The Primrose Ring

lf up on her pillows until she was sitting reasonably straight, and clapped he

irs of eyes turned

speakin'. Miss Peggie gi

Peter. "They come a-peekin' r

ls us 'uncurable

ing Americans!" cam

ael! Who did ye e

chael spat in a perf

's the next best thing to bein' Irish-which every one can't be, the Lord knows. Now them trusters is hea

air be gettin' weel,"

entirely. What do ye thin

cant of much brain

dren," announced S

t, but there be's

ggested Pancho

"C means 'cured.' 'Childher Cured,' that's what! Now all we've got to do is to forget tru

horspital," wailed John, the present dish

ither," ag

. "Dinna ye ken the wee gray woman

obvious approval. "Do ye think,

while Bridget bluntly inquired. "Honest to goodness, Susan, d

to the original topic in hand. "Mi' Peggie p

her of 'em no longer,

nately remind

some pleasantment. Don't ye mind the time the trusters had planned to give us all paint-boxes for Christmas, an' half of us not able to hold a brush, let alon

ha

y E

t's

Susan, sliding back disa

said Bridget; "it'

omethin' ter eat in a box, an' the boys play ball an' the girls dance round, an' the co

l, ner run on the gra

regre

y way of consolation. "If ye'll harken to me a mi

dget had led them into pleasant places too often for th

ers. They're all dthressed in wee green jackets an' caps, an' 'tis grand luck to any that sees them. And all the wishes good childher make on May Eve are sure to come thrue." She s

t as they could; eight pairs of eager eyes followed Bridget's pointin

bed an' hump yerself over to them? If Pether tries

s without enthusiasm. "Pha

there. Just thry; ye'll be

ers. Putting them gingerly to the floor, he stood up, holding fast to the bed; then working his

one leg past another smarther than what ye are. Ye'd fetch up

very high as he steadied himself by the table

gh as he steadied himself by the table and

a do the no

eyes shining and cheeks growing pinker and pinker, she held her breath while the

d years what I was thinkin' this mi

n anticipated wonder; but

ose ring the night. Is there any knowledgeable o

hook an empha

; an' any one that makes it an' steps inside, wishin' a wish, is like

anies that feeling which lies between fear and desire; likewise, eight delicious thrills

covered from the head of Pancho's bed to the tail o' Michael's. 'Twon't make the whole of

stance. "Na-na. Gien a hustled a wud be

" chorused

ridget, "an' we'll si

to hearte

golden blossoms. Luckily for Ward C, the nurse on duty during the dinner-hour was in the medical ward, with the door closed. And when she came back to her list

rees of it. But in the world of fancy geometrical accuracy does not hold; and the only important thing is believing that the ring has been made. I have known of a few

o hands and saying, "These are my personal belongings." Material things are rather a nuisance, on the whole, for they have to be dusted and kept in order, repatched or repainted; and if one wishes to carry th

htfully, "we'd not have to be waitin' for what's likely

at?" deman

gettin' the cap," continued Bridget, with conviction. "All ye need do i

e others followed her example; and together they

atmosphere, and she cried, exultantly, "Hold on to it ti

of hands obeyed-M

ks got," he sa

"He's foolish entirely. He thinks he hasn't anythin'

" interrupted Susan. "We'd fee

herself 'll open a monsthrous big chest where they keeps all the f

ueried Pet

es an' straw hats wi'

was very anxious; he had never had

we get there we'll look about for a blackthorn-bush-an' there-like as not-in undther

t's

ye on us he'll sing out: 'Hello, Pancho an' Sandy an' Susan an' all o' yez. I've your b

bled down the length of the ward, and vanished out of the window. Is

t the leprechaun reaches for his crock o' gold an' pulls out a

said Michael,

what I

g?" Peter asked, ope

millio

spots an' half-legs-an' long ears-an' a stand-up tail-an' legs-an' long-long-l

of yawns broke the hu

herself back un

e from Sandy's crib. "'Twad be a hame in Aberdeen-wi' trees an'

she added, struck forcibly with an afterthought: "But what would be the sense of a home a

and Bridget took up again t

rath. The pipers were pipin' an' the Wee People was dancin', an' while they was dancin' they was singin' like this: 'Monday an' Tuesday-an' Monday an' Tuesday-an' Monday an' Tuesday'-an' it sounded all jerky and bad. 'That's a terrible poor song,' says the humpy, speakin' out plain. 'What's that?' says the faeries, stoppin' the

and he was smiling, too. Every one was very quiet; only

isped. "All da

e sky-far as ever they can-an' God reaches out an' catches them. Then He sets them all a-burnin' ag'in, so's the wee angel babies can see what road to be takin'. An' Sandy 'll lose his hump-an' Michael 'll get a new heart-maybe-that won't bump-an' they'll pu

easily as a boy slips out of his dusty, uncomfortable overalls on a late sultry afternoon, and leaves them behind him on a shady bank, whi