“Is it so soon an’ the glory of the year so nair. Sure it’s sorry I’ll be to see the lights arl gone when I’m passin’ by in the avenin’.”
He took off his hat and extended a very dirty hand to Ethel.
She took it bravely and he said,
“If y’ave need of th’ould scut come an’ take her an’ welkim. An’ come up next yair. Give me regards to the young leddy. I’d a darter just like her wance.”
We smiled involuntarily as we contrasted Cherry and Pat.
“I’d a darter just like her, but she got consumpted an’ she’s wid the saints. She was a hell of a good gerrul.”
His eyes moistened and I understood for the first time what had made him the good-hearted man he was.
With a wave of his hand he walked lightly away.
“And yet some people don’t like the Irish,” said Ethel.
We all attended the races but they did not merit a description. They were almost as tame as a hippodrome race at a circus, and I verily believe that th’ould scut would have stood some show of winning had Pat entered him.