The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-20

Copyright, 1905, by Joseph -. BoWie e,j,
Ills seemed indeed to be all acquaintance
worth the cultivatlng Nowhere N new n.
foundland had come upon Hs 81
lie was stubby, and exceeding rat, Win
n leg lacking and two thumbs 100 i,'a III.
My good friend (as he soon became) was
or the name OF Nicholas TOP. 49,,
Nathaniel, his foster son, VINO hVed
with him. was mystery. ;,
He was n merry, well-fnvored boy OF
10, or thercnbouts, tho son OF Nicks olu
with the viii o tho Wlsp off tho L La
dor coast, when Nathaniel was II lsplnE
child. 1t was not strange that ne sho t,i
abide with his dead fathers mate the
marvel was that rough old NICK Bop,
whose coat was never but OF tho shah
blest, should deck out the son or ,ioni
dollar to his credit in manner so pre-
postcrously cxtravagnnt.
Nicholas Top was desperately poor; but
thcre was no end to that lads sNpar ts.--l
coats, to f,irs and his shoes, to his crnvnts
and what-not; and ench single item, OF
that vast wardrobe must be speckless
and In the fashion. else Mich would
Tho mystery went n deal further. When.
first dlncl ut tho little cottngc--it was
nick Top who gave the invitntiOn--l was
utterly bewlldcred by the strange circum..
the table sat Nathaniel. CHEEKY, precise IN
speech, exquisite In manner: and there
was spread before him, laid on delicate
china and silver and glass, all the dell
cncies that ST. John might have offered
a nabob ut that season At the other sat
the Rrotes1ue, scnfred shabby old FOSTER
father dining heartily on salt-junk ana
cabbage and hard biscuit. laid upon coarse
ware, with but u bottle of rum to grace
It all. The third chnir was set at Nicho-
lass end of the table; and the guest. to
his chagrin, was invited to pnrtake OF
Ncholas's fare of salt-junk and cab
"Mr. Gather" Nathaniel began.
Mr.. Gathers t dinner with me-" thun-
dered Nicholas. Hell not have n bite
O. that fresh beef. Mr. Gather knows old
beef. Mr.. Gather didn't como lookin'
for fresh beef. He'll not have a bite OF u
mot bite!"
Nor had l. But when next sat at table
Nathaniel; my place was at his side.
within the glitter OF his jewels-nnd
my fare. which was OF the best. was top.
ped or with n bottle OF wine IN place
Of the hard rum. AS before Nicholas
pnrtook OF cabbage md salt-junk..
He occasionally looked me In the eye.
with an mir OF deepest cunning md mys-
terry. Then he pointed down--whcther to
there was no teiling-.and nodded In n way
most knowing.
ut paid for" said he. honrsely. Never
you fear--its all paid for. pow
1t was not long before I perceived that
I was no longer cultiynting the friendship
OF Nicholas Top--that he. indeed. was
cultivatiny NINE and most assiduously.s
This was coincident with q sudden de.
velopment Of some mortal affection OF tho
heart. Tho surgeons had told him Gas he
connded to me at the Anchor and Chain
that he was like I go 7 Kingdom Como
afore he knowed IT, IT took no extra
ordinary perspicacity to discover that no
had chosen me MS prospective guar
dian for the lad. concerning whose future
he was evidently much troubled. With
this plan. when It was at last frankly
stated, readily fell in; for ! was fond
OF the lad, and had no son OF my own. Z
One night in early winter was sum
moned in haste to Nicholas Tops bedside.
There has been seizure. and he was
proSPed up a Des uFpNs ehoIas Began
Speaking in haste. you'll take my lad? z"
As e' 4spad 9r Postnn sspend
i;Ah." he sighed. hell be made a gen
tlep,nn Of, will Nathaniel"
ttnued, "that vii o, the WIsp. Tom
Galloway was skipper. an was mate;
an We had crew. all hands: o @ men.
days out out. Tori twas a hard gale. that
n wind full o. frost nm snow-the seas $
high MS the truck O. the foremost
o. that old VIII o. the Wisr.
Don't ask me what happened. I don't
know nothIn' about It. Don't you go
askin' me- I'm not sayinI didn't hen,
them poor. men screech. I'm not snyin'
to my senses had grip. o. that there
reef an was starin straight into the
eyes o. Tom Galloway:
,.n1 NleS' tbs says he men o. N'ek sayA he
"'Where is they?' says 7. They're all
dyin' T. leeward.' =
I" Dyin'?' says he