The Music Tree Chapt. Four

The new house maid answered his knock on the O'Malley residence. Sean did not wear the sweat stained togs of a dock worker today. He was properly attired in matching top hat and tail with boots with a high sheen. One would never guess he had acquired this finery from the salvage merchandise he had bid on over the last year. As he sat waiting in the parlor Mister Gavin O'malley finished his breakfast and came to find him.
"It's Sean O'quin I do believe, what can I help you with this fine morning?"
"Tis you I've come to help sir, I've found you some warehouse footage at the docks and I'd be liken to shew it to yuh before some other trader grabs it up."
"Ah, yes I do remember you saying something about that, and I am anxious to find such warehousing, so let us be off."

Sean said not a word about O'Malley's beautiful daughter, but she bore heavy on his Irish heart. He lay awake nights when he should have been sleeping ever since he'd laid eyes on the lass. Sean had a hack waiting at the front gate and ushered Gavin aboard.

"To the docks driver, Mc Gillicuty's warehouse," said Sean. The driver knew Sean well and had never seen him dress so well nor usher around a merchant of this caliber. He was not one to lose a good fare so kept silent as he teased up his horse with a light touch of his buggy whip.

"I almost did not recognise you this morning, you were so nattily dressed," said O'Malley, "One would never know you were a stevador."

"I don't often dress so well. I spend a lot of time on the docks unloading the freight, but I've learned to keep a sharp eye for damaged and salvaged goods. When I see something of worth I put in a bid at the salvage auction office even before the stuff is delivered. Sometimes I win some usable goods that I can move on to Boston merchants at a discount. I started out with ale, rum and a keg of whiskey once in a while. I set up a route outside town at the inns and taverns, then started buying first line goods right off the ships. I deliver with my own horse and wagon."

"It seems you have an eye for business, Sean, Perhaps we might work together on something in the future, said Gavin.

"I've had the same idea sir, You're from the green Isle, and I'll be bettin' you and your brother have connections to good Irish whiskey and rye. Pull up here driver, this'll be Mc Gillicuty's. Let's first be gettin' you some warehousin' and we'll talk more about what goods you'll be orderin'."

Sean made short work of getting O'Malley into a large warehouse space that opened on the docks on one side and the street on the other. He backed off and let the new importer negotiate his price per square foot, then proceeded on to a ship preparing to pull anchor for Ireland. He wrote out an order for goods and a letter to his brother and sent them with the Captain.