her hand widout a sole in the house gessing the trooth.” But Mr. Mulvaney put the letter into his brist pocket. Then he crossed his arms, and stares at me. “Delia” ses he, “tell me the thruth. Are you sweet on the Frinchman?” “Thats me personal affare, Mr. Moolvaney” ses I. “Becorse if ye are” ses he “its only fare to let ye know hes meerly after ye-re hard airned savings. The Frinch are slick, but its a true hart ye’re needing to leen upon.” “Larry Mulvaney” ses I “will you or will you not be after handing me the letter for Miss Claire?” “On wan condition” ses he. “Spake it” ses I. “Guv me a kiss, darlint” ses he. “I’ll be dummed first” ses I wid indigation. “Be dummed then” ses he, “but lissen swatehart. Mr. Dudley do be sinding Mr. Harry aff to Yurope to-morrow marning airly. Its the long distunse cure the auld gintleman do be after expicting for the lad. Now Mr. Harry has rote a litter of ixplanashuns to Miss Claire appoynting an intervew. So Delia darlint its oop to you. Shall Miss Claire have the litter or shall she not?” “My God Mr. Mulvaney” ses I “do you mean to say ye’d be holding back the litter from the puir yung thing?” “Oonless” ses he, “you guv me a kiss.” “Tak it then” ses I “and be dummed to you.” Wid that he guv a joomp, saysed me about the waste and kissed me smack on the lips, and me riddy to sink into the airth for shame, for shure its the first time a lad do be giving me a kiss. He slipped the letter into me hand. Wid that I cam to me sinses and struck out wid me free hand. But Larry guv a larf at the smack I’m giving him and ses he: “Delia darlint thats nothing but a love smack. Goodbye mavourneen, it’ll be manny a day befure ye’ll forgit the kissing I’ve given you.” Whin he was gone I looked about me kitchin, hardly knowing what I was seeing, wid the ixcipshun of the hash on the flure. Prisintly I herd the family coming home and I sneeked upstares hoping to get the chance of seeing Miss Claire alone. The family was on the porch, and I herd Mr. James reeding aloud from a litter in his hand: