The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-02

"Garn aw'y," replied, turning on him
spitefully. "Who dye think y're a-gettin
atY Dye think l don't know yer gamer
Dye think I'm going to stand for you to
make fun Of mey I'm as ugly rs sin and
not so pleasant There y'are. know what
am"
"Uglyl" he said, with an accent of aston
ishment
"Yes, ugly. Else why do they call me
the kipperS"
"The kipperp That is the fish with warm,
reddish brown color the color of your
hair"
mo, il amt They call me 'goldin sur
rup' and 'treacle' whom they're gettin at
the color of my hair, and they call me kip
per- because Pm so skinny and fiat. They
can call rne anything they likes to lay their
tongue to-I don't mind, but / amt goin
10 be drawed and stuck up for all the lot to
laugh at-not mel"
just then heard the front door open,
and going into the bar met the bloke--
Putty was his name-who had returned.
He was all right--quite sober-for won
der / gave him the money had taken,
and nodding at Drigo said:
''These parties is a-waitin to see you"
He had not yet noticed Drigo, who sat up
in a dark corner watching him as il TO find
out what sort OF a man they had to deal
with. Putty now examined him in the
same way, and then turning to Taras, who
had entered from the passage, treated him
to long stare.
1--WE want to know II you can let us have
the use of a room for few nights" said
Taras.
For a private purpose" added Drigo,
rising, and dropping his voice as he came
closer said, with a wink, ''unbeknown to
outsiders, you understand"
Putty nodded, and addressing me said,
"Hook it," as he took down pot and drew
himself some beer Taras gave me pleas
ant nod as ! skunk out by the front door,
That altered my destiny. 1t was not an
uncommon thing for me to be sent out Of
the way when Putty had business affairs
TO talk about with his iscustomers across the
bar Of the. JOY, and never troubled my
self even to wonder what his secret deal
ings were, but that kindly look in the face
OF Taras excited a strange feeling Of inter-
est in my mind, which made me curious to
know what business he had to transact
with such q rascal as the bloke.
/ slipped down Ferryboat alley to the
shore, climbed up the rotten timbers on to
parlor, where could hear pretty distinctly
all that was said in the bar.
Drigo was speaking, but his broken Eng
lish and the low, crafty tone of his voice
made what he said unintelligible to me. 1t
seemed to perplex Putty also, for presently
interrupting him hesaid with irritation:
''Herel It's no manner OF use your being
so cussed sly over this here business.
must know all the particlers straightforward
afore go into 1t. Here, I likes your looks
better 'an what do your pardner's, mate.
Lemme hear what you've got to say"
"Thc matters simple enough" replied
Taras. "Three friends have left their coun-
try for certain reasons. To do so they en-
gagged themselves as sailors on board YES
sci bound for London. Their contract binds
them to return with the ship to their coun-
try, and they cannot openly break the con-
tract without rendering themselves liable
to be taken back by force But they intend
to desert, and our object is to provide
place of refuge to which we may convey
them by night from their ship as soon as il
arrives, and where they may change their
seagoing clothes for the dress we shall have
in readiness for them. We chose this inn
for that purpose because it is conveniently
near the dock and is not open to observa-
tion. Ifyou do not choose to let us use your
house, we must find another. That is the
whole matter"
Now tumble to it right enough" said
Putty. II see you're gentleman, sir, and
alters likes to deal with gentlemen. But
you will understand, sir, that all this here
is agen the law, and l lay myself open to
lose my license and get month or two of
hard even for lettin of parties into the house
after closin hours"
III will pay you for your risk. Howmuch
do you wantg"
''It's more risky than what you think. It
looks dead and alive hole, as no one comes
anigh once in blue moon, but the coppcrs
keep a bloomin sharp eye on us all the
same. When do you expect this here ves-
sely'
Tomorrow. But It might be delayed
till Saturday"
That means n sittin up on the lookout
two or three nights. or course the job
would be pulled of when nobody much
amt aboutf"
Between and in the morning, IL posi-
ble.n
"That'd do" Then after little consid-
Grafton Putty said: "Ilere, I'll tell you
what I'll do with you. You shall have the
use Oi my rOOiu lOr II uOllar nlknt Wnlle
you're on the lookout, aud you shall hand
over five quii the night the job is pulled off
and your mates get clear, Now can't say
fairer than that, can I?'
Taras accepted these terms, and after
some further discussion he and Drigo left
the Joy, saying they would return the fol-
lowing afternoon.
slipped out of the JOY by the way had
entered it and hurried round to the front,
impelled. think, by some unrecognized
hope that Taras would nod TO me again.
know that l sank down on the steps Of
Baxtcr's wharf disconsolate when saw
him in the distance turn the corner OF Fer
ryboat alley and disappear without looking
back.
had been sitting there in dull apathy,
my elbows on my knees and my chin In
my palms, quarter Of an hour or 20 min
utes, when heard step in the alley and
turning my eyes saw Drigo coming back.
just before he reached the Mariners Joy
he stopped and facing about waited couple
Of minutes or SO, looking up the alley n IL
TO make sure that he was not followed.