The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-01-16
The BaiIiH.
(Cuntinued.)


and a man is seated on the river bank
beside an old bridge just outside the
village. He sits there as motionless as
a granite rock with shoulders slightly
stopped and a white hat as creased and
soiled as it was old, stuck sideways on
his head. His beard is gray and mat
ted, and sadly in need of trimming. The
face is Of the sallow hue, with a long
scar running across the right cheek,
and the long eagle nose is in keeping
with the small steel gray eyes that
wink rather than look. Looking at him
as he sits there with a fishing rod
grasned tightly in his hands, and those
eagle eyes fixed on a cork floating in
the water, you would place his name in
the list of what 1 would call 'shifty
characters" and you would be right, for
Mick McGrath was a man whom none
trusted and all feared, a man held in
very little esteem by his fellow neigh
bors Mick was the baiIiff. and the
duties of his position were to give notice
to the tenants when the rents were due
and to serve processes on them if they
failed in payment: in fact, he was gen.
eral manager of Lord HIS estate, as
TO matters of rent, game and fishing.
Micks early career was very check
cred one. He spent six years in Buenos
Ayres, and many were his exploits there
If we could believe himself, but this we
know, that it was in that land he re-
ceived that ugly cash that disiigured his
face. After six eventful years in Amer
lea, he returned to his native land and
enlisted, only TO be drafted out TO South
Africa, where he took part in that in
glorious campaign that ended SO disas-
Mick was wounded In the foot. ard, to
add to his other blemishes, was conse-
quently lame. Returning to his native
heath once more. Lord H-h rewarded
Mick's loyal tendencies by appointing
him bailiff over his estate, and n more
cunning or hard-hearted nan he could
not have chosen for the position. The
tenants on the estate had little love for
Mick, and to those of them who trans
crossed in the smallest way with regard
TO the game, fish or such like laws,
Mike gave the benefit of English JUS
tice. Mike mad no religion Whatsoever,
and did not bother his head, as he him
self put it, about minister or priest,
church or chapel. Father Tom endeav-
ored in every way to get Mike to at
tend to his spiritual duties. but it was
no use. for despite Father Toms coax
ing and threatening, Mike still pursued
the evil of his ways, and many were
the predictions of the people as to how
Mike would end, the direst of all being
that of Peg the Barge, who declared
with a shake Of her fist and a stamp of
her foot, that wan day the divil wud
carry off McGrath, body an bones"
I'm thinl1in' there's a crate dale ov
truth in what Peg said. bud begob.
will loa Al 10 ID
it will take the head divid an wan
hundred more to carry MctTrath off,
remarked Jim Scully, as with a broad
grin he pressed with his thumb the to-
bacco into the head of his pipe. There
was not a tenant on the estate but Mike
summoned at one time or another for
some real or imaginary offense, and a
sickly, cunning smile lit up his sallow
face as he boosted of how he gave
them all the benefit of the law with the
exception ov ould Peter Toole, the
weaver, bud I'll ketch him vet, clever as
he is" and Mike did catch Peter Toole
transgressing. and in this way. 1t is the
fair morning in a town just three miles
from the village, and Peter Toole is
sowing potatoes in his small garden,
when a voice accosts him with:
Yer not goin' to the fair, Peter?"
"Ah! Mr.. McGrath. is that you? No.
I'm not goin', bud good luck TO yeh all
the same"
I'm sorry yer not comm. Peter. for
we'd have pint or two of Guinesses
best, bud / suppose it's case nv patti-
coat government wud yeh." and Nc
Grath, with a sarcastic laugh, departs
as it We're for the fair, whistling
When Johnnie Comes Marching
Home"
Soon after Mikes disappearance, a
vizened woman appears in the garden.
1t is Mrs. Toole. She approaches her
lord and master with: Didn't I forbid
yeh, Peter Toole to Spake to the hay
then, McGrath? Why did yeh do it?"
For policy sake. Cauth. for policy
sake"
"Ah, it's much yell get for yer policy
sake, Peter Toole, bud, Peter dear"
and Cauth smiles. me lins are not lay
in. an all for want ov a warm bed, an
Peter yen go down to the bog now
while the haythen McGrath is away at
the fair an cut a bundle ov reeds for
me, an I'll have yer dinner whin yeh
come home"
"Cauth, he might ketch me, an
then
Yer a coward. Peter Toole, that's
Il
woman like me marryin the gikes ov
yeh.''
Don't coward me, Mrs. ToOle. for l
am ready at all. times to spill ME blood
on the battlefield. Bring me a rope an
me scythe."
The saints presarve me hero, bud,
Peter dear, yeh are jewil an ne hins
will lay now"
Peter departed TO the bog TO cut the
reeds and, Mike McGrath safely hidden
nearby, watched him cut them. When
Peter had the bundle of reeds tied and
was about TO take the bundle home,
Mike came out OF his hiding place and,
laying his hand on Peters shoulder.
said:
BE the immortal King Billy. bud it's
glad / am to ketch yeh-''
-Oh, hlr McGTaIh, yer honor, bud yeh
won't summin me.
I'm only sorry. Peter, cudn't bring
yeh to the high cooTUs," and Mike
turned 10 go, but paused anu, turning
suddenly, to Peter said:
Peter, We are ould nayoors, an IL
yeh don't tell anJwan, I'll let y5h OF
this time"
Yer the kindest man from here 10
Jemaica, an III not forget yeh for it,
an
oh, don't mention it, Peter. bud wud
! Ell oblige me Wud shillin'o"
'Ov course, an its glad l am TO have
it for yeh, =" and Peter hands llcGrath
a shilling.
And poor Peters shilling which he SO
kindly and gracefully lent McGrath.