“Your loving son,
“Mikey Flaherty.”
“I didn’t know this, Katie. Mikey never had dropped a word to me that would make me suspect he was thinking of this. I don’t understand what he means by going for me.”
“I knew it, the spalpeen. I knew you’d never treat poor old Katie like this. I understand it well enough, now. It’s him spilin’ for the fight. It’s my own fault. Didn’t I tell him you was eatin’ your heart out because you can’t go, and he has been talkin’ a lot of late about what you had been sayin’ at the Club. Every night when he came home, it was Mr. Dick said this, and Mr. Dick said that. Silly old fool, I am. And him that would rather fight than eat and that sets the world by you, Mr. Dick.”
“But, Katie, what put that nonsense into your head?”
“Oh,” said the woman, sagely, “I know. I know it like I wuz your mother. You don’t have to tell me things. I know you like I do the weather. You ain’t been the same since the dirty Germans did up poor little Belgium. I know the only reason you don’t go is that you wouldn’t live a day.”
“Nonsense, Katie. Where’d you get that?”
“Mikey told me. He was that cut up because you couldn’t go, but he needn’t have run away from his poor old mother like this. I’d let him go for you. I’m no coward. It ain’t his goin’; it’s his thinkin’ I wouldn’t let him. He’s always beatin’ up somebody—might as well be Germans. God pity ’em when Mikey gets there. He’ll wipe up the road with ’em. And don’t you be worryin’, Mr. Dick. I’ll stand it. He can write me, can’t he?”
“Katie, I won’t allow this. Mikey must come back. I’ll go to Canada and have a search made for him. I have friends who’ll find him.”
“Indade and you won’t do anything of the kind. Would you break the by’s heart—and me that proud of him? Where’s the other by in Sabinsport that had the right to get up and go? Let him fight. I’ll live to see him with the stripe on his sleeve—as grand as the grandest. You’ll not raise a finger. Drink your coffee now, and don’t mind me, old fool that I am to be makin’ you worry for a little thing like that.”