The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-05-03


tonight from Lere, you'll just get down
to Newport tomorrow in time to see
her come into dock. Take her over at
once, you know. We can't have any
time wastcl. Here, goodby. I'm
frantically Busy"
But, busy though lie might be, Mr..
Gedge did not Immediately return to
signing his letters after Captain Ket-
ties departure. Instead he took out a
handkerchief and wiped his forehead
and wiped his hands, which for some
reason seemed to have grown unac-
countably clammy, and for awhile he
lay back in his writing chair like a
man who feels physically sick.
Captain Kettle, however, went mis-
way humming a cheerful air, and as
the II o'clock mail roared out that
night across the high level bridge he
settled himself to sleep in his corner of
a third class carriage and to dream the
dreams of man who, after many vi
cissitudes, has at last found righteous
for him, and he permitted himself the
luxury of enjoying it to the full.
A train clattered him into Monmouth
shire some - hours later, and he step
ped out on Newport platform into q
fog, raw and fresh from the British
channel His small, worn portman-
teau he could easily have carried in
his hand, but there is an etiquette
about these matters which even the
hard up shipmaster to whom a shil-
ling is n financial rarity must observe,
and so he took four wheeler down to
the agents office and made himself
known. The Sultan of Labuan, it
into dock barely an hour before, and
so Kettle, obedient to his orders, went
down at once to take her over.
1t was not a pleasant operation, this
Ousting another man from his liveli-
hood, and as Kettle had been supplant-
ed weary number of times himself he
thought he knew pretty well the feel
ingS of the man whom he had come to
replace. His reception, however, sur
prised him. Williams, the formerD4nas-
ter of the Sultan OF Labuan, handed
over his charge with an air of obvious
and sincere relief, and Kettle felt that
he was being eyed with a certain en-
barrassing curiosity. The man was not
disposed to be verbally communicative
you look knocked up said Kettle.
'Might well be-" retorted Captain
Williams. Il haven't had a blessed
wink of sleep since pulled my anchors
out of Thames mud
''iiot had bad weather, have your"
"No; Wcathcr's been right enough;
bit thickish; that's all.''
whats Kept you from having a
watch below, then?"
"'Fraid of losing the ship, captain.
l have never been up before the board
Of trade yet and don't want to try what
it feels like"
ooh" said Kettle, with sigh, ''it's
horrible They're brutes, 1 know. l
have been there"
$50 l might have guessed" said Will
liams dryly.
Look here" said Kettle. "What are
you driving at?''
mo offense captain; no offense I'll
just shut my head now. Guess I've
been talking too much already. Result
of being overtred, suppose. Let's get
on with the ships papers. They're all
In this tin box"
"But I'd rather you said out what
you've got to say
"Thanks, captain, but no. This is the
first time we've met, I think"
$50 far as remember
well, there you are, then. Personal
IL you no doubt are very nice, pleas
ant gentleman. But still there's no
getting over the fact that you're
stranger to me, and. anyway, you're in
Gedge's employ, and I'm not, and
there's law of libel in this country
which gets up and hits you whether
you are talking truth OF lies"
English laws are beastly, and that's
q fact"
Reading about them in the papers
quite enough for me. Now, captain,
suppose We go ashore with these pa
pers, and l can sign off and you can
sign on. Afterward We'll have drop of
whisky together if you like, just to
show there's no i'll Will"
"1ou are very polite, captain" said
Kettle. I'm sure | don't like the no.
tion of stepping in to take away your
employment. But if it hadn't been me
he'd have got some one else"
The other turned ON him quickly.
"pon't think you're doing me bad
turn. captain, because you aren't. I
was never so pleased to step out of a
charthouse in my life. Only thing is,
hope l aren't doing you a bad turn by
letting you step in
"By James," said Kettle, "do speak
plain, captain. Don't go On limiting
like this"
~ am maundering on too much, cap
tain, and that's fact. Result of being
about tired out 1 suppose. But you
must excuse me speaking further
There's that blasted libel law to think
about. Now, captain, here's the key of
the charthouse door, and if you'll let
me I'll go out first, and you can lock
it behind you. You'll find one Of the
tumblers beside the water bottle bro
ken. 1t fell out of my hand this morn.
ing just after I'd docked her. But all
the rest is according to the inventory,
and I'll knock off threepence for the
tumbler when we square up."
They plunged straightway into the
aridities Of business and kept at it till
the captaincy had been formally laid
down and handed over, and then the