Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-03-04

partly because l didn't want my name
to meet the eye of the lying party.
And now I'm a-going to tell you
what, dare say, you II not believe, but
If it amt true then my eyes aren't
twins Two days after the piece had APP
peared l returned to Stepney from
cruise to Regent street When walks
in, Mrs. Gumble called out from her
back room, "Is that you, Mr.. Pooley?n
"Pooley it is" says 1, stopping at
the foot Of the steps,
She comes out, and, looking hard at
me, says, There's been Il party, with
a boy, inquiring arter you"
"Female party2" says l.
eyes, " she says.
"What does she want?"
"She says that her husband left her
when her child was months old. He
was a seafaring man. His name was
Pooley," says She looking at me very
hard. "He didn't always used to sign
ON under that name, and sometimes
shipped himself as William Treakell. "
1 breathed short at was her mothers
maiden name" said Mrs. Gumble.
"What brought her to this house?"
says l. talking as if I'd just had tooth
drawed.
"She's always on the lookout for her
husband and reads the advertisements
in the papers. She saw the name of
Treakell and says you're her man. She
described you," says Mrs. Gumble, be-
ginning to talk with a sort of snarl
(there's "a burned sight too much of fell
low feeling among people of Mrs. Gum
ble's sort). "She gave me your likeness
in words as though she talked with your
picture in her and. She says you
lodged at Mrs. Boomers, down out of
the Commercial road, and left that
house because she discovered you.
"WellP' says |.
"Well," says she, "she'll be here
tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock and
hopes it'll be convenient to you to see
her. "
It'll be convenient for me to see her
in but l stopped myself. The bloom
ing joke was past beyond all cusses.
"How in flames did she know, " says l,
THAT l called myself Treakell?"
"She asked if the Treakell as lodged
here answered to the description she
gave Of you. No Treakell lodges here, >
says /, but I've "a party stopping in
the house as is the same as you de-
scribe Then his names Pooley, says
she. 'Pooley it is, says /, the surprise
making me answer quick. Then she
tells me you married her at Deal and
desarted her when your infant babe was
months old"
I'll not see the hedgehog" l burst
out shes ten stun O. lie from hat to
heel. Don let me be troubled by her.
She's no wife of mine"
"You won't see her, d You suy?'
Look here, Is there any letter for
me?"
Mary letter. You won't see her,
h'you say"
mary letter?' says at cost me 4
bob, and who the blooming blazes is
a-going to see it where they've gone
and stuck it, right amidships of a whole
smother Of like notices? If they takes
yer money, why don't :hey find yer in
answers; Damn me if it amt worse
than picking your pocket TO entice @
man into spending bob and never a
one withered reply in two days."
$50 you won't see her, them" says
Mrs. Gumble, lifting of her eyebrows
and sourly spreading Of her lips till
saw the red of her false teeth ut the
back of her jaw.
l just wished deep down in me that
she'd been Gumble instead of his wild.
der and passed up stairs.
went to a coffee house for breakfast
early next morning and was messing
about all day looking after a job, but
could get nothing to do, not even dowI
at the docks, though | remember think
ing, when it came to my turning my
eye in that direction, that if l was tC
knock about ships for living I'd better
go to sea for good. There was no coun
try fancies in the isle of Dogs, no smell
of the haystaCk, no scent of the milk
maid in the breezes there. went bacl
home to my lodgings in the evening
wore out. Mrs. Gumble told me tina
the party had called at 10 O'Clock alont
with the boy, but | wouldn't hear tel
of her and went straight to my bedroom
and lay down on my bed to smoke pip
and to consider whether this sort o
seeking for job wasn't like asking tn
way to the work us.
lay late next morning, being, as
have said, wore out. Sides, what wa
there to get up for? OF course it woul
be the old joke over again, ways of re
fusing of a man that was the same a
punching his Lead loaing about all da
long, coming home and no letters an
wondering if drowning was as quick a
hanging
was getting out of bed at noon
when comes knock upon the door
and Mrs. Gumble's voice says, YOU
wanted. "
"Who wants me?" says l.
"An officer of the court" she an
swers.
opened the door to her, and, putin
my head out, says, "What court?"
"The police court" says she.
''What does he want?'
"You come down and he'll tell you.
dressed and went down stairs. Mrs.
Gumble. hearing my footsteps, beckor
me into the front parlor, and there
found the party as claimed me for he
husband, the young un, and ia
man with strong whiskers, dressed liz
police boss.
"Now, sir, " cries ont the party whe
steps in, that's my husband, william
! ! T., tod ,aii