Katie's War Read Online Free PDF

Katie knew would melt the heart of any girl, if only he would care to use it. He took Barney’s head. Katie had loved Seamus with a passion verging on idolatry while Father was away at the war. Later, during the Black and Tan war against the English, while she had looked after Father, Seamus had fretted because he was too young to fight. He’d tell Katie how he’d love to fight for Ireland, but all they’d let him do was run messages.
    â€˜Welcome to Tipperary, Dafydd.’ Mother was smiling up at the boy. ‘Come down now, you must be starved.’
    The men climbed down, Katie next, while Marty stood holding the tiny door of the trap as if he were handing gentry out of a coach-and-four. Dafydd followed. He did not see the little iron step at the back of the trap and jumped on to the cobbles with a crash of hobnailed boots. Immediately there was a yip from Marty, who leapt back, holding one foot.
    â€˜Dafydd! Did you jump on the lad?’ cried Mr Parry in dismay. ‘Be careful!’
    â€˜Nonsense, he was miles away from him. Marty !’ yelled Father, ‘come here and show some manners. Can you never stop fooling?’ Marty, held by the scruff of the neck, but still grinning, was introduced. All at once everyone was talking, and Katielooked at her father laughing and smiling. At least he wasn’t going to have a fit now. Marty’s clowning had seen to that. It had also cleared her bad temper. She wanted to give Marty a hug, but he didn’t look very clean.
    * * *
    â€˜Katie,’ said her mother that evening. ‘Will you take Marty and Dafydd and show Dafydd where he’s to sleep? The boy must be dropping. We have to look after him, you know.’
    Humph, thought Katie. She had helped her mother make up the settle bed on the landing while the men walked up to the quarry and Marty showed Dafydd the farm.
    â€˜I’d have put Seamus on the landing, but he’s too long for the bed,’ Mother explained to Dafydd, ‘but he and Marty are close beside you in the bedroom, and Katie’s room is across the landing, so you won’t be lonely.’ The settle bed folded away into a chest when not in use, but now it was opened out, the head beside the door leading into the boys’ bedroom where the landing was widest. The stairs came up outside Katie’s door at the opposite end of the landing. A soap box made a bedside table for a candle, as well as serving for a cupboard for clothes.
    Marty was expanding on the probability of Dafydd having to share his bed with a ghost ‘the night pusher who …’
    â€˜Will you shut up, Marty,’ Katie said. ‘The only ghost you’ll see about here is Marty creeping around like a blind elephant twice in the night.’
    â€˜It’s not twice,’ he declared indignantly. ‘I can’t stand using a pot,’ he explained, ‘the yard’s better.’
    â€˜You’re just not civilised!’ said Katie.
    â€˜Well, it was you brought the subject up,’ he said with some justification. ‘I’d like to know …’ he began, but Katie was away down the stairs; she seldom won an argument with Marty and this one was getting out of hand.
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    It seemed a shame to go to bed when it was so bright. She decided to walk up towards the quarry and meet Father and Mr Parry on their way down.

CHAPTER 4
Up the Republic
    Oh Megan , Dafydd wrote to his sister. I’m in love (again! you say). She’s like the rising sun, hair of spun gold. Driving her chariot through this war-torn land. But I, who would be her slave, am in the dog-house. It all started at dinner. Don’t ask me how I put my foot in it, but I did, boots and all, and now she’s slipped away. They were talking about the fighting in Dublin …
    * * *
    M other had sniffed the meat anxiously when Katie brought it in from the meat-safe in the dairy, the coolest place on the farm. It had held