“Well, we started up business with that one line of drinks, and it was enough.  The piebald gentry of that country stuck to it like a hive of bees.  If that barrel had lasted that country would have become the greatest on earth.  When we opened up of mornings we had a line of Generals and Colonels and ex-Presidents and revolutionists a block long waiting to be served.  We started in at 50 cents silver a drink.  The last ten gallons went easy at $5 a gulp.  It was wonderful stuff.  It gave a man courage and ambition and nerve to do anything; at the same time he didn’t care whether his money was tainted or fresh from the Ice Trust.  When that barrel was half gone Nicaragua had repudiated the National debt, removed the duty on cigarettes and was about to declare war on the United States and England.

“’Twas by accident we discovered this king of drinks, and ’twill be by good luck if we strike it again.  For ten months we’ve been trying.  Small lots at a time, we’ve mixed barrels of all the harmful ingredients known to the profession of drinking.  Ye could have stocked ten bars with the whiskies, brandies, cordials, bitters, gins and wines me and Tim have wasted.  A glorious drink like that to be denied to the world!  ’Tis a sorrow and a loss of money.  The United States as a nation would welcome a drink of that sort, and pay for it.”

All the while McQuirk lead been carefully measuring and pouring together small quantities of various spirits, as Riley called them, from his latest pencilled prescription.  The completed mixture was of a vile, mottled chocolate color.  McQuirk tasted it, and hurled it, with appropriate epithets, into the waste sink.

“’Tis a strange story, even if true,” said Con.  “I’ll be going now along to my supper.”

“Take a drink,” said Riley.  “We’ve all kinds except the lost blend.”

“I never drink,” said Con, “anything stronger than water.  I am just after meeting Miss Katherine by the stairs.  She said a true word.  ‘There’s not anything,’ says she, ’but is better off for a little water.’”

When Con had left them Riley almost felled McQuirk by a blow on the back.

“Did ye hear that?” he shouted.  “Two fools are we.  The six dozen bottles of ’pollinaris we had on the slip—­ye opened them yourself—­which barrel did ye pour them in—­which barrel, ye mudhead?”

“I mind,” said McQuirk, slowly, “’twas in the second barrel we opened.  I mind the blue piece of paper pasted on the side of it.”

“We’ve got it now,” cried Riley. “’Twas that we lacked.  ’Tis the water that does the trick.  Everything else we had right.  Hurry, man, and get two bottles of ’pollinaris from the bar, while I figure out the proportionments with me pencil.”

An hour later Con strolled down the sidewalk toward Kenealy’s cafe.  Thus faithful employees haunt, during their recreation hours, the vicinity where they labor, drawn by some mysterious attraction.