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THE PURSER'S STORY.
rallied, and hugged and kissed her children as if she would never part with them.
"So, O'Donnell, these are your children?"
"Yis, they are; an' I'd have ye know I'm in a frae country, bedad, and I dare ye to lay a finger on me."
"Don't dare too much," I said, "or I'll show you what can be done in a free country. Now, if I let the children go, will you send their passage money to the company when you get it?"
"I will," he answered, although I knew he lied.
"Well," I said, "for Mrs. O'Donnell's sake, I'll let them go ; and I must congratulate any free country that gets a citizen like you."
Of course I never heard from O'Donnell again.
