The Drone Part 19

MCCREADY. He seems to be in a bit of a temper.

MARY (_in a frightened voice_). He's caught her with the flour!

MCCREADY (_laughing_). Flour? Aye--she's carrying about three stone of it! Boys, but that would make a powerful pudding!

MARY. It was to have been the nicest one I could have baked.

MCCREADY (_coming in and going over to her_). Mary.

MARY. What?

MCCREADY. You wouldn't come to my house where there would be no stint of flour or raisins or anything else, and I'd eat all you cooked for me no matter if I was dying after it.

MARY. Go to your house!

ALICK. Aye. Look here, wee girl. I got this----(_He fumbles and produces a ring._) Let me put that on your wee finger, won't you?

MARY. Oh, Alick, what a lovely wee ring. (_She allows him to put it on her finger, and is shyly kissing him when_ JOHN _enters, followed by_ KATE, _who is trying vainly to stop a leak in the bag of flour which she is carrying._ KATE _goes to the dresser and places the bag on it._)

JOHN (_severely to_ MARY). Mary. Did you send her for more flour?

MARY (_meekly_). Yes, father.

JOHN. And didn't I leave word there was no more to be got without my orders? (MARY _hangs her head._) It's lamentable the waste in this house! I was just looking at the pa.s.s book last night, and you'd think this house was a bakery to see the amount of flour comes into it.

MARY (_submissively_). I'm sorry, father.

JOHN. When I was out on the road, I seen a trail of flour leading up our loaning, and says I to myself, Jeminy' father, are they getting some more! So I followed up the mark and just caught up on her coming through the gate.

MARY (_a little defiantly_). It's paid for, Kate, anyway. Isn't it?

KATE. It is, Miss. (_She busies herself putting the flour into a box, and then slips out during the next speech._)

JOHN. Eh? Who give you the money?

MARY (_going over to her father and whispering_). Uncle Dan is in there, father, with Andy McMinn and Mr. Mackenzie, the Scotch engineer, looking at his bellows.

JOHN (_amazed_). Eh? Andy McMinn? Is Dan settling the case?

MARY. I believe he'll do it yet.

JOHN (_admiringly_). He has a great head on him, Daniel.

MACKENZIE (_coming out of workshop and going over to_ MARY). Mary, I'm sorry. That bellows is such an absolutely rotten thing--so useless and so absolutely rotten that I can't--(_He sees_ JOHN.) How are you, Mr.

Murray?

JOHN. Fine day.

MARY (_appealingly_). Mr. Mackenzie, what did you say to Andy about it?

MACKENZIE. What did I say? Oh, ma perjured conscience--I said it was a grand thing. (DANIEL _and_ ANDY MCMINN _come in from workshop._)

ANDY (_nervously_). Brave day, John.

JOHN. Aye. It is.

ANDY. Sarah gave me power to settle the case.

JOHN. I'm glad to hear it.

MACKENZIE. I tell you what it is, Mr. Daniel Murray. It's a good thing that--a right good thing, and I'll make you an offer for it.

ANDY (_eagerly_). What's it worth?

MACKENZIE (_with a look at_ MARY). It's worth--it's worth more than all the damages your sister will get from Mr. Murray.

DANIEL (_suddenly_). I tell you what it is, Andy, and believe me when I tell you, I'm sacrificing a great deal. I'll make a deal with you.

Instead of a lump sum cash down, I'll hand over all the rights and royalties of that same bellows to you to settle the case.

ANDY (_dubiously_). I--I don't know.

DANIEL. You will have all the expense of the law, the bad name that your sister will be having over the head of being in a breach of promise, and all the expenses of solicitors and lawyers. Then, after that, trying to get the money out of us, and, mind you, we will fight you to the last ditch. Won't we, John?

JOHN. Aye.

DANIEL. There now. What do you say, Mr. Mackenzie?

MACKENZIE. I tell you what it is, Mr. Murray. I'll make you an offer for----

ANDY (_hastily_). I'll take your offer, Daniel.

DANIEL. One second. I drew up a wee agreement for you to sign, and I'll fetch the bellows. (_He goes into the workshop._)

ANDY. I don't like signing my name to agreements or things like that unless I'm quite certain they're all right, Mr. Mackenzie.

MACKENZIE (_with a sly look at_ MARY). Well, if you have any compunction about signing, I'll do it myself.

MARY. I think Uncle Dan's a fool to throw away the thing that way. I do indeed. (DANIEL _comes out with the parcel and the pen, ink and paper._)

DANIEL. Just sign your name to that, Andy. It's a sort of agreement to settle the case--you can read it for yourself. (_He hands a sheet of paper to_ ANDY _with the pen._) It's to show that the whole thing is fixed up to the satisfaction of everybody. (ANDY _looks at it and then signs._) Ah. Good! Now, Alick, and you, Mr. Mackenzie, just witness it and the date. (_They both sign._) And now, Andy, there's your bellows.

(ANDY _looks at it, and then takes it under his arm._) And may you have the best of luck with it. (ANDY _looks wonderingly at the parcel in his arms and moves slowly towards the door._)

MACKENZIE. Noo, my reward, Miss Murray--Mary rather. (_He goes forward and she stretches out her hand for him to shake, when he notices the ring, and stops short._)

JOHN. I hope you're satisfied, Andy.

ANDY. I'm just wondering, Mr. Mackenzie, do you think----

MACKENZIE. I think nothing for a year. I'll--I'll--I'm for Scotland in the morning. (_He goes out morosely through the door._)