The ragged edge: A tale of ward life & politicsMcIntyre, John T. (John Thomas)
General
The ragged edge: A tale of ward life & politics
McIntyre, John T. (John Thomas)
Political fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
“Nolan worked for Gartenheim, of course; he couldn’t turn down his
own boss, ye know. An’ Ferguson ’lectioneered for O’Connor for the
same reason, see? An’ he chased aroun’ the ward waggin’ his face for
votes an’ givin’ Gartenheim the knife every chance he got. On election
night,” continued McGonagle, proudly, “we had the returns at the club
by private wire, ye know, and when Roddy was dead sure that Kelly had
flim-flammed the push, he opened up on Nolan an’ said that Gartenheim
had been workin’ wit’ the other side, all along. In a minute they was
clinched an’ the crowd had to pull ’em apart. That’s how it is.”
“But, Goose,” complained Tim, “I don’t see how Kelly, who calls himself
a Dimmycrat, got on the Raypublican ticket.”
“He was foxy,” returned Goose; “I ain’t stuck on him, but I’ll say that
for him--he’s dead foxy. As soon as he seen his own party split he made
a play for a place on the other ticket; the other side knowed that he
cud lift a lot o’ votes from us, and that they cud win wit’ him, see?
McQuirk got onto the game an’ tried to make a deal. But they gave him
the laugh, and wiped up the ward wit’ him on ’lection day, wit’ Kelly
at the head o’ their column. The boss was red hot, le’me tell youse: I
heerd him in Kerrigan’s back room the next afternoon, and he said he’d
be at Kelly’s finish if it took every cent he had in his clothes.”
“Next chendt!” called Schwartz. O’Hara got out of the chair, and
McGonagle took his place.
“It was all blow, though,” added Goose as Schwartz swathed him in
clean towels and began to apply the lather. “He’s got over his spasm,
an’ they’re both as t’ick as t’ives. Say,” to the barber, “keep that
soap on the outside o’ me face, will youse!”
“Den keep your face shud, aind’t it,” smiled Schwartz.
Clancy and Burns were about to leave.
“We’ll see yez at the wake, Jerry,” said the former. “Will ye go along
wid us, Malachi?”
“I have till go to the length av Coogan’s till see a stove that they do
be waitin’ me till buy,” answered O’Hara, “but I’ll folly right after
yez.”
“Good night, gentlemen.” And the door closed behind Mr. Burns and Mr.
Clancy, who headed in the direction of Murphy’s Court.
Chapter VI
“_That’s how they showed their respects for Paddy Murphy,
That’s how they showed their honour and their pride,
They said it was a shame for Pat, and winked at one another,
Everything in the wake-house went, on the night that Murphy died._”
MURPHY’S WAKE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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