The Rose Garden Read Free

that it was the only thing he’d ever owned in his life.”
    â€œI would’ve thought he had money, from the looks of him.”
    â€œNot that fellow. Oh, he likes to look as if he was somebody, but he hasn’t a penny except what he gets from his job. The old aunt didn’t leave him any money, only the cottage. I don’t think she had much else to leave. She kept very much to herself. She hadn’t much patience with the crowd around here. Well, Mr. Harkey was all pleased. He came down here, just weekends, and began settling in, cooking little meals for himself and all, and the next thing you knew, there she was, charging down the road with little housewarming presents for him—little pots of patty de fwa, and raspberry jam I’d made, and a tin of green-turtle soup she paid a fortune for. She thought he might like the unusual flavor of it, she said. Oh, she’d never have looked at him, only for his view. It would have matched him better to have sold up the place and taken his money and run. She just took it out from under him. He never had a chance, once she took after him.”
    â€œThe poor fellow.”
    â€œOh, I’d waste no sympathy on that fellow, Agnes. Do you know what his job is? Well, now, I’ll let you guess. The lowest thing, about the lowest thing you can think of. Go on, guess. I’ll give you three guesses.”
    â€œAn undertaker?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œA pawnbroker?”
    â€œNo, but you’re close.”
    â€œA summons server?”
    â€œNo. He’s a credit manager.”
    Agnes emitted a low, prolonged shriek and sat down on Bridie’s chair by the stove. Bridie smiled her satisfaction.
    â€œA credit manager!” cried Agnes. “A credit manager. Oh, my God, the lowest of the low. A credit manager. And to think I’m going to have to put his dinner in front of him. Oh, the dirty thing.”
    â€œAt Clancyhanger’s,” Bridie said.
    â€œClancyhanger’s. The worst bunch of thieves and knaves in the country. The persecutors of the poor. Oh, the way they hop off you when you haven’t got the money. Bridie, I’ve heard enough. I hope she cuts him up and eats him.”
    â€œOf course, she doesn’t say he’s a credit manager. That’s not good enough for her. She makes out he’s a junior vice president, if you don’t mind. But I heard him talking to her the first time he came in here for a drink, and that’s what he told her. He’s a credit manager, and that’s all he is.”
    â€œOne of the ones that does the dirty work. When our Blessed Lord was crucified, he was standing there holding the box of nails.”
    â€œThat’s the sort he is. No real good in him. Although to look at him you’d think butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. Oh, he was all full of himself that first day he came in here. He had a girl hebrought with him.”
    â€œA girl?”
    â€œShe was staying with him in the cottage. And there was only the one bed in the place, because I saw the furniture when it was carted out. She was staying with him all right, in the full sense of the word.”
    â€œImagine doing the like of that, and probably not engaged or married or anything. Isn’t it disgusting?” Agnes said enviously.
    â€œThis one may not have been married, Agnes, but she had the experience of being married, I’ll guarantee you that much. Oh, I think she thought he was going to marry her. She was all busy, making curtains and cushion covers and all, and cleaning up the weeds in the garden down there where the old one had let it go. She was a nice enough girl, too, I’ll say that much for her. All excited about the cottage. But she didn’t last long after the Madam got to work.”
    â€œTell us, Bridie, what did she do to her?”
    â€œShe didn’t have to do anything. Not that one. She was all nice to the girl. All advice on how this