“The masther’s in a hurry.”
“Let him wait till his hurry’s over.”
“He’ll murther me if I’m not back soon.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
CALLED A “THIEF” IN JEST, ANDY DOES
A LITTLE THIEVING IN EARNEST
While the postmaster went on with such provoking answers to these appeals for despatch, Andy’s eye caught the heap of letters which lay on the counter. So, while certain weighing of soap and tobacco was going forward, he contrived to become possessed of two letters from the heap, and, having effected that, waited patiently enough until it was the great man’s pleasure to give him the missive directed to his master.
Then did Andy bestride his hack, and, in triumph at his trick on the postmaster, rattled along the road homeward as fast as the beast could carry him. He came into the squire’s presence; his face beaming with delight, and an air of self-satisfied superiority in his manner, quite unaccountable to his master, until he pulled forth his hand, which had been grubbing up his prizes from the bottom of his pocket, and, holding three letters over his head while he said: “Look at that!” he next slapped them down under his broad fist on the table before the squire, saying:
“Well, if he did make me pay elevenpence, I brought your honor the worth o’ your money, anyhow.”
Now, the letter addressed to the squire was from his law-agent, and concerned an approaching election in the county. His old friend, Mr. Gustavus O’Grady, the master of Neck-or-Nothing Hall, was, it appeared, working in the interest of the honorable Sackville Scatterbrain, and against Squire Egan.
THE TROUBLE THAT CAME OF ANDY’S
FAMOUS VISITS TO THE POST-OFFICE