Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-10-20
THE DECK HAND.
charles king in Chambers Journal



that the people always wanted some
thing to lean against. As individuals
they leaned against walls; as q com
munity they were held up by the Church,
the Brewery and Hurley's Fleet. When
the Church had done its "teas" and the
Brewery its mailing, the Fleet was a
strong supporter.
On,a November afternoon, when the
branches of the trees on the quay were
black and bare, the water in the harbor
mud color, and the blocks on the rig
ging of the moored ships stood out like
warts against cold, gray sky, Genth
hurley, the Fleet owner, was doing
what all owners do-he was paying y
smack's crew their poundage The
smack had just come up, and the crew,
in duffels, guernseys, and ou'Westers,
were scattered about the office. They
were a stalwart set of men, with BASIN
cropped heads and shaved necks. Some
had brought their shifting bags ashore,
and, with the cheerful ease of men who
,had not washed for eight weeks, sat on
the tops of them. One big fellow,
seated thus, nursed on his sea boots
boy SO small and black that he looked
asst he had just dropped down a flue.
HeNwas the cook.
swell, skipper" said Genth, as he put
first one and then another little pile Of
money on his desk, what sort of weather
have you hadW
"NVeA, owner" said the skipper, who
was feeling about his head for chaw Of
tobacco, which he had dabbed at his
sou -wester and lost in his hair, "Ill
speak the truth. 1t wos b'isterus. A tree
reeved sail an the little iib nearly all
the time, an mount'ins O sea on the
Dogger. Also, a most unfortunate sar-
:cumstance; acomin' home, poor Billy
Dabbe nearly had his bows stove in
with the mainsul bume."
81 see," said Genth, "you are a man
short. I'm sorry about poor Billy. Per
haps one of you will take him his
ipoundage? You'll have to ship another
man, Holmes. Here's your money, my
lads"
He laid the hast little pile of money on
his desk. One by one the crew claimed
their own. When all were paid, and the
sound of the last pair of sea boots had
died on the pavement, Genth started to
put the books right. He was abouteight-
.and-twenty, with dark hair, dark eyes,
and plain, earnest face. Before he had
finished, the soft illumination of tile set
that eddied against the bridge. When
the red-tiled roofs on the opposite side
were a glowing orange he heard n
knock. "Come inn he cried.
The invitation met no prompt re-
Spouse. There was tumble with the
handle, a fatiguing wiping Of feet on
the flags, then, as if by electricity, the
door flew open.
"Well?" said Genth. "What is il ?"
81 have come" said the visitor, "about
berth--on smack"
"It's no use coming to me, my man,
said Hurley. "4ou must go the shippers
] don't ship any one"
"The shippers" said the other; "why
they'd laugh at me. don't believe
they'd have me for ballast. Yet theyC
have given something for nod from
me once. had no need then to CONF
like beGgar to the Fleet--not l. Yol
know that Hurley"
For the first time Genth looked M
His pen dropped from his fingers anc
made great blot on the neatly rule,
page. "Tom Harrington Y he ex
claimed.
"All that is left of him" said the ar
rival with smile that seemed 10 cour
some sort Of praise for the remains
"rather shady, down at the heel, pocket
empty, shorn of his splGndor, but Ton
Harrington still.n
Genth surmiscd as much. Tom Har
rington was the son of llerringbourn
solicitor. The old lawyer had worke,
hard to save money; his son, to spend il
In three or four years Tom Harrington
had spent the accumulations of 80 or AZ
Yet he had been more fortunate tina
Genth Hurley, for he had won fror
Genth the woman he loved. AS Gent
looked'at Harrington, the change in tn
latter startled him. There still existe
the cut of the man, trimness, iauntineS
Ills hands were still small and white, HI
face handsome. But the fire in the shift
blue eyes burned low; they were ei
circled by dark hollow rims, and til
full red lips were shade blue All
tremnlous. He was Genth's age, bl
looked Older. He had lost lot {
health in the shearing process
Il was told, said Hurley, "you wei
Eoing the pace Butt never thought
vas SO bad as this. I'm sorry
"Don't-dont preach; get enough
that home"
Genth's dark eyes unconsciously har,
ened. "liow were you brought to this
he.asked.
"Cs and Bs-Cards and Billiards, an
intellectually, BIS and SIS. In my time
baHe backed many horses. Ii they
won Ishouldn't have been here. O.
aerstand, I'm not the only one-plen
aaVe been broke besides me. In GENT
naanly'games, too. All of us love $40
!tis-the back bone Of England. ! cul
zee it's my fault; its the old man'sp
Genth looked at him inquirlngly.
"If the old man didn't mean me
liveAike gentleman, why did he ma
agentleman OF me Why did he seI
me to a tip-top school, give me tIr
class ideas, and then die and not leu
me enough money to develop the
tirst-class ideas That puzzles ii
Now, if | hadn't been soft foaI ii
had married woman who had 81
bit"
Genth's eyes grew harder. He pick
up his pen and slowly drew d sheet
blotsing paper over the ink blot. al
isyour wife?" he said abruptly
"Oh, Nell,is all right. She takes il
bit of dressmaking and millinery. !
was always handy girl with
fingers. But somehow trade has fal
off with her; SO I'm forced to do s5l
thing, Oh, you needn't look at me /
that ! have tried before. | tried ol
for place as billiard marker; but 81
other fellow got there before me, III
had all the trouble for nothing.
whensit comes to your last loaf"
MY good"
"lrs time to wake up SO thought