Evening star., 1898-07-30
Mr.. GEDGE'S CATSPAW.
Adventure of Capt. Kettle.


shaping themselves awry; but the rhymes
refused to come. He changed the meter;
he gave I'D laboring to fit the words to the
air of -.Suwsnee River and started fresh
lines which would go to the tune of Green
lands Icy Mountains, a meter with which
at other times he had been VIGOROUSLY sue
cessful: but it failed him now. He could
not get the jingle; spare feet bristied at
every turn and the field of poppies or
which his muse was engaged became every
moment more and more elusive
II was no use. He put down the pencil
and sighed: and then, frOwning at himself
for his indecision. took out the letter card
again and deliberately re-read it. front and
back
Capt Kettle was man who made up his
mind over most matters with the quickness
of pistol shot, and once settled, rightly
or wrongly. he always stuck TO his decision.
But here on the letter card was a matter
he could not get the balance of at all; it
refused to be dismissed even temporarily.
from his mind; it involved interests far too
large to be hazarded by a hasty verdict,
either one way the other. and the diff
ficulty in coming to any satisfactory con-
clusion irritated him heavily.
The letter card was anonymous, and
ship. 1t was typewriter; it was posted,
as the stamp showed, in Newcastle; it
committed its writer in no degree whatever.
But it made statements which, if true,
ought to have sent somebody to penal
servitude and it threw out hints which.
true untrue. made Capt. Kettle heir to
a whole world of anxiety and trouble.
1t is an excellent academic rule to entire
ly disregard anonymous letters. but it Is
by no means always an easy rule to follow.
And there are times when Il friendly warn
ing must be conveyed anonymously or not
at all. But Kettle did not worry his head
about the ethics of anonymous letter writ
ing as profession: his attention was TAX
en- up by this typewriter card from Well
Wisher. which he held in his hand.
Your ship goes to sea never to reach
port" he read. There is an insurance
robbery cleverly rugged You think your
are being made a common gull Of" And
the writer wound up by saying: 81 cant
give you any hint Of how it's going to be
done. Only l know the games fixed. 50
keep your weather eye skinned and take
the Sultan Of Labuan safely out and back.
and maybe you'll get something more solid
than a drink. From Your Well Wisher.'
Capt. Kettle was torn, he read. by
many conflicting sentiments. Loyalty to
Mr.. Gedge. his owner, was one of them.
Gedge had sold him before, but that was
in way condOned by this present appoint
ment to the Sultan of Labuan. And he
Gedges wishes over the matter.
His own code of morality on this subject
was peculiar. Ashore in South Shields he
was as honest bishop; he was a strict
chapel member; he did not even steal
matches from the captains room at Hal
lett's. his house of call. which has always
been accounted recOgL zed peculation. At
sea he conceived himself 10 be bought body
and soul by his owner for the time being
and was perfectly ready to risk body and
soul in earning his pay. But the question
was, How was this pay to be earned? Up
till then he would have said, BY driving
the Sultan Of Labuan over the seas as fast
as could be done on a given coal consump-
ton: by ruthlessly keeping down expense:
and, IN fact. by making the steamer earn
the largest possible dividend in the ordinary
way of commerce" But this typewriter
letter card hinted at other purposes which
he knew were quite within the bounds of
possibility. and if he was being made into
He hit the unfinished poems on the table
a blow with his fist. BY James," he
uttered. "A cats paw? l didn't think of
1t in that light before. Well. we'd better
have clear understanding about the mat
ter"
He got up. crammed the blue letter-card
into his pocket and took his cap. My
dear" he called down to Mrs. Kettle. who
was engaged on the family wash in the
kitchen below. I've got to run up to the
office to see Mr.. Gedge. / don't think L
quite understand his wishes about running
the boat. Get your tea when it's ready.
1 don't want to keep you and the young
sters waiting
Capt. Kettle thought out many things
as he journeyed from South Shields to the
grimy office Of his employer in Newcastle,
but his data were insufficient and he was
unable to get hold of any scheme by which
he could safely approach what was to say
the very least of IL, a very delicate subject.
Mr.. Gedge had hired him as captain of
the Sultan Of Labuan; had said no rd
about losing her and h0u he n n
the mans confidence? II looked the most
unprOmising enterprise in the world. More
over. although in the outer world he was
as brave a fellow as ever lived. he had all
q shipmaster's timidity at tackling a ship
owner in his lair and this, of course, hand-
capped him
In this mood, then he was ushered upon
Gedge in his office. and saw him signing
letters and casting occasional sentences to
a yound woman who flicked them down in
shorthand.
The ship owner frowned. He was very
busy. Well, captain he said. what Is
II? Talk ahead. / can listen while / sign
these letters"
IT'S a private question I'd like to ask
you about running the boat"
Want Miss Payne to 90 out?
IF | might trouble her so far.
Gedge jerked his head toward the door.
Type out what you've GOT he said. The
shorthand writer went out and closed the
glass door after her. Now Kettle"
ward subject to begin upon.
Now. then. captain. out with it, quick.
I'm in devil of a hurry.
Il wish you'd let me know little more
exActly-in confidence, of course-how you
wish me to run this steamboat. Do you
want to-I mean"
We'll. get on, get on
When do you want her back?
Gedge leaned back in his chair tapped
his teeth with the end of his pen. Look
here, captain he said. you didn't come
here to talk rot like this. You've had your
orders already. You aren't drinking man.
or I'd say you were screwed. So there's
something else behind. Come. out with it,
II hardly know how to begin"
II don't want rhetoric. If you've got a
tale, tell it; II not''-Mr Gedge leaned over
his desk again and went on signing his
letters.
Capt Kettle stood the rudeness without
much a flush He sighed a HttIe
and then, after another few moments
thought, took the letter-card from his
pocket and laid II on his employers table.
After Gedge had conned through and
signed a couple more sheets he took the
card up In his fingers and SKINNED it
through
AS he read the color deepened in his
face, and Kettle saw that he was moved.
but said nothing. For a moment there was
silence between them, and Gedge tapped at