"'Goodbye, Maggie!'
"'Good bye, Barney!' and I wint away.
"I wint to a ristaurant and got a cup of coffee, and was jist startin' fer home, whin a frind come up and said: 'Barney,' said he; 'there's a man here you ought to go and punch the nose off of.'
"'What fur,' says I.
"'He's a slanderin' of yer,' says he.
"'Who is the man and what is he sayin?' says I.
"'It's Mike Dougherty, the blacksmith,' says he; and he is a sayin' as how your claim is no account, and that you are a bummer.'
"Me heart was too light to think of quarrelin'; on me lips the honey of Maggie's kiss was still warm, and what did I care what ony man said. I merely laughed, and said: 'Maybe he is right,' and wint upon me way."
With this Corrigan ceased speaking. After a moment or two of silence, Carlin said:
"Well, Barney, how was it in six weeks?"