An Irish Tale
Terence O’Grady
Copyright 2011 Terence O’Grady
Cover by Joleene Naylor
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1: Sean’s Dilemma
Chapter 2: Katherine and the Constable
Chapter 3: Enter Shamus
Chapter 4: A Very Close Call
Chapter 5: Sean and Shamus
Chapter 6: Striking a Bargain
Chapter 7: Writer’s Block
Chapter 8: Shamus’ Warning
Chapter 9: A Tale with a Tail
Chapter 10: From the Heart
Chapter 11: One Problem Solved
Chapter 12: Courtroom Drama
Chapter 13: All’s Well That Ends Well
Prologue
Blessington was (and still is) a charming little town in Ireland, very ordinary in a number of ways. And that’s how twelve-year old Katherine Clendenan liked it, at least most of the time. But there was one way in which Blessington—once upon a time— was not very ordinary at all. The village runs right up to a large and mysterious woods and some of the good people of Blessington once thought that those woods might be magical. There was no proof, of course, but there was a legend that some people had encountered leprechauns—the famous “little people” of Ireland—even though no actual leprechauns had been sighted for several years. Were these woods truly magical? That was what Katherine and her big brother Sean (who insisted on calling her “Katie”) were about to find out.
Chapter 1: Sean’s Dilemma
“No, Katie, no. I’ve told you a thousand times before. It’ll be none of your business whether I get married or not,” Sean grumbled loudly as he walked quickly down the dirt road just ahead of his sister.
“But, Sean…Mother says you’re just a kid. You’re not old enough to…” began Katherine, her head shaking furiously.
“For pity’s sake, Katie my girl, I’m eighteen years old. If I’m old enough to toss bales of hay around for ten hours a day, I’m old enough to marry Meagan McCormick…if she’ll have me, that is,” said Sean, who had stopped to turn and face his twelve-year old sister.
“And what are we going to do without you to help out on the farm?” demanded Katherine, her hands planted firmly on her hips.
“Well, now, that’s the thing of it, isn’t it Katherine?” said Sean. “It’s the farm that’s the problem. You know it and I know it. If Mum and Dad would give up the silly farm and go find a regular job in the city…now then we’d all be fine, wouldn’t we?”
“Go live in Dublin? Sean Clendenan, Have you gone mad, then? You know Mum and Dad would hate the city! It’s dirty, it’s crowded…you know there’s not a fresh breath of air to be found there.”
“I find the air to be perfectly delightful, little sister. And it’s in the city that things are happening. What happens in our little village, Katie, except that we and everyone else get a little bit poorer every year?”
“Mum says that terrible things happen in the city, Sean…things that we shouldn’t even know about, and…” Katherine began breathlessly.
“Well, I know about them and they aren’t terrible. Sandy McCarthy was telling me—just last week—what a lovely time he had in Dublin. Spent a whole week there, he did, and found something exciting to do every night.”
“Got in trouble every night, you mean,” pouted Katherine. “And why should you even be listening to Sandy McCarthy in the first place? Dad says that he’s never done an honest day’s work…”
“I know what Dad says, Katherine, and I know what Mum says,” Sean said with a sigh. “But I’m tellin’ you plain—they know nothing of the city. They’ve gone to Dublin maybe three or four times in their entire lives and then only when they had to see some fancy doctor or to go see the lawyer about Uncle’s Frank’s estate. They never had a good time in Dublin…they went out of their way not to have a good time, don’t you see? They never saw the city in all its glory, Katie, when the city lights gleam like jewels in a crown.”
“And what does your precious Meagan McCormick say of Dublin”? asked Katherine, wrinkling her nose up into a snarl.
“Meagan?” asked Sean. “Why she loves it, of course. She dreams of going to the city, you know. Can’t wait to shake the dust of this little village off her shoes, my Meagan.”
“And just how many times has your Meagan been to Dublin?” said Katherine.
