The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-12-24
THE KERRY COWARD.

smpy dinner pail which hung from his locked fin
GERS swinging backward mad forward rhythmicgIlv
between his knees His blue eyes, looking straight
ahead held that blending of guelessness and mvs-
tjcsm which is the birthright of religious people
Down to the end of his short nose Mikes face
might have been fit study of fifteenth century
monk but his mouth beed all that. apparently
having been formed for other reason ON earth
but TO whistle an Irish jig, and the sight of it thus
engaged was sufficient to cure one forever of the
idea that life dull.
At present his lips puckered more than once
but only lone note, which seemed to have gone
ssray from the rest Of the tune. Something be-
gan to grow IN has eyes, burning away their mysti-
csm and revealing a substratum of quicksilver
'Timt fair be COB"
He stood up and faced the brick wall opposite
AS though il the president of the wire works
himself
~'Tis chance enough the workin man has to
take anyhow
His voice stopped as if broken Cringed into
himself he sank back on the Stag, torn between
the conviction that twasn't fair" and the Irish
mans inherent adherence of Informing"
An. sure. whered be the use!' he soliloquized,
his mental attitude seeming to descend Respondent
~ with his body Don't they know It's done, an
every day. too.
But an hour later. when the foreman ordered
him 10 replace a large belt from a shafting to a
Carney looked him quietly in the eyes and refused
His glance had measured the danger first It
was particularly ugly job crammed near the cell
ing, compared to which the belt he had replaced
that morning was as childs play.
You'll not do it Z!
Not while shes runnin' I'll not do it
The foremans strong young hands closed and
Enclosed at his sides He was ten years the Irish
mans junior, with his record still to make The
ewes which answered Mikes narrowed to points of
stee. For a moment the two men regarded each
other with peculiarly still flat look.
You Kerry coward
The measured words were like the hiss of es-
Gaping steam scalding the Irishmans face. All the
fighting blood of his showed in the UNI
loosed shaft of blue that leaped from his eyes
Like felled log the foreman went down.
Very quietly Mike picked up his belongings and
left the shop Not even the certainty that he had
lost his job and the beating thought of five small
mouths at home to be fed could quell the fierce
satisfaction in what be had done For hour he
walked hugging it savagely to his breast. Then.
he assembled the steps of his tenement 1t seemed
suddenly to ooze out at his fingers tips. Morals
eyes. while she stood on the small piazza hanging
out clothes, were as mirrors from which all the
grim, bare facts attendant on being "out of job
looked back at him with cruel distinctiveness.
Margaret Hartman leaned her arms the table
and looked across the silver and cut glass at her
held the tremulousness of one who had recently
been in the darkness of a great far
But the man." Hartman said. lingering his
glass wish you had found out his name, Con
stance
4 know dear. But. Henry'-her hand went
to her heart. Hartman felt reproached as he
watched the added pallor of her face-"oh, it was
all so sudden so awful. those mad horses with the
trailing harness and wrecked carriage, the fearful
recklessness of it. as theF came down the street!
And then, when baby left Anna and came toddling
unconsciousy across to where | sat on the piazza
There. dear, don't 60 over II any more" Hart
man came around the table and put his hand on
his wfe's shoulder.
"The man" she went on, after pause, has
been hanging around here lately. | have fancied
sometimes that he wished to speak to you or me.
When had baby safely in my arms | looked at HIM
he had the Bindiest blue eyes-and saw that he was
very white But when I asked him if he had been
hurt he said no, only bit of a bruise' where the
shaft grazed his shoulder 1t the quicBness
and GOODNESS with which he did it, Henry, that
stunned me. And no sooner had he grabbed baby
than his mouth puckered IN the funniest way, and
he sauntered up to me whisting an Irish pig
Hartmsn's brows drew together
III couldn't be-of course, not
Who, dear!"
Carney. my little jig whistler And that re-
minds me that I haven't seen him around since [
got home"
Inc superintendent OF Jne IRllIH&lOh WlAe
works went quickly into the library. A moment
later his wife heard him calling up his assistants
by telephone
Mike stood in the Hartman library two hours
later. His sensitive face worked he turned a
shabby hat round and round by the brim.
Oh sure twas nothing ma am. I've got five
o thin meself at home he said deprecatingly
How does It happen that you're not working,
Carney" The superintendent looked at him keenly.
- We'll. sir, you see, twas this way; Meself an
harrington had bit of disagreement about
belt and-a-"
Wells"
Hartmans eyes held his, compelling the truth.
;. Mr.. Hartman sirr-the words rushed from the
Kerry coward in choking blurt-"I once seen a
man tore to bits doing what Harrington bid me do
I'll not deny that it's hungry the childer We been
Sometimes since I've not had steady job, but tbs
nungrer they'd be if ] wasn't here at all an