The Loom of Destiny
Baby in the marnin', shure! Ah, poor sowl! Indade but she hungers for the soight of him!" Mrs. Reilly watched every word strike home. "Will yez do it?" she asked.
"'Course," said Timmie, doggedly.
Mrs. Reilly did not add that the kindly suggestion had been her own. She saw, with much gratification, the pallor that overspread Timmie's face, and she inwardly rejoiced at that pallor, for in days gone by the Shanghai Sharkey had closed both the eyes of her little Patrick, and sent him home with bleeding mouth and broken spirit, to the undying humiliation of the house of Reilly.
So Mrs. Reilly pointed out, with quite unnecessary care and precision, just how such a journey would be watched with delight by every man, woman, and child in the Ward, and gracefully withdrew, after pointedly expressing the hope that he would n't put down a poor, dear baby to fight with any undecent blackguard as would stop to laugh at a boy who was only doing his bounden duty.
Then, as she swept out, she noticed the
76
