The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-05-03
Mr.. GEDGE'S
CATSPAW
By CutcIiffe Hyne.
Copyright, 1901, by Cutclife Hyne.

OPJAi6-'5 A@oA' " N"'|iAAAS @@JAAS' @
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fN0 0ApTAIN OWEN KETTLE
~ folded the letter card put it
5SSEz9Y in his pocket and relit his ci-
G2GE9 gar. He drew paper toward
him and took out a stub of pencil and
tried to make verse, which was his
habit when things were shaping them
selves awry. But the rhymes refused
to come. He changed the meter; he
gave up laboring to fit the words to the
air of 'Suwannee River" and started
fresh lines which would go to the tune
of "Greenland's Icy Mountains" a me-
ter with which at other times he had
been VIGOROUSLY successful. But it
failed him now. He could not get the
jingle. Spare feet bristled at every
turn, and the field of poppies on which
his muse was engaged became every
moment more and more elusive.
1t 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
rcread it, front and back.
Captain Kettle was man who made
up his mind over most matters with
the quickness of pistol shot, and
once settled rightly or wrongly, he al
ways 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 tempora,
rily from his mind; it involved inter.
ests far too large to be hazarded by a
hasty verdict either one way or the
other, and the difficulty in coming to
any satisfactory conclusion irritated
him heavily.
The letter card was anonymous and
seemed to present no clew to it's au-
thorship. 1t was typewriter; it was
posted, as the stamp showed, in New
castle; it committed it's writer in no de-
gree whatever. But it made state
ments which, if true, ought to have
sent somebody to penal servitude, and
1t threw out hints which true or Tn
true. made Captain Kettle heir to q
whole world CT anxiety and trouble.
tits an excellent academic rule to en-
tireiy disregard anonymous letters, but
it is by no means always an easy rule
to follow. And there are times when
friendly warning must be conveyed
anonymously or not at all. But Kettle
did not worry his head about the eth
les of anonymous letter writing as
profession; his attention was taken up
by this typewriter card from "NNell
WiSher," which he held in his hand.
your ship Soes to sea never to reach
port" he read. There is an insurance
robbery cleverly rigged. You think
yourself very smart, l know, but this
time you are being made a common
gull Of" And the writer wound up by
saying: 81 can't give you any hint of
how it's going to be done. Only know
the games fixed. So keep your wealth
er eye skinned and take the Sultan of
Labuan safely out and back, and may
be you'll get something more solid than
drink from your well wisher.'
Captain Kettle was torn, as he read,
by many conflicting sentiments. 10y
atty to Mr.. Gedge, his owner, was one
of them. Gedge had sold him before,
but that was in a way condoned by
this present appointment to the Sultan
of Labuan. And lie wanted very much
to Know what We're Mr.. Gedge's wishes
over the matter.
His own code of morality ON this sub.
ject was peculiar. Ashore In South
Shields he was as honest as a bishop;
he was strict chapel member; he did
not even steal matches from the cap
tain's room at Hallett's, his house Of
call, Which has always been accounted
q recognized peculation. At sea he
conceived himself to 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 is 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 consumption,
by Iuthlessly 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 limited at
other purposes, which he knew were
quite within the bounds of possibility,
and IL he was being made into CATS
paw
He hit the unfinished poems on the
table blow with his fist. by
James!' he muttered. "a catspaw?
didn't think of it in that light before.
Well, we'd better have a clear under
standing about the matter"
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 fam
lily wash iii the kitchen below, 'I've
got to run up to the office to see Mr..
Gedge. l don't think 1 quite under
stand his wishes about running the
boat. Get your tea when it's ready.
don't want to keep you and the young
steIs waiting"
Captain Kettle thought out many
things as he journeyed from South
Shields to the grimy office of his en-
ployer in Newcastle, but his data were
+llouiuSlCAl, anu le NuS uudDlo W Sel
hold of any scheme by which he could
safely approach what was, to say the
very least of it. Il 'ery Ge5cate sub
feet. Mr.. Gedge had hired him as cap
tain of the Sultan of Labuan; had said
no word about losing her, and how
was he to force the mans confidence?
1t looked the most unprOmising enter
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