The news., 1885-07-14

Had | not assured him that nothing
but Mr.. Hawkes. instructions to Flor
ence drove me away? | answered,
Yes. Then he wanted to know what
right l had to insult him by refusing
to remain his guest on my own terms?
Il don't understand you," said |.
"Why, man." cried he, "don't yon
see that, as you say you can't be COM
Portable in this house owing to Al
phonso Hawkes. orders to his daugh-
ter, Pm taking lodgings for you in the
neighborhood, keeping you as sort
of outdoor guest; AID that, instead of
paying your landlady myself, am ask
ing you TO pay her for me? Can't you
understand that, you swab ?"
"Yes," replied. "but Pm hanged if
Pm swab."
''How's that? Not swabm cried
he were you not, would you be so
thick and tlabby in your intellects as
to offer to pay gentleman whose
guest you are for your own keep?
Take that check, man, and let's have
no more jaw"
As it was certain that he would have
resented any further refusal of it as an
affront, | put the check in my pocket,
thanking him as heartily for his kind
ness as the temper was in by being
called a son-of a-sea-cook and a swab
would suffer. However, as you may
suppose, this fit Of irritation did not
last long. Indeed, | should have de-
served very much harder names than
my uncle had bestowed on me IL ad
not appreciated the fatherly goodwill
he was showing me. And. though |
had talked as ifI did not want The
money, give me leave to say that n
the depths of my soul l found it
mighty acceptable gift, and that, tri-
fling as the sum was, it distincl ly
heartened me up and made me take a
cheerfuller view of the extraordinary
waitingjob | had set myself; so magi
cal is the influence of vulgar dross
upon the mind even when wholly
given up to sentiment.
sent my luggage down into Bristol
by Cobb, the man-servant, with
message to the landlady that | would
arrive at her house between nine and
ten o'clock "And Cobb" said l
to the man, "be good enough to tell
her TO buy me bottle of cognac and
put it on the table, along with some
soda-water; for to speak the truth
after the music, the conversation,
the company of my relations and
friends, the pleasant evenings l had
passed at my uncle's house, winding
up with cigars, iced drinks, moonlight
wanderings among the trees, and
the LIKE recoiled from the prospect
of the loneliness of the first night
in the little lodgings, and saw the ne
cessity of some provision against low
spirits. If there be any teetotalers
among you don't be shocked. ! do
not know that in all my life, mates,
| ever took a thimbleful more of grog
than my head would carry but I'll
tell you this, there have been occa-
sions when a well-timed glass of liq-
uor has served me better than clap
on the back or a hand-shake. At sea,
look you, when after twelve hours of
heart breaking work with the pumps
or up aloft, nothing but the caulker
of rum served out under the break Of
the poop, by the light of bulls eye
lamp, could have furnished me with
physical force enough to crawl up
the rigging for the twentieth time
to help the others to stow the rem
nants of what had been brand new
close-reefed sail.
When Sophie and Amelia returned
from making their visits, and were
told that | had hired lodgings in Bris-
tol and meant to quit their house
for good that evening, they stared
a. me as if | had taken leave of
my senses. My aunt, my uncle, and
| were in the drawing-room, killing a
halfhour before dinner, when the girls
came in and | see them now-fat
amazed, agitated-as my aunt said,
Sophie, Amelia, what do you think :?
Mr.. Jack has taken apartments in
Bristol, and is going to them this
evening. In fact, he actually sleeps
in them tonight, so that we lose him
with wonderful suddenness," says she,
nodding fast as she spoke.
A variety of excamations broke
from the girls: apartments in Bris-
tolw "Going this evening Y Sleeps
there tonight Here cried Don't
you think Pm better than circulating
library? What novel can approach
the sensation cause by my move
ments? ?"
"But why are you leaving, Jack p"
said Sophie. "What has happened ~
and she ran her eyes over her papa
and mamma in search, maybe, of
the traces of recent quarrel; for
the dear creature had never dreamed
for a moment that / was in earnest
when had told her it was my duty
to clear out of the house. My aunt
up and spoke; related my reason
for going with all the garnishing that
woman's fluent tongue could furnish
to simple yarn, and wound up by a
fresh and rather wild appeal to me to
reconsider my decision and not to be
foolish
"It's too late-every things settled f;
let us have no more of this, Sophia" /"
growled my uncle, casting, neverthe-
less, somewhat admiring eye upon
his wife, in whose cheeks the heat
and her own volubility and energy
of gesticulation had kindled bright
color, and who, what with her we'll
fitting dress, long train, fine figure,
thick hair every scrap Of it her owD,
! my uncle once assured me), good
teeth, and shining eyes, looked, l am
bound to say, uncommonly handsome,
and twenty years too to be the mother
Of the two plump, full-grown women
| who stood listening to her, lost in
i wonder and ingenious excitement
| really could not help feeling dattered
| when | obseverd the annoyance and
r disappointment my cousins showed
E on discovering that it was all true