Nogales international., 1928-10-16
MLlxsTleAn0Ms AyEE.hz4zsoN

proved, or had been sent to sani-
tariums by John Drane when they
became too i'll to work.
To get Maggie to say this m
teiligibly was not easy for she had
been drinking and as Brennan..s
questioning proceeded she was al
scrnately angry-shouting her an,
swers at the top of her yoice--afld
maudliniy fearful, her huge body
shaken by rather ridiculous sobs.
She. became SO hysterical finally
that Brennan told her he would not
bother her more then. for it was
plain she was an apoplectic and he
was afraid she might break a blood
vessel if she carried on any worse.
But she would not go.
All Brennan had managed to get
from her were assertions that John
Drane, poor woman that she was
had been a Heavenly angel, God
rest him. and that a poor woman
had right to "swaller" of drink
when her heart was broke, and that
she could tear the hair from the
heads of "them. that came sneakm
an snoopin' tryin' to blacken folks
car-ack-ters. g
"All right. then, Maggie" Bren-
nan told the excited cook. we
won't sneak and snoop any more.
You go back to the kitchen and
take it easy, and don't let it worry
you. And just send the chauffeur
in, will you?"
The cook Aared up again.
"I'll not have him bulldozed by
the likes Of you" she shouted. "All
shame to you, stirrin' up strife in
tn house. Go on about your busi-
ness an. leave US be. why don't
your"
Nov, be easy, Brennan urged
good naturedly 'I'm Irish myself
and you don't want to get me
angry, you know. It'd be terrible
row. You just tell George ! want
TO see him here, that's all.
The cook went out mumbling
and growing, but George did not
come and Brennan had to send
Norbert for him
What got into that stout lady
cook, do you Think" Simon Judd
asked while they waited for the
chauffeur
"Some of the worst sort Of
whiskey now being hootlegged."
Brennan said, smiling. ri imagine
John Drane kept the lady pretty
severely off the stuff and she's
having her first real happy time
for many a month"
Black my cats!" Simon Judd
exclaimed "It beats my time how
they get ahold of the stuff, with
prohibition and ALL"
9They get it" Brennan said
drily, but Norbert's return cut
short further explanation. He said
George the chauffeur was sorry but
he had gone TO bed and didn't
think he could bear to get up.
He says, Mist Brennan, how
the growth in his stomach got
mighty bad all-of-a-sudden-like
while back and he ain able to
stand it. Yes, sir. He says how
the pain is mighty terrific, He
amt hardly able to stand it. he
says. So he took some of the
medicine what he's got and went
to bed. Yes, sir"
"Well, what's the, rest of it,?
Brennan asked. al can see that's
not all; you've got something else
on your mind"
Il was only thinkin', Mist Bren-
man," Norbert said, shat if he got
pain, or ain he got pain it
ain goin' to be much use troublin'
George right now. No, sir. Seems
like he been indulgin' in alcoholic
liquor to a very considerable ex-
tent"
Drunk, is he?"
"He certainly has been indulgin',"
Norbert said seriously. :! ain
seen man what has INDUCED
more completely TO quite some
time. No, sir!"
Well put George off for the
present then" Brennan said. Are
there. any other servants have not
seen?"
"No, sir" Norbert assured him.
I'VE you has seen is ala.
This George" Brennan asked.
"What do you know about him,
Norbert%
The negro told what he knew;
Like the others George-who had
the odd name of Firmandick-had
been in John Drane's service
some little time. He had been an
orderly in the hospital before
coming to Drane and had had an
operation for a growth in the
stomach, but the operation had not
been entirely successful - the
growth had returned. Dr.. Bles-
sington said, Norbert told Bren-
nan, that the growth was a serious
matter and would kill Firmandick
some day if there was not another
operation, but the chauffeur was
set against another.
The chauffeur, Norbert said, was
supposed by the servants in the
house to be engaged to marry
Maggie, but no one believed the
marriage would ever occur because
they did not believe George would
live to be married. He was too
III when his had spells came uDoD