The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-11-11

~ uiu HO moro l walked round TO an
other newspaper with tho samo piece
that had appeared in the corner Of the
largest circulation, only instead of sign.
ing my natne William Pooley to it
TOOK the nume of William Treakell, my
mother's name afore her marriage,
partly because rcckonod that as Will
liam Pooloy I'd had all the innings |
was going to get, while Treakell was
nko starting on fresh voyage, and
partly because | didn't want my name
to meet the cyo of tho lying party
And now I'm a-going to tell you
what, dare say, you'll not believe but
II 1T amt true then my eyes aren't
twins. Two days after the piece had ap-
, peared l 'nturned to Stepney from a
cruise to Regent street. When I walks
III, Mrs. Gnmblo called out from her
back room, "Is that you, Mr. Pooley?"
'Pooloy it is," says I, stopping at
the foot of the steps
Sho comes out and, looking hard at
mo- says, '"Thcre's been party, with
boy, lnquiring arter you"
Female party" says r.
EYES," sho says.
What does she want?"
'Sho says that her husband left her
when her child was 9 months old. He
was scafnring man. His namo was
Pooley,' says she, looking at mo very
hard. ''Hu didn't always used to sign
on under that namo, and sometimes
shipped himself as William Treakell. -
l breathcd short. "It was her mother's
maiden name" said Mrs. Gumblo.
'What brought her to this house7"
says |, talking as if I'd just had q tooth
drawcd.
She's always on the lookout for hor
husband and reads tho advertisements
in tho papers She SAW tho namo of
Treakoll and SAYS you re her man. She
described you, says Mrs. Gumble, be-
ginning to talk with sort of snarl
(thero's burned sight too much of fol
low feeling among people of Mrs Gum
ble's sort). "Shc gavo me your likeness
III words AZ though she talked with your
picture i'll her and. Sho says you
lodged Mt Mrs. BlOomcr's, down out Of
tho Commercial road, and left that
house because she discovered you"
"Well?" says [.
"Wcl," says she, "Sho'n bo here
tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock and
hopes it'll bo convenient to you to see
her. "
"lt'll be convenient for mo to sec her
in''- but stopped myself. The bloom
ing joke was past beyond all cusses
"How in flames did she know" says T.
"that called myself Trcakcll?'
'Sho asked if tho Trcakcll as lodged
here answered to the description she
gavo of you No Trcakcll lodges here,
says l, but l'vo party stopping in
tho house rs is tho same as you de-
scribe. Then his names Poolcy,' says
She 'Poolcy it is, says l. the surprise
making me answer quick. Then sho
tolls me you married her at Deal and
desartcd her when your infant babo was
months old. "
I'll not see the hedgehog, | burst
| out "Shc's ten stun O lie from hat to
heel. Don't let mo be troubled by her
Sho's no wifo Of mino'' -
lyon wont SEQ her, d'you say?"
Look hero. Is there any letter for
MOI"
mary letter You won't SEQ her,
d'you say"
Nary letter." says. 1T cost me
bob, and who tho blooming blazcs is
a-going to see it where they've gone
and stuck it, right amidships of whole
smother of like notices? If they takes
yer money, why don't they find yer in
answers? Damn mo if it amt worse
| than picking your pocket to cntice q
man into spending bob and mover a
ono withered reply in two days!'
$50 you won't SEQ her, thcn?" says
Mrs. Gumblc, lifting Of her eyebrows
and sourly spreading of her lips till I
saw the red of her false teeth at tho
back Of her jaw
just wished deep down in me that
! shed been Gumble instead Of his wild
der and passed up stairs.
l went to n coffee house for breakfast
early next morning and was messing
about all day looking after job, but
could get nothing to do, not even down
at the docks, though remember think
| ing, when it caIio 10 lily turning lily
eye in that direction, that if I was to
knock about ships for II living I'd better
go to sea for good. There was no coun
try fancics in the isle of Dogs, no smell
| of tho haystack, no scent Of the milk
maid in tho brcezcs there. I went back
homo to my lodgings in tho evening,
wore out. Mrs. Gumble told me that
the party had called at 10 O'Clock along
with tho boy, but wouldn't hear tell
of her and went straight to my bedroom
and lay down on my bed to smoke a pipe
and to consider whether this sort of
seeking for Il job wasn't like asking the
! way to the work us.
lay late next morning, being, as
have said, wore out. Sides, what was
there to get up for? OF course it would
be tho old joke over again, ways of re-
fusing of n man that was tho same rs
punching his Lead, loafing about all day
long, coming home and 10 letters and
wondering if drowning was as quick rs
hanging.
was getting out Of bed at noon,
when comes Il knock upon the door,
and Mrs. Gumblc's voice says, "You re
wanted. "
"Who wants me?" says I.
4 q fl,1