He looked so boyish in his confusion, the mother in Mary's heart was touched.
"I'll till you what we'll do, Dannie," she said.

"You tind the stock, and get in wood enough so that things won't be frazin' here; and then you hitch up and I'll go with you to town, and stay all night with Mrs.
Dolan.

You can put the horse in my sister's stable, and whin you and Jimmy get back, you'll be tired enough that you'll be glad to ride home.

A visit with Katie will be good for me; I have been blue the last few days, and I can see you are just aching to go with the boys.

Isn't that a fine plan ?" "I should say that IS a guid plan," answered the delighted Dannie.
Anything to save Mary another night alone was good, and then--that coon hunt did sound alluring.
And that was how it happened that at nine o'clock that night, just as arrangements were being completed at Casey's, Dannie Macnoun stepped into the group and said to the astonished Jimmy: "Mary wanted to come to her sister's over nicht, so I fixed everything, and I'm going to the coon hunt, too, if you boys want me." The crowd closed around Dannie, patted his back and cheered him, and he was introduced to Mister O'Khayam, of Boston, who tried to drown the clamor enough to tell what his name really was, "in case of accident"; but he couldn't be heard for Jimmy yelling that a good old Irish name like O'Khayam couldn't be beat in case of anything.