Part 25 (2/2)

”'Excuse me, sir; I have just washed my hands.'”

”I heard something yesterday of a rough man whom you all know, Zince Barnes,” said the Professor, ”which seemed to me as full of bitter humor as anything I have heard on this mountain side. You know that politics are running pretty high.

”Well, an impecunious man--so the story goes--called upon a certain gentleman who is reported to be rich and to have political aspirations, and tried to convince him that the expenditure of a certain sum of money in a certain way would redound amazingly to the credit, political, of the millionaire. The man of dollars could not see the proposition through the poor man's magnifying gla.s.ses, and the patriot retired baffled.

”A few minutes later, and while yet warm in his disappointment, he met Zince Barnes, told him of the interview and closed by expressing the belief that the millionaire was a tough, hard formation.

”'Hard!' said Zince. 'I should think so. The tears of widows and orphans are water on his wheel.'”

At this Corrigan 'roused up and said: ”Speakin' of figures of s.p.a.che, I heard some from a countrywoman of mine one bitter cowld mornin' last March. It was early; hardly light. John Mackay was comin' down from the Curry office on his way to the Con. Virginia office, and whin just opposite the Curry works, he met ould mother McGarrigle, who lives down by the freight depot. I was in the machane shop of the Curry works; they were just outside, and there being only an inch boord and about ten feet of s.p.a.ce between us, I could hear ivery word plain, or rather I could not help but hear. The conversation ran about after this style:

”'Mornin', Meester Mackay, and may the Lord love yees.'

”'Good morning, madam.'

”'How's the beautiful wife and the charmin' childers over the big wathers, Mr. Mackay?'

”'They are all right.'

”'G.o.d be thanked intirely. Does yees know, Mr. Mackay, that in the hull course of me life I niver laid eyes upon childer so beautiful loike yees. Often and often I've tould the ould man that same. And they're will, are they?'

”'Yes, they are first-rate. I had a cable from them yesterday.'

”'A tilligram, was it? Oh, but is not that wonderful, though! A missige under the say and over the land to this barbarous place. It must have come like the smile of the Good G.o.d to yees.'

”'Oh, I get them every day.'

”'Ivery day! And phat do they cost?'

”'Oh, seven or eight dollars; sometimes more. It depends upon their length.'

”'Sivin or eight dollars! Oh, murther! But yees desarve it, Mr. Mackay.

What would the poor do without yees in this town, Mr. Mackay? Only yisterday I was sayin' to the ould man, says I: ”Mike, it shows the mercy of G.o.d whin money is given to a mon like Mr. John Mackay. It's a Providence he is to the city. G.o.d bless him.” I did, indade.'

”By this time Mackay began to grow very ristless.

”'What can I do for you this morning, Mrs. McGarrigle?'

”'It's the ould mon, Lord love yees, Mr. Mackay. It's no work he's had for five wakes, and it's mighty little we have aither to ait or to wear.

It's work I want for him.'

”'I am sorry, but our mines are full. Indeed, we are employing more men than we are justified in doing.'

”'But Mr. Mackay, it's so poor we are, and so hard it is getting along at all; put him on for a month and may all the saints bless yees.'

”'The city is full of poor people, madam. To determine what to do to mitigate the distress here occupies half our time.'

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