Willy Burke, or, The Irish orphan in America - Digital Repository ...

THE IRISH ORPHAN IN AMERICA. 147
A few days after, Willy Burke was agreeably surprised
by a visit from his brother. It was Sunday afternoon
the weather beautifully fine, and Peter proposed a walk.
" With all my heart", said Willy, " and when we are out
we can go to see mother's grave—its long since we went
together—and you can see the girls before we come back.
They 're all the time wondering why you don't come as
often as you used to do".
" Well, about going to the churchyard", said Peter,
evading any reply to his brother's last remark, " we can
leave that till the next time I come. But I want particularly
to see Alice and Bridget. Do you know they
must be greatly improved, Willy ? for Mrs. Watkins saw
them a few days ago—on Wednesday, I think—and she
says they 're two nice little girls".
" And where did Mrs, Watkins see them ? if its a fair
question", asked Willy, drily.
" Why, you know", answered his brother, " she often
told me that she 'd like to see them, and so she sent and
ordered a bonnet at Mrs. Williams's, and requested that
either Bridget or Alice Burke might be sent home with
it. So Mrs. Williams sent the two, as it was getting a
little late in the evening. That 's the way she managed
it ; and when she talked a little while to the girls, she
was so taken up with them that she can think of nothing
else ever since".
" Dear me", said Willy, still more drily, " how mighty
easy it is to catch her fancy. And so, I suppose, she
could find in her heart to take one of them—or both,
for that matter—when they 're such
Peter?"
nice little girls—eh,
" You 've just guessed it", said Peter. '* She says its
—