Mary O’Toole was busy with housework in the afternoon, happy singing because Paddy, her husband, had finally found a job and had left for work at the Guinness factory, that very morning.
While doing dishes she saw a man in a suit walk slowly by the front of the house. He paused, turned around, and squaring his shoulders he strode up to the porch and knocked.
Mary wiped her hands and rushed to answer the door. As soon as she opened the door the man asked, “Are you Mary O’Toole, wife of Paddy O’Toole?”
She replied anxiously, “Yes, I’m Mary. Is something wrong?”
The man cleared his throat and told her that there had been a terrible incident at the Guinness factory.
Mary was alarmed, “Was Paddy involved? Is he OK?”
“Well, I’m sorry to tell you that Paddy drowned in a large vat of Guinness.”
Mary almost fainted and had to lean against the door frame. “It were his first day on the job and I was terribly worried about him.”
“I am so sorry, ma’am.”
Regaining her composure, Mary asked, “Did he suffer? Please tell me it was quick!”
“Actually no. He climbed out three times to pee.”