Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-29

Hamilton? 1 haven't seen him since last
night
so you say. But l don't see why
should believe you. In fact / don't"
why in the name OF mischief should I
want to NEEDLE with the poor beggar? II
you re thinking OF that bit Of a scrap We
had yesterday, IN own l was fun at the
time. AT any rate, that's not "A thing a
man would want to murder him for"
=, No should say 10000 is more in your
What are you driving at?"
GU know quite we'll You got that poor
FELLOW insured just before this trip, you
got MIN 10 make "A viii I'm your favor and
now you've committed a dirty, clumsy
murder, Just TO finger the dollars"
GRANGE broke into uncanny. hysterical
laughter. That chap insured. that chap
make VIII In my favor? Why ne haGu't
penny. IL was me that paid for his pas
sage. I'd been on the tear a bit and the
Jew fellow 1 went 10 about raising the wind
did say something about insuring | know.
ana made me sign a lot of law papers. They
made out | was in such a chippy state Of
health that they'd not let me have any
more money unless came on some beastly
duIl sea voyage to recruit Bit and enc
OF the conditions was that one Of the boys
was TO come along. too. and look after M"
You'll look pretty foolish when you tell
that thin tale to a jury
Then let me put something else on &c
the back of II. I'm not Cranze at all. I'm
Hamilton I've been in the papers a good
deal recently. and didn't want TO get
stared at on board here So we snapped
names. just to confuse people IL seems to
have worked very we'll"
Yes" said Kettle Its worked so we'll
that don't think you'll get a jury to be-
lieVe that, either. As you don't seem in
clined to make clean breast OF It Won
can now retire to your room and be re-
stored to your personal comforts | can't
hand you over to the police without inc,fn-
Nenience TO myself TIL We get to New Or
leans, so | shall keep you in irons till we
get there. Steward-where's the steward?
An, here you are. See this man is kept in
his room, and see he has no more liquor l
make you responsible for him"
Yes, SIR" said the steward
The F1amingo swung round the gulf TIL
she came 10 where logs borne by the Mis-
sisslppi stick out from the white sand. and
steamed past the nearest outlet of the delta
because Captain Kettle did not personally
know its pilotage. Her one remaining pas
songer had passed from an active nuisance
TO close and unheard prisoner and his
presence was almost forgotten by every
one on board except Kettle and the steward
who looked after him
The Flamingo got a clean bill from the
doctor at the quarantine station, and
emerged triumphantly from the cluster of
craft doing penance, and steamed on up
the yellow river, past the white sugar mills
ana the heavy Expresses behind the banks
up TO New Orleans, and with his glasses
on the bridge Kettle saw his acquaintance
Mr. Lupton, waiting for him on the levee.
lie got his steamer berthed in the crowd
ed tier, and Mr.. upton pushed on board
over the first gangplank. But Kettle waved
the man aside TIL he saw his vessel finally
noored. And then he took him into the
! chart house and shut the door
You seem to have got my cable" he
sald. 1t was very expensive one. but /
thouEht the occasion needed II.
| His visitor tapped Kettle confidently on
| the knee. You'll find my office will deal
most literally with you, captain But l can
tell you I'm pretty excited to hear your
| full yarn"
I'm afraid you won't like it," said Ket-
tie. The mans obviously dead. and fancy
l. or not. l don't see how your office can
avoid paying the full amount. However
here's the way I've logged It down''-and he
went of into detailed narration.
It's easy to tell" Lupton said, III they
dld swap names What was the man that
went overheard liiIe2'
Little dark fellow shortsiChteG"
That's not Hamilton. anyway but #
might be Crane. Is your prisoner taII?'
Tall and puffy. Red hair and spotty
face"
That's Hamilton all the way. BY Jove,
skipper, we've saved our bacon"
But tell me, what did the little chap so
overheard for?''
Got there himself Uneasy conscience, i
suppose. He seems to have been poor
sort Of assassin anyway Why, when that
drunken fool tumbled overheard among the
sharks, he didn't leave him to be eaten or
ulpNHel, Is more imam L can un0tTSl anu.
He'd have got his money a. easy as pick
ing it up off the floor. If he'd only had the
sense to keep quiet"
IF you ask me- said Kettle 1T was
sheer nobility of character. l had good
deal of talk with that young gentleman, sir,
He was a splendid fellow"
Mr.. Lupton winked skeptcally. He
managed to play the part of a thorough
paced young blackGuard at home. He was
warned off the turf. He was kicked out
of his club for card sharping. He was
well, he's dead now, anyway, and we won
say any more about him. He was only
tool, anyway. There is a bigger and more
capable scoundrel at the back Of ii all, and,
thanks TO the scare you seem to have
rubbed into that spottyfaced young mug
you've got locked up down below, 1 think
can get him by the heels very nicely
this journey. If you don't mind. I'll go ana
see him now, before he's had time To get
rid of his fright
Captain Kettle showed his visitor cour-
teously down to the temporary jail, and
then returned to the chart house and slipped
his tea.
He was a poet, poor lad" he unused
thinking Of the dead. That's why ha
couldn't do the dirty work. But I shan't
tell Lupton that reason. He'd only laugh
and-that poetry a bit of a secret be
tween the lad and me. Poor. poor fellow
/ think I'll be able to write a few lines
about him myself after I've been ashore TO
see the agent lust as a bit OF an epitdph.