Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1906-03-29
The evil O the
Wisp" Mystery
~ NORMAN DUNCAN
tcspyrIsA. 1905. b. Joseph .. Bo~i.sl

- -
tcepyrisht. isos. By Joseph D. bewlss.l
His seemed indeed to bs an nc
Quaintance worth the cultivating. No
whore In Newfoundland had I come
upon figure 20 invitingly grotesque.
He was stubby. and exceeding fat
with leg lacking and two thumbs too
many. Ny good friend (as he soon
becams) was Of the name Of Nicholas
Top.
Nathaniel