“Well…once. Only once,” said Sean. “But once is enough if you’re open to the true spirit of the city. Meagan and I agree that it’s in the city that the real adventures are to be found.”
Katherine frowned and shook her head slowly.
And,” added Sean, his face beginning to darken, “it’s in the city that you’d find some honest money-lenders as well, people who’d make a decent bargain with you when you need a simple loan, unlike that wicked Mrs. O’Hara.”
“Sean!” sputtered his sister. “You didn’t! You didn’t go to old Mrs. O’Hara for a loan!”
“Well, as it turns out, so I did, little sister. There are times when a young man needs some ready cash and, in case you hadn’t noticed it, old Mrs. O’Hara is just about the only place you can get it in the village of Blessington,” replied Sean.
“But not that wicked old lady, Sean!” bellowed Katherine. “Dad says she’s never done a decent thing in her life if she could help it. He says she’ll carve out your heart and sell it back to you on a silver tray if you don’t watch out. Mum won’t even speak to her when she sees her on the street!”
“I didn’t go to the old hag because she’s a fine upstanding citizen, Katherine. I went to her because she had money to lend and I needed some of it.”
“Why on earth do you need money, Sean?”
“I’ve been telling you, Katie. There are times a young man needs money…for reasons of his own, you understand.”
“But why didn’t you just ask Mum and Dad for the money?”
“We’re talking about some serious cash here, little sister. Mum and Dad have barely a penny to spare between them. I’m tellin’ you that this is for a good cause and that’s all you need to be knowin’,” said Sean, folding his arms across his chest. “And don’t you be going and telling everyone that you see about me marrying Meagan. That’s nobody’s business but mine either.”
“I still don’t believe it, Sean. I don’t believe you could go to that old witch for money. Have you paid her back yet?” asked Katherine.
“Well, no…not exactly,” said Sean, hesitating slightly. “I’ve made some payments, you understand, but…well, you see, it’s turned out that I missed the final payment on the loan.”
“You missed the final payment, Sean?” gasped Katherine.
“As it turns out, so I did. And now the interest for the loan has doubled, and I’m getting a wee bit behind in paying it off,” said Sean as casually as possible. “I’ve been trying to get some more work in the evenings, stocking shelves at the general store, but Mr. Malone who owns the place hasn’t had much for me to do. I just can’t seem to get enough money together right now to pay the old lady off.”
“Have you tried talking to her? Explaining the problem? Maybe she’d…”
“Katie, I can’t go near the old witch. Every time she sees me she threatens to double the interest payments I’m already making.”
“But, Sean, how can that be right? How can she do that to you?”
“Well, you see, there is the little matter of the contract.”
“What contract?”
“The paper for the loan, silly. It says something about interest rates ‘at the discretion of the lender’ if I missed the final payment. And I missed it, sure enough. Oh, she’s a sly one, that old lady is. Figured that I wouldn’t
read that note all the way down the page. She was right, of course. I missed the fine print and now I’m in for it.”
“Sean,” pleaded Katherine, “Whatever will become of you?”
“I’ve just got to get the money to repay her and that’ll be the end of it.”
“But Sean, what was the loan for? Did you buy something you can return or maybe sell it and get your money back?”
“I’ve told you more than once, Katherine, that’ll be my business and nobody else’s,” Sean snapped, turning abruptly away from his sister.
Katherine sighed, a pained expression on her face.
Sean turned back to her and spoke in a kindly voice. “Now I know that you’re only trying to help me, Katherine. You’re a good girl but you’re just too young to understand these things. Sometimes a young man needs money to properly entertain his lady friend.” Sean reached over and lifted up his sister’s chin gently. “Don’t worry, Katherine. I’ll get the money somehow. I’ve got to.”
Sean turned again and walked away quickly. Katherine watched him go, a small tear appearing in the corner of her eye. “I know I can help him!” she told herself firmly. “There must be something I can do.”
