Mistress Pat Read Free

would be heavenly. Judy, did Uncle Tom ever have any love affairs when he was young?”
    â€œOh, oh, the way ye do be jumping from one thing to another!” protested Judy. “No doubt he had his fun girling like the rest av the b’ys. I’m not knowing why it niver turned sarious. What put him into yer head?”
    â€œHe’s asked me to mail a letter for him at Silverbridge three times this summer. He said they were too nosy at the North Glen post office. It was addressed to a lady.”
    Pat and Judy exchanged knowing glances. Judy repressed her excitement and spoke with careful carelessness.
    â€œDid ye be noticing the name av the lady, Cuddles darlint?”
    â€œOh, Mrs. Something-or-other,” said Cuddles with a yawn. “I forget the name. Uncle Tom looked so red and sheepish when he asked me I just wondered what he was up to.”
    â€œYer Uncle Tom must be close on sixty,” reflected Judy. “It do be the time some min take a second silly spell about the wimmen. But wid Edith to kape him straight he can’t go far. Sure and I do be minding how crazy he was to go to the Klondike whin the big gold rush was on…nather to hold nor bind. But me lady Edith nipped that in the bud and I’m thinking he’s niver ralely forgiven her for it. Oh, oh, we’ve all had our bits av drames that niver come true. If I cud just have a run over to the Ould Country now and see if Castle McDermott is as grand as it used to be. But it’ll niver niver come to pass.”
    â€œâ€˜Each mortal has his Carcassonne,’” quoted Pat dreamily, recalling a poem Hilary Gordon had marked for her once.
    But Cuddles, always the more practical, said coolly, “And why can’t it, Judy? You could take a couple of months off any summer, now that I’m old enough to help Pat. The fare second class wouldn’t be too much and you could see all your relatives there and have a gorgeous time.”
    Judy blinked as if somebody had struck her.
    â€œOh, oh, Cuddles darlint, it sounds rale rasonable whin ye put it that way. It’s a wonder I niver thought av it. But I’m not so young as I once was…I do be getting a bit ould for gallivanting round.”
    â€œYou’re not too old, Judy. Just you go next summer. All you have to do is to make up your mind.”
    â€œOh, oh, make up yer mind, sez she. That takes a bit av doing, Cuddles dear…as well as a bit av thinking av.”
    â€œDon’t think about it…just go,” said Cuddles, rolling over on her stomach and pulling McGinty’s ears. “If you think too much about it you’ll never do it.”
    â€œOh, oh, whin I was thirteen I was be way av being nearly as wise as you are. I’ve larned foolishness since,” said Judy sarcastically. “It’s not running off to Ireland I’ll be as if it was a jaunt to Silverbridge. And me frinds there have grown ould…I doubt if they’d know me, gray as an owl that I am. There do be a new McDermott at the castle, I’m ixpicting, talking rale English. The ould lord had a brogue so thick ye cud stir it.”
    â€œIt’s perfectly thrilling to think you ever lived in a castle, Judy…and waited on a lord. It’s even more exciting than remembering that mother’s fourth cousin married into the English nobility. I wonder if we’ll ever see her. Pat, let’s you and I go over someday and call on our titled friend.”
    â€œI’m afraid she’s not even aware of our existence,” grinned Pat. “A fourth cousin is pretty far removed and she went to England to live with her aunt when she was a little girl. Mother saw her once, though.”
    â€œOh, oh, that she did,” said Judy. “She visited at the Bay Shore whin she was tin and they all come over here one day to play wid the young fry here. They had a day av it. She’s a barrownite’s wife now…Sir Charles