"'Two dollars,' sez he.
"'For what?' sez I.
"'For the sayants,' sez he.
"'Faix, it's no aunts I want ter see,' sez I, 'but Luke Corrigan's own self.' Well, me dear, wid that he giv a laugh ye'd think would riz the roof.
"'Is he yer husband?' sez he.
"'It's mighty 'quisitive ye are,' sez I, 'but he's not me husband, av yer want ter know, but I want ter larn av it's alive or dead he is, which the Lord forbid!'
"'Yer jist in the nick o' time,' sez he.
"'Faix, Ould Nick's here all the time, I'm thinkin', from what I hear,' sez I.
"Well, ter make a long story short, I paid me two dollars, an' wint into another room, an' if ye'd guess from now till Aisther, ye'd never think what the majum was. As I'm standin' here, 'twas nothin' but a woman! I was that bet, I was almost spacheless.