| 8:17a |
@@@@@For the love of
Christ and His Blessed
@@@@@For the love of
Christ and His Blessed Mother, Colum, you've got do something!
I've tried every way I know how, but the people on't listen to me
Mayhap it's even too late for them to listen to you, but you've got to
make the tryYou cannot hide away from the world like this
The people feel your desertion, and so does your cousin Scarlett
"Katie Colum O'hara," mumbled Colum"Her blood will be on your
hands," said Rosaleen with cold clarityColum made a leisurely round
of visits to every house, cottage, and bar in Ballyhara and Adamstown
the following day and nightThe first visit was to Scarlett's office,
where he found her studying the estate ledgers
Her frown smoothed out when she saw him at the door, reappeared
when he
suggested she give a party to welcome her cousin Stephen back to
IrelandShe capitulated at last, as he'd known she would, and then
Colum was able to use the invitation to the party as his reason for all
the other visitshe listened keenly for indications that Rosaleen's
warning had a basis, but he heard nothing, to his great reliefAfter
Sunday Mass, all the villagers and O'Naras from all County Meath
came
to Ballyhara to welcome Stephen home and to hear about America
There
were long trestle tables on the lawn with steaming platters of boiled
salt beef and cabbage, baskets piled with hot boiled potatoes, and
foamy pitchers of porterThe French doors were open to the drawing
room with its ceiling of Irish heroes, as invitation into the Big house
for any who cared to enterIt was almost a good partyScarlett
consoled herself afterwards with the thought that she'd done her best,
and she'd had a long time with Kathleen- you so,
Kathleen," she'd told her cousin"Nothing's the same you leftThe
ford might be under ten feet of water for all the it does me, I can't
stand to go to Pegeen's house
"And if things always stayed the same, Scarlett, what would the
reason
for bothering to draw breath?"
Kathleen repliedShe mother to a healthy boy and expecting a
brother
for him, she he in six monthsShe hasn't missed me at all, Scarlett
realized sadlyStephen talked no more in Ireland than he had in
America, the family didn't seem to mind"Ne's a silent man, and
that's the of it Scarlett avoided him |