Part 34 (1/2)
”Oh, I'm very fit, Brennan,” Durham interrupted. ”You had better turn the horses out for an hour or so; Mrs. Burke insists on my waiting to have lunch before I go.”
Mrs. Burke came out to them as they stood talking.
”Oh, Brennan, did you see old Patsy in the town?” she exclaimed.
”Why, he was here this morning,” Durham said.
”Excuse me, Mr. Durham, he was not. You remember what I told you last night. I did not care to say then, but the old man was very strange in his manner before dinner, and I believed he had had drink. I spoke to him about it, and I have not seen him since.”
”But--who got breakfast ready?” Durham asked sharply.
”I did myself, Mr. Durham.”
”Oh, Mrs. Burke; why did you not tell me? I could have----”
”An Irish lady, Mr. Durham, does not ask her guests to do her housework.”
Durham turned away at the sting of her words and voice.
”Did you see the old man in the town, Brennan?” she asked.
”No, Mrs. Burke, he was not in town last night. I should have seen him.”
”Oh, dear, then what can have happened to the creature? Sure I wish I had left him behind me in Ireland.”
”He may be about the place somewhere. Will I look for him?” Brennan said.
”He's not about the house; I've looked everywhere,” she answered.
”He might be in one of the outhouses or stables.”
”I never thought of that,” she exclaimed. ”Maybe that's where he is. Oh, the trouble of the wretched old fool! I'll pack him off back to Ireland.”
She went into the house and Durham turned to Brennan.
”Have you ever seen him in the town?” he asked.
”Oh, yes, sir. He comes in at night mostly and buys drink, but he never stays. Soden told me yesterday the last time he came in he took away half a gallon of rum with him. Maybe that's the cause of his disappearance.”
”We'll look for him,” Durham said shortly.
In an outlying tool-shed they found him, stretched out on a tumbled heap of old sacks and rubbish, the place reeking with the scent of rum and a half-gallon jar lying on its side near him, empty.
”He's dead to the world for a day,” Brennan said as he stood up after bending over the old man and trying to rouse him. ”He must have been drinking steadily for days to get through that quant.i.ty and into this state. What are we to do with him, sir?”
”If Mrs. Burke will give him in charge we will take him to the station and lock him up, but we cannot take him otherwise. He's on her private property.”
”That settles it then,” Brennan replied. ”She's Irish, sir. You know what that means.”