Kerrigan’s house formed a portion of a long row, or block, of tall buildings, with stone basements and wooden upper stories, standing on a high embankment, accessible over the cut by a staircase. The little Tamaqua Mollie, with his big wife and three unruly children, occupied the basement and floor above, while the third story and garret were uninhabited. If Jimmy Kerrigan was physically a small fellow, measuring but two or three inches above five feet in his stockings, he had a spouse of rather more than average size. She was also something of a virago, and, as the neighbors said, drove the Bodymaster with a tight rein—while he lorded it over the Mollies—and had so held him in check for many years. It will be remembered that, in 1874, Tamaqua boasted no division of the order. In 1875 it had one, to which some of the best and worst of the Irish Catholic inhabitants belonged. [Illustration: “_‘Who is that lady?’ asked McKenna._”] Mrs. Kerrigan said, when visited by McKenna and McNellis, that her husband would be back from his work, at Col. Coke’s Colliery, in a short time, and they could amuse themselves at the front, while she entertained a neighbor. They took the hint that, in her enlightened view, they were a little too far gone in drink to be company for respectable ladies, and she wished them to remain at a distance, which they did, and occupied themselves with the children, chickens, and pigs, until they saw Kerrigan, in his shifting suit, coming along the ravine. Just as he arrived and they joined him at the house corner, McKenna’s sight was refreshed by the appearance, coming from Kerrigan’s residence, of a young woman, fashionably dressed, and carrying her parasol, whose face and figure seemed wonderfully familiar to him. Who could she be? Without pausing to look at him, as she came nigh, after once passing, the lady cast a shy and modest glance in his direction over her shoulder. Surely, he had seen that face somewhere. “Who is that lady?” asked McKenna, turning to Kerrigan, who was speaking with McNellis, and pointing toward Mrs. Kerrigan’s caller. “Who is she?” said the Bodymaster. “Why, sure an that’s me own sisther-in-law, Miss Mary Ann Higgins!” It here burst upon the senses of the bewildered operative that it was the same lovely girl who made him feel, for a time, so supremely ridiculous at the Polish wedding, and the soft touch of whose lips lingered so pleasantly upon his cheek many weeks afterward. “Then that is your sister-in-law? Bedad, but I must hev an introduction!” “That ye surely shall hev!” returned Kerrigan. “She’ll he here to-morrow avenin’, wid her sisther, which is Mrs. Kerrigan, an’ if you makes it convaynint to drop in, I’ll get ye well acquainted in jist no time at all!” “I’ll be here!” answered McKenna, who could not keep his eyes off the handsome Miss Higgins, as long as she was within his line of vision.