Chapter 2: Katherine and the Constable
Katherine moved quickly down the road into the village. It was a lovely summer day in early June with a warm sun in the sky and a slight breeze to lift the spirits. But Katherine, who normally took notice of such things, could think only of the job that had to be done. She had to get to the village and find the constable. Something had to be done about that old witch, Mrs. O’Hara. There must be something the law could do about it. Surely, the constable would take her brother’s side in this matter.
Minutes later, Katherine knocked quietly on the door of the constable’s office, which sat right in the middle of the main street of the little village. There was no answer, so Katherine knocked again. She was about to walk away when she thought she heard some rustling about inside. She gave the door another couple of large thumps, somewhat louder than before.
The door opened. “And what exactly can I do for you, my young miss?” asked the constable, who had obviously just awoken from a nap. He was trying to sound bright and cheerful but had a little yawn in his voice. Constable Murphy was a large man who had always seemed friendly and good-natured to Katherine. In fact, she often wondered if anyone would ever take him seriously if he tried to make an arrest. But then she knew there were few arrests to be made in Blessington. The village jail had but a single cell and there was hardly ever anyone in it.
“Ah yes,” continued the constable, smiling broadly, “it’s little Miss Katherine Clendenan if I’m not mistaken. And to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit, Katherine?”
“Well, Constable, I must tell you that I need your help with a family matter,” declared Katherine firmly.
“A family matter, is it?” said the constable, tilting his head slightly. “And just what sort of family matter might this be? Are your parents well?”
“Quite well, Sir, although very busy,” replied Katherine.
“Indeed, indeed,” said Constable Murphy with a grin, “your Mom and Dad are hard workers, both of them. And what of your brother, Sean? How is he?”
“Actually, it’s Sean that I’ve come about,” said Katherine, hesitating slightly.
“Well, he’s a good boy, your Sean,” said the constable. “He’s never given me a bit of trouble, not like some young men in the village.”
“The thing is…” Katherine began slowly. “The thing is…well, he’s in a bit of trouble himself, you might say.”
“Trouble? What sort of trouble?” Constable Murphy raised his eyebrows slightly.
Katherine lifted up her head purposely and looked the constable directly in the face. “The silly boy’s gone and borrowed some money from the old money-lender, Mrs. O’Hara, and now he can’t pay it back,” she blurted out.
“Oh, I see,” said the constable. “Yes, that can be a source of trouble for any man.”
“Well it just isn’t fair!” cried Katherine. “Sean needed that money for a good cause, but now he missed a payment and he can’t pay the extra interest and…well, everything’s gone wrong.”
“Can your parents help him out with this loan?” asked the constable.
“He’s afraid to tell them, sir. And…things have been tight lately. Mum’s had some doctor bills and…” began Katherine.
“I understand. It’s hard to pay the bills these days much less save money,” said the constable soothingly, placing his hand gently on Katherine’s shoulder.
“But Mrs. O’Hara just won’t listen,” Katherine said plaintively. “She just won’t listen to Sean’s side at all. Can’t you talk to her…maybe put her in jail for a while?”
A slight smile came to the constable’s face. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. Mrs. O’Hara is completely within her rights to demand her money if a valid contract has been signed. Although for the likes of me, I don’t know why anyone in their right mind would sign a note with that woman.”
“You see? She’s a terrible person! What on earth will happen to poor Sean if he can’t pay off the loan?” whined Katherine, reaching for the constable’s hand. “Will Sean go to jail?”
“Well, Mrs. O’Hara has not been shy about swearing out complaints on people who’ve gotten behind in their payments. A few of them have spent some time in jail, although usually some relatives bail them out soon enough.”
“But we don’t have any relatives—not close by. And Sean can’t go to jail…he wants to marry Meagan McCormack.”
“Oh he does, does he?” said the constable, once again cracking a smile. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. And what do your mother and father think about that?”
“Oh, they don’t know. No one’s supposed to know really, but I heard Sean and Meagan talking on the swing out on the porch one night. Sean told me that he’d kill me if I told anyone else, but I had to tell you…I thought maybe you could help Sean with Mrs. O’Hara.”
“I’ll tell you what, Katherine. I’ll not be saying a word of Sean’s secret to anyone, but I’m afraid I can’t help him with Mrs. O’Hara. Somehow, he’s going to have to get the money together to pay off his debt. Why’d he borrow the money anyway? He hasn’t been playin’ the horses, surely?” demanded Constable Murphy.
“Oh no, no!” protested Katherine vigorously. “I’m sure he would never do that! I mean…he won’t tell me what he borrowed the money for…but he said it was for an honorable cause.”
“I’m sure it was, Katherine, but just you be sure that he clears up this debt in an honorable way as well. Tell him not to do anything foolhardy to get his hands on the money. A lot of fine young men have come to grief when they’ve been hard pressed for cash,” said the constable, wagging his finger slightly.
“But what’s he to do, Constable Murphy? How’s he to get the money?”
“That’s up to him, Katherine. He’s a bright enough young lad. I’m sure he’ll find a way. He can always take a visit to Leprechaun Glen and find a pot of gold,” said the constable with an obvious twinkle in his eye.
“Leprechaun’s Glen?” asked Katherine, a puzzled look crossing her face.
“It’s a wee bit of a joke, Katherine,” said the constable, smiling broadly. “You know the old glen in the middle of the east woods? Well, that used to be called Leprechaun’s Glen, since long before you were born. And surely you must have heard about the Leprechaun’s pot of gold?”
Katherine gave the constable an uncertain look. “I guess so… but Mum says that talk about leprechauns is foolish—it’s not modern, she says.”
“And your dear mother is certainly right about that,” laughed the constable. “But now Katherine, you must hurry off because I’m running late on my afternoon rounds already, and the good people of Blessington expect me to do my duty. Don’t fret about your brother. I’m sure he’ll find a way to pay off his loan to old Mrs. O’Hara.”
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Chapter 3: Enter Shamus
Katherine gazed at the thick green woods all around her. “It’s really a charming spot,” she said to herself. “But I must be crazy, coming out here in the middle of nowhere.” Still, she was sure that she had visited these old woods once before, years ago, when her parents had taken her to the nearby fields for an afternoon picnic. She had started to stray into the woods that day, but had been warned away from them by her mother and had not taken more than a few steps into the lush greenery.
But now there was not a soul in sight and a hint of a trail seemed to beckon her in. She knew that all the talk of leprechauns and gold was nonsense. She knew that there was probably no such thing as Leprechaun’s Glen, either. But still she wanted to get away somewhere quiet by herself, to some place where she could think her own thoughts without anyone interrupting her.
It had been a full week since Katherine had talked to Constable Murphy about her brother’s plight. Sean had been seeking work at every shop or place of business in Blessington, but it seemed hopeless. No one was hiring more help for the summer, not because they didn’t need it, but because most of the villagers were also struggling to make ends meet and couldn’t afford to hire anyone. Meanwhile, things had gotten worse at home. Mrs. O’Hara had come boldly to their house one day, looking for Sean. Her brother had just managed to slip out before the old lady managed to push her way through the front door in search of him. Katherine had been forced to lie, telling Mrs. O’Hara that she hadn’t seen her brother all morning. Thank goodness their parents had not been home! But Mrs. O’Hara swore she would be back, making it clear that the next time she came to see Sean, she would have the constable with her. Could that possibly be true? She hoped not, but she remembered that Constable Murphy had said that Mrs. O’Hara had her legal rights. Would Sean be thrown in jail? And then what would her parents do? They could not run the farm without Sean—they were barely able to make a go of it even with his help. Things clearly did not look promising.
Katherine eyed the path in front of her. The deep green woods seemed cooler—she could almost feel a gentle breeze coming out from the shady areas. The morning sun had gotten quite hot now and she longed to cool off in the quiet of the woods. There was the path, as plain as day. What possible harm could it do to take a little stroll into the woods? She would stay on the path, of course. There was no way she could get lost. After all, she was twelve years old now.