The Brick Moon, and Other StoriesHale, Edward Everett
Science
The Brick Moon, and Other Stories
Hale, Edward Everett
Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Mrs. Flynn affected to be cheerful. But she was not
cheerful. Mrs. Flynn was a prominent person in her
sodality. And well she knew that if any John
McLaughlin in those parts were expecting any sister from
home, she should know him and where he lived. Well she
knew, also, that John McLaughlin, the mason, was born in
Glasgow; that John McLaughlin, who is on the city work,
had all his family around him, and, most distinct of all,
she knew that no McLaughlin, sisterless or many-sistered,
lived in this beehive which she lived in, though it were
99 Linwood Street. Into her own cell of that beehive,
however, she took poor, sad, desolate Nora. Into the
hallway she bade the loafing neighbor boys bring Nora's
trunk; in a language Nora could hardly understand she
explained to her that all would be well as soon as the
policeman passed by. She sent Mary Murphy, who happened
to be at home from school, for a pint of milk, and so
compelled Nora to drink a cup of tea and to eat a biscuit
and a dropped egg, while they waited for the policeman.
Of course he knew of seven John McLaughlins. He even
went to the drug-store and looked in the Boston Directory
to find that there were there the names of sixty-one
more. But not one of them lived in Linwood Street, as
they all knew already. All the same Nora was charged not
to cry, to drink more tea and eat more bread and butter.
The "cop" said he would look in on three of the Johns
whom he knew, and intelligent boys now returning from
school were sent to the homes of the other four to
interrogate them as to any expected sister. Within an
hour, now nearly one o'clock, answers were received
from all the seven. No one of them expected chick or
child from Fermoy.
But the "cop" had a suggestion to make. His pocket
list of names of streets revealed another Linwood
Street--in Roxbury; not this one in Dorchester. Be it
known to unlearned readers, who in snug shelter in
Montana follow along this little tale, that Roxbury and
Dorchester are both parts of that large municipality
called Boston. Though no John McLaughlin was in the
directory for 99 Linwood Street, Roxbury, was not that
the objective? Poor Nora was questioned as to Roxbury.
She was sure she never heard of it.
But the clue was too good to be lost, and the
authority of the friendly "cop" was too great to be
resisted. He telephoned to the central office that Nora
McLaughlin, just from Ireland, had been found, in a
fashion, but that no one knew where to put her. Then he
stopped a milkman from Braintree, who delivered afternoon
milk for invalids.
Was he not going through Roxbury?
Of course he was.
Would he not take this lost child to 99 Linwood Street?
Of course he would. Milkmen, from their profession,
have hearts warm toward children.
Well, if he were to take her, he had better take her
trunk too.
To which illogical proposal the milkman
acceded--on the afternoon route there is so much
less milk to take than there is in the morning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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