ALLINTRA is a small town on the coast of Connacht. It was a matter of surprise to every one who took an interest in such matters when Mr. Willoughby, shortly after his coming to Ireland as Chief Secretary, announced his intention of visiting Ballintra. No high Government official had been there within living memory, for these gentlemen are always so feverishly anxious to get on to somewhere else, that they cannot afford time to go to places which are not on the way to anywhere; and Ballintra, standing on the shore of a deep bay, is the end of a cul-de-sac. Its visitors, when they want to go away from it, must travel again the road by which they came.
"It's likely," said Michael Geraghty, discussing the advent of the Chief Secretary at the bar of the Imperial Hotel, "that he'll be taking his dinner up at the big house along with Colonel Beresford."
Thady Glynn, the proprietor of the hotel, sniffed. He did not like Colonel Beresford, who was the principal landlord of the neighbourhood.
"And I wouldn't wonder," said Michael Geraghty, "if he'd sleep the night there."
"He will not, then," said Thady. "He'll neither eat nor sleep in the town, but he'll be off out of it again as quick as he can."
Thady's opinion, given from behind his own bar, naturally carried great weight. He was an important man in Ballintra. His position as Chairman of the Urban Council and President of the local branch of the League placed him above the reach of contradiction.
"I was only making the suggestion," said Michael meekly. "It's yourself would know if anyone does."
"I do know," said Thady.
His information turned out to be perfectly accurate.
The Chief Secretary's motor-car was timed to arrive in Ballintra at twelve o'clock and to leave again as soon as possible afterwards. The Reverend Mother who presided over the convent and the industrial school was the first to make up her mind to receive the Chief Secretary. It was settled that he should stop at the convent, inspect the school, and make the acquaintance of Father Henaghan, the parish priest. The arrangement was quite satisfactory to the ecclesiastical authorities; but it did not appear how the rest of the people would benefit by the inspection. Men looked to Thady Glynn to suggest some way of getting tangible advantage from the visit of Mr. Willoughby. Thady hesitated. He did not see what the Chief Secretary could do for him. He was already a J. P., in virtue of his position as Chairman of the Urban District Council. He did not know of any other honour or any emolument which the Chief Secretary could bestow. While he hesitated Dr. Whitty came before the public with a plan. It was not very original, but it seemed practical. He suggested that Mr. Willoughby should be asked to build a pier for the benefit of the town.
Michael Geraghty warmly supported the doctor. He was by profession a builder and contractor, and was the only man in Ballintra to whom the contract for building a pier could possibly be given. He was of opinion that a handsome profit might be realised out of the work. He spent an evening working out sums on a sheet of paper, and came to the conclusion that he ought to clear £200 at least out of quite a small pier, and might make much more if the inspector who passed his work turned out to be a fool. He called on the doctor the next morning and expressed his intention of doing all in his power to secure the pier.
"It'll be a great benefit to the people of this district," he said, "if so be we get the pier. Many's the time there might be a fine catch of mackerel took, or herring or the like, if only there was some way of landing them. But what's the good of going out and taking the trouble to catch the fish when a man'd only be losing his life trying to land them at the slip there is in it, and him maybe with a wife and family depending on him.
"That's all right, Michael," said the doctor.
"It's the most thing that would be a real benefit to the people," went on Geraghty, "would be to have a good pier. There's more lives would be saved and more money brought into the place "
"That's all right. You keep that sort of talk for the Chief Secretary. Lay out the bodies of the drowned fishermen in the street if you like when he's coming into the town. Range out the widows and orphans in rows. Show him piles of empty packing cases that might be full of fish if only we had a pier. That sort of thing will impress him, I've no doubt. But you needn't shoot it off at me."
Michael Geraghty looked at the doctor dubiously. Then he smiled slowly.