Chapter III: A Batch of Correspondence

About noon the constable received the following note:--

_Sir_,--Among the papers you so unwarrantably seized in your
grossly illegal search at my house last night was a receipt for
£24, being the amount of a half-year’s rent paid Sept. 15 to George
Macgrabb. If it be not immediately returned, I shall at once take
legal proceedings for its recovery, and if possible for your
punishment. Yours, etc., PATRICK MCCARTHY.

The constable sat down and wrote two notes. The first ran:--

MR. MCCARTHY:

_Sir_,--I know nothing about any rent receipt. If you’ll come to
the barracks you will get all your papers back, except a few
suspicious documents I have felt it my duty to forward to Dublin
Castle.

Yours, THOMAS GALLAGHER,
_Constable, R. I. C._

The second note was less short, but more mysterious:--

MR. MACGRABB:

_Respected Sir_,--That infernal goose has got it. I saw it flying
out of my window with one end of it in its mouth this morning.
Anything that goose takes a fancy to swallow is done for. It has
one of my old boots and a copy of the Constabulary Manual in its
stomach already, so you needn’t be afraid that it won’t digest a
piece of blue paper. I enclose you Pat McCarthy’s note. I’ll kill
the goose, if you like to make sure. Your obedient and respectful

THOMAS GALLAGHER.

The letter-box at Ballyblank that night contained these two missives from Macgrabb:--

THE LODGE, Dec. 7, 1880.

_My dear Mr. McCarthy_,--I find on looking over the office books
that you are behind with your last half-year’s rent, due Sept. 15.
His lordship, as you are aware, is not at all pleased with his
father’s action in granting you the lease under which you now hold,
and will certainly submit to no infringement of its clauses. I
would request, therefore, immediate payment of the amount due. Of
course you know the consequences of delay.

Faithfully yours,

GEORGE MACGRABB.

_Dear Constable_,--Let the goose live. By Jingo, I’ve a mind to
drop over on Christmas day and test its stuffing.

GEORGE.