The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-10-11
4 SLEEK,
SLICK IVAN.
BY Charles q. Lewis.

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On the passenger list of the Ocean
Queen as she sailed from Melbourne
for London on the 18th of August,
1881, was the name of James Melwill,
an Englshman, and IL there ever was
Il sleeker, sllcker man got into print
sleek, slick way of a hypocrltical mis-
sionary or parson, but 1t was way OF
his own. He WAS a dandy in figure
and dress, He had the innocent face
of child. He was gulleless and In
genuous. Ee seemed to know 80 little
of the world that you wondered where
he had passed his 80 years of life. He
wanted to make everybody's acqualnt-
ance and be friends with all. You
couldn't help but set him down for
good fellow just to look at him, and
when you had listened to his droll sto-
ries in the smoking room, his songs In
the cabin and the fairy stories he told
the children you had to agree that he
was justly favorite.
No one seemed to know Jimmy, as
he asked us to call him, beyond know
ing that he lived up the country on a
big horse farm and was worth half q
million dollars. 1t turned out that no
one really knew that, but had taken
his word for 1t. However, it was no
ones business to know him. He was
going back to England after a bride,
and all the ladies aboard agreed that
he was a good catch and the girl was
In luck. Perhaps l got more out Of
Mr.. Melwill than any other passenger.
1t was more. and at the same time 1t
WAS less. In speaking Of his horse
farm to me he had been foolish enough
to locate it. 1t was far distant from
Melbourne, and 1t was In an out of the
way place, but 1t SO happened that
had sheepherded and prospected all
over that range and knew his story to
be false. He saw by my looks that
knew 1t to be SO, and he at once
turned the conversation and refused
any further information. Women will
lie when there Is no object, but men
generally plan to make q lie serve
purpose. l tried to figure out why
Jimmy should lie, but the best guess
l could make at 1t was that he wanted
to pass for richer man than he was.
There was nothing bad about that. and
l didn't permit the falsehood to open
any breach between us.
When we came to shake ourselves
down aboard, l noticed that there We're
lot of rather tough looking men
among the steerage passengers. 1t
the Cape to work on a new railroad.
AS near as could size them up they
were all colonials and men more used
to horses than picks and shovels. Your
true navy, or day laborer, would have
sprawled In the shade and slept and
smoked and been content. | picked
out dozen or more of the SO called
workingmen who were nervous and
uneasy, and they often formed little
groups and seemed to hold much con-
verse In whispers. This, however, was
only a trining incident People on
shipboard have nothing to do but gos-
sip and observe. A man who would not
walk ten steps on land to see cap
tive eagle will sit for an hour and
watch the erratic flight of gull.
think the sleek Jimmy must have
caught me watching the steerage pas
sengers, for he took occasion one day
to observe:
"There seems to be fine lot of men
going out to the Cape with usY
las far as bone and muscle 60" re-
piled.
But it takes bone and muscle to
build railroads"
"Of course, but this Is the first time
l ever heard of Australians being ship
ped to the Cape for such work Is
there any scarcity of native help?
can't imagine one of those chaps over
yonder with his soft hands doing much
with pick and shovel"
mo, perhaps not" replied Jimmy in
an absent way as he looked at me
through half closed eyes.
Then he extended his cigar case, pro-
posed a game of euchre, and the sub
ject was dropped. l don't claim that
was suspicious of Jimmy or that l was
disturbed by the gang in the steerage.
On the contrary. l was perfectly easy
In my mind in all respects. had read
In the Australian papers that the
Ocean Queen was carrying home more
than a million dollars in gold. In fact,
! had seen most of the boxes brought
aboard and taken down to the strong
room. All other passengers must have
been aware of the treasure but there
was little or no talk about 1t. | think
the sleek, slick man was the only one