Page:Minnie's Bishop and Other Stories (1915).djvu/77

 deposited a tray on the table. It held a bottle of whiskey, two tumblers, and a jug of water. Neither of the men spoke till she had left the room, and shut the door.

"What's this I hear about young Mrs. Gannon dying?" said Mr. Sweeny.

"Oh, she's dead, right enough." The doctor spoke airily, but he was ill at ease.

"I hear them saying she died because you were too drunk to attend her properly. What do you say to that?"

"I got a red ticket, and I went to the house. She was dead before I got there."

Mr. Sweeny brought his fist down on the table in a way that made the bottle, the glasses, and his nephew jump.

"Answer me straight now. Were you drunk, or were you not?"

"What does it matter whether I was drunk or not? Don't I tell you the woman was dead before I got there?"

"Let me have none of your back talk, for I won't take it from you or any man. I'm Chairman of the Council, and I'm bound to take notice of the complaints that is made against the doctors. I'll have a Local Government Inspector down. I'll have a sworn inquiry. I'll—I'll run you out of this."

"Look here. What's the good of making a fuss? The woman's dead, and her baby along with her. The Local Government can't have a resurrection,