The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-25

| CIV "a" oH~SA aAhh AASo Polo AoAA Inv wv
4 ling,
The darling Of hover cre.e.e.ew."
ooh, this is too much!' exclaimed
the doctor and started for the door.
"Steady, doctor; listen a Bit" said
Captain Colepepper, getting up from
his chair and going toward the window.
"This fellows pipe seems familiar to
ME somehow or other. Hanged, though, +"
he added after scrutiny Of the singer,
eff I know where can have seen the
man himself before"
The organ grinder was going steadily
on:
ais fawm was hof the manifest bea-utee.
Is art was key-ind a.and sor-or.or-oft.
Faithful berlow Tom did Is deu-u-tee.
And now e's GAVIN alor-or-or-
And now -ow e's ga-aw-awn alorft.
''Strangel" muttered the captain
II know the voice to letter, but that
thing can't be the man."
The second verse was being shouted
at them, and the words were being
driven into their ears with force
which made the window .panes rattle.
-"wor-ord depar-ar.ted
Is vir-chews wa-as 500 ra-a-a-are,
Is fren's was ma-any hand treu ar-ar.ted.
is Enrietta was key ind and fair"
"That settles It'll" exclaimed Captain
Colepepper, rushing toward the door.
"Tom Jelly was the only man who ever
changed Poll to Henrietta in that line. "
"Well, said the doctor, "if the in
dividual is friend Of yours, Colepep-
per, hope you'll use your influence
with him for our benefit. Much more
Of his melody will be mentally danger
ous--to Inc at any rate, and even Guth-
RE looks ruf1led."
But the captain had got outside by
this time, and the suggestion remained
unanswered. The other two, watching
from the window, saw the organ grinder
turn round as soon as the door opened
and grin expansively the moment Cap
tain Colepepper's burly form appeared
on the threshold. The recognition was
mutual, and the two men exchanged
horny handshake. Then the Observers
saw that the captain was endeavoring
" III az iIuOOlp, WHll0
the other offered bashful but yielding
resistance.
The itinerant musician was square
built man, with an enormous black
beard which covered nearly the whole
Of his face. He had lost one arm at the
shoulder, and the left sleeve of his coat
tapped loosely. He wore small gold
rings in his ears and high crowned
hat Of black felt was pulled down we'll
on to his head.
''Come along, Tom, come along!'
Captain Colopepper was saying in his
CHEEKY bawl. "You've no call to be
shy. Never mind your rig out lad. I'm
ship your torture box and stow it down
here in the gangway and then come
into my stateroom. Why couldn't you
have just knocked at the door and asked
for me?'
why, you see, gents ALL" said the
man, with bashful hesitation, ~ hardly
liked, If there'd been back door, it
would have been all right But tackled
about and couldn't find one, and it's
hardly the place for the likes Of me to
come pounding at big brass knocker
when I wasn't expected, specially when
! was wanting to ask bit of a favor"
"WhatI You don t mean to say that
you We come here to volunteer for the
enterprise, Tom Jelly, do you?' in
quired the captain, with obvious amaze
ment ~ thought you'd given up the
sea for good"
"With permission" said Tom, with
grin, "I'd like to change my mind"
"You're a good lad, Tom Jelly-a
good ladl' roared the captain delight
eddy. est down and tell us why you
didn't turn up before. Been thinking
the matter Overt"
''Only just heard about it, cap'n,"
said the man, sitting on the extreme
edge of the chair which Captain Colepep-
per pushed to him. "Me and 'Enrietta
trudged into Bristol day afore yester-
day and brought up at our old moorings.
We went to the Admiral Blake for
chat and smoke and drop of ale in the
evening and heard tell of how you'd got
a wonderful scheme on and for weigh
ing the dollars from out Of craft which
foundered after Q fight with a pirate
some years ago-how many they didn't
Seem to rightly know at the Admiral
Blake But everybody said it was
mad idea that nobody but fool would
believe in and that you and the doctor
'u'd never get single soul to join you.
Now, the doctor--no disrespect meant,
sir-I didn't know, never having heard
Of him afore. But Capn Colepepper I'd
sailed with, boy and man, nigh on five
and twenty year, and knowed he was
too good q seaman, in q manner of
speaking, to put to sea in dirty weather
without seeing good chance Of wealth
,ring it all safely. So, gentlemen alp
Tom lifted the glass Of beer which the
captain had handed him-"here's
ealth and success" |
The beer vanished into some aperture
hidden emong the thick jungle of black
lair, and the glass was set down empty
IN the table,
"This is very different sort Of trip,
Tom, from any other we've had togeth-
NJ, observed Captain Colepepper. "Are
you sure You know what 1t is you are
'ffering to joint"
II know, cap'n, I know; they told
ne all about it at the Admiral Blake,
nut says to them, says: There amt
man in the merchant service that
,nows how to handle either square rig
II fore and aft like Cap'n Mich las Cole
,epper. At either seamanship or navi-
,ation show me the man that can beat
lin, says I. TN freely own, I says,
that he's learned his experience atop Of
he ocean and not inside 1t, but If he's
made up his mind to try trip below
he waves, instead of above EN-, in the
I'd nary way, as you tell me he has,
hen you may stake your shoes on 1t
'ap'n Colepepper knows what he's
bout And that's just what l says to
EN-, sir"
The captain had let his pipe 80 out
nd his screwed upeyes were twinkling
With pleasure under the heavy matches
their brows. DR.. Tring, however,
OF being the recipient Of the eulogy,
ad laisure for criticism and kent link !