"In one sense I have changed my mind," answered Mrs. Brady with a smile.
"I want Pat to-morrow, but I want him all the other days of the week,
too."

The widow was silent. She had not planned so far as this. What would Pat
say? Would he do it?

"I will give him his board and lodging and a dollar a week to help me
Saturday and Sunday, and before and after school the other days of the
week. Saturday he would have to work all day, of course, but Sunday he
would have almost nothing to do," said Mrs. Brady. "The washing and
ironing I put out," she added as Mrs. O'Callaghan still hesitated.

"You're very koind, ma'am," responded the widow after a pause. "I hope
Pat'll go to you. I'll ask him."

"What makes you think he might not like to come?" inquired Mrs. Brady,
anxious in her turn.

"Well, you see, ma'am, 'tis girl's work entoirely you want him to do.
And Pat's been put on and made fun of almost more than he can bear since
we moved to Wennott. Sure and them b'ys--I'd call 'em imps, only they're
big for imps, bein' bigger and stouter than Pat himsilf--they sets on
him and foretells when his arms is goin' to burst through his sleeves
and such as that, loike an almanac, ma'am. And him a-loikin' nice
clothes as well as any one, only he can't get 'em because it's poor we
are, ma'am. Not that there's anything wrong about that. 'Tis the Lord's
will that it's so, and we're doin' our best with it. But Pat's young. He
didn't mean to tell me of it, but his moind bein' full of it, it slipped
out.