her with a piece of cardboard and spread
them judiciously over the whitening dome of coals. When the dome was
thinly covered his face lapsed into darkness but, as he set himself to
fan the fire again, his crouching shadow ascended the opposite wall and
his face slowly reemerged into light. It was an old man's face, very
bony and hairy. The moist blue eyes blinked at the fire and the moist
mouth fell open at times, munching once or twice mechanically when
it closed. When the cinders had caught he laid the piece of cardboard
against the wall, sighed and said:

"That's better now, Mr. O'Connor."

Mr. O'Connor, a grey-haired young man, whose face was disfigured by many
blotches and pimples, had just brought the tobacco for a cigarette
into a shapely cylinder but when spoken to he undid his handiwork
meditatively. Then he began to roll the tobacco again meditatively and
after a moment's thought decided to lick the paper.

"Did Mr. Tierney say when he'd be back?" he asked in a sky falsetto.

"He didn't say."

Mr. O'Connor put his cigarette into his mouth and began search his
pockets. He took out a pack of thin pasteboard cards.

"I'll get you a match," said the old man.

"Never mind, this'll do," said Mr. O'Connor.

He selected one of the cards and read what was printed on it:

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
----------
ROYAL EXCHANGE WARD
----------

Mr. Richard J. Tierney, P.L.G., respectfully solicits the favour of your
vote and influence at the coming election in the Royal Exchange Ward.

Mr. O'Connor had been engaged by Tierney's agent to canvass one part of
the ward but, as the weather was inclement and his boots let in the wet,
he spent a great part of the day sitting by the fire in the Committee
Room in Wicklow Street with Jack, the old caretaker. They had been
sitting thus since e short day had grown dark. It was the sixth of
October, dismal and cold out of doors.

Mr. O'Connor tore a strip off the card and, lighting it, lit his
cigarette. As he did so the flame lit up a leaf of dark glossy ivy the
lapel of his coat. The old man watched him attentively and then, taking
up the piece of cardboard again, began to fan the fire slowly while his
companion smoked.

"Ah, yes," he said, continuing, "it's hard to know what way to bring
up children. Now who'd think he'd turn out like that! I sent him to
the Christian Brothers and I done what I could him, and there he goes
boosing abou