Siobhan Limerick: Talk about the eggs

"I wish you wouldn't smoke those soddy things in the kitchen, Martin. It's not as if the house weren't large enough for you to go into the parlor or onto the back porch."

"I'm sorry, puss. I'm just worried about Agnes. She's been ill for three days and there's no sign she can keep any food down. If she's not better in two days, I'm going to admit her to the Pennsylvania Hospital. With all this influenza about, it's little we can do but hope she's come down with something else. At least her fever's not that high -- unlike all my other patients, and it's an early death they've all had."

"Martin, you can't say that, not ever. Agnes must get well. All those others, you know --"

"No, we don't talk about them -- just our Patrick and Agnes, Siobhan. And there will be more. It's not so old that we can't be having a third."

"Martin, I'm nearly forty and you're nearly fifty."

"Ah, wife, the 'twinkle in me eye' as Mama would say!"

"Your mother has a lot of odd things to say these days. It's been nine years since Papa Limerick died and she's still in a pickled mood."

"Don't criticize my mother, sweetheart. She means well and she's had a hard life. And she says 'stuff and nonsense' to the notion that Agnes might have the influenza. She's more worried about my brother, off fighting the war in France. Says James should get the Kaiser personally. And besides, she says Agnes's the strongest 8-year old girl she's ever known, stronger even than her."

"Martin, do you think Agnes might just have food poisoning? So far it's only vomiting and diarrhea. That scrawny chicken has been giving us eggs that've smelled up the house. Maybe she was poisoned?"

"Possible. But food poisoning cases like that usually pass within two days. That's why I said, if she isn't better by Friday, it's to the hospital she goes."

Siobhan heard footsteps coming down the back stairs into the kitchen. LittleAgnes stood in front of them, her red pigtails wild, looking up at them with her saucy green eyes. "Mama, Papa, may I have some crackers? I'm hungry!"

Siobhan rushed over and gave her baby a big hug. "Of course you may, darling! You may have anything you like!"