Susy Lizzie grinned. Then she removed the official notice of no
admission, lifted up a slab of her counter, and invited Mr. Goddard
to enter. The first telegram he handed her completely restored her
good-humour. It was a message of a delightfully exciting kind.
“To the Inspector-General of Police, Dublin Castle. Your Members of
Parliament are unfortunately lost. Am making inquiries. Goddard,
District Inspector.”
After this came eight much longer messages. They were addressed to
detective sergeants in Derry, Larne, Belfast, Greenore, Dublin,
Kingstown, Rosslare, and Queenstown. They contained inadequate
descriptions of the appearance of Mr. Dick and Mr. Sanders; and an
earnest request that all steamers leaving for America, Scottish, or
English ports might be watched. While Susy Lizzie was tapping her
way through these messages, Mr. Goddard unrolled an ordnance survey
map, and made a list of all the railway stations within fifty miles
of Clonmore. He then wrote out a series of messages to the police
sergeants of these places, directing them to make inquiries at the
railway stations about all strangers who had left by train that day. He
appended, for the further guidance of the police, his descriptions of
the Members of Parliament, and a note to the effect that one of them
was riding a lady’s bicycle.
Susy Lizzie handed him a reply to his first message.
“From Under Secretary, Dublin Castle. Inspector-General of police in
Belfast quelling riot. Wire forwarded. Lord Lieutenant anxious to know
whether ladies of party safe.”
Mr. Goddard replied at once, “Ladies perfectly safe, but anxious and
tearful.”
Susy Lizzie, by this time in a state of extreme excitement and perfect
good temper, set to work again at the seaport messages. She had got
as far as Greenore when she had to stop to receive another incoming
message.
“From Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle. Please explain first wire.
Unintelligible here.”
This was followed immediately by one from Belfast.
“Inspector-General supposes mistake in transmission of wire. Kindly
repeat.”
Mr. Goddard wrote out two replies.
“To Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle. Members of Parliament completely
lost during night. Deeply regret occurrence. Goddard, District
Inspector.”
“To Inspector-General of Police, Belfast. First message probably
correctly transmitted. Members of Parliament cannot be found. Goddard,
District Inspector.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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