Part 30 (1/2)
”I rule you out of order,” answered the Mayor
Denis began to read slowly and deliberately, but the opposing councillors prevented hireat disorder, after Denis had attempted to make himself heard and had been escorted fro day he began his battle with Grey Town, a fight in which all fair- men conceded his in the Goldenvale Court, ending in a triuator” He also published the docue Haynes It was an acknowledgment of the loan of a sum of money, equivalent to that which Haynes had paid for the land under offer to the Council, and a promise to repay the money at an exorbitant rate of interest to Garnett Very few i of the transaction
But Garnett knew Grey Town It was not a particularly moral town, but there were periods when it arose in virtuous indignation to punish the evil-doer, and it generally selected as its victiuilty Denis Quirk was made the object of one of these outbursts of public morality He was a man of dissolute morals, divorced under peculiar circumstances Denis Quirk must be booted out of Grey Town
The Quirks were at breakfast on the day that followed the scene in the Council Cha ”The Mercury” when his son's naht his eye
”What is this about Denis?” he cried; but as he read he wished he had not spoken, for he loved and respected his wife, notwithstanding his professed scorn for her
”And what is it?” she asked
”Never you ht for hied
”What for would a wos?” he answered, and thrust the paper in his pocket as he went out
But Mrs Quirk was determined to know She had noted the frown on her husband's face, and gathered fro ill news
”Just slip out, Honey, and ask Joe for his copy I must know the worst,”
she said to Kathleen
”Mr Quirk does not wish you to know,” Kathleen suggested
”Not knowing is worse than the very illest news I will be in a fever until I hear Just run away and do what I ask of you”
Kathleen recognised that Mrs Quirk was determined, and wisely obeyed without further hesitation But when she saw the nature of the charges she paused before reading them aloud to the old lady
Denis Quirk, with his custohtforwardness and honesty, had printed the account of the scene in the Council Chambers word for word
There it stood--his own accusation and the counter-charges urged against him He had attempted neither palliation nor excuse But in the same issue of ”The Mercury” he had reproduced the account of the proceedings in the Golden Vale Court, that had ended in his acquittal More than this, he had reprinted the apology of ”The Investigator,” as it had appeared in that paper
But to Kathleen and to Mrs Quirk the account of the divorce proceedings was the ainst Denis, and here he offered neither denial nor excuse Both woe is sacred and irrevocable, and that no huto hurt her old friend, Kathleen attempted to avoid this part of the accusation But she was a bad disse more, Honey Let ed
When she had learned the full account of the charges, she burst out into lamentation
”To think of it!” she cried ”Denis, the apple of my eye, to be in that Divorce Court! It is, for sure, the wickedest place ever invented by man--and him there!”
”But he did not appear,” said Kathleen
”And theainst hi them back the lie? I don't believe it, not one word of it all He has his enemies, and they have invented this Oh, why isn't Father Healy here to advise ested Kathleen ”He will tell you the truth”