The Argosy — page 68: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Larrys Ghost. 55 till their hearts’ contint, that his mind couldn’t restat aise till he had come to fetch me till the enjiment. “For,” sez he, ‘‘ Larry, the com- pany isn’t complate at all at all widout ye; so they jist bid me come for ye; ‘“‘for,” sez they, ‘‘he’s one of uz, an’ it’s small good he’ll do where he 1s,” ‘¢¢Whin I heard this, an’ thought ov ye, Rose, I dhrapped on me knees, an’ crossin’ mesilf, I fell till praying like a thief. The ghost sees this, and he seems staggered like, an’ he sez, sez he, “I'll tell ye what it is, Larry, I'll lave ye for the prisint, if ye’ll promise till give up the dhrink inthirely. But mind ye, if ye touch a dhrap from this night forrad, I’ll be back for ye, an’ divil a chance ye'll have ov a second escape. An’ now,” sez he, comin’ a little nearer till me, “‘stay on yer knees, ye spalpeen ye! an’ swear by the ghost ov Ted Reilly ye’ll niver touch a taste agin.” ““*Ye may be sure I swore wid a nght good will; an’ thin the ghost sez to me—“ Kape yer eyes shut, Larry, for I won’t disthress ye wid seein’ me depart for regions undher ground.” I kep’ me eyes shut, as he bid me, an’ whin I opened thim, he had gone clane out ov sight ; thin I took till me heels, an’ niver stopped till I reached the door. “ ¢ An’ now, Rose, listen!’ Ye know that ye’re the very light ov me life, an’ forbye that one fault I had, there wasn’t a betther husband to be found; an’ will ye thrust me now, whin I say that I take the blissid Vargin an’ all the saints in glory till witness, that so long as my name’s Larry O’Leary, I’ll niver taste another dhrap ?’ “Ve may aisily belave Rose thrusted an’ forgave him, an’ two happier sowls wor not to be found this side Paradise. “Whin the sthory came out, as sthories always does, there wor great wonther an’ consarn about it, an’ it made an imprission for good on more nor one Jad in the neighbourhood. An’ Rose an’ Mike kep’ the sacret well, an’ till the day ov his death, Larry niver knew but what it was a rale ghost he saw.” | —eS BR ROR IT ~ COMICOOOKS ) (Cl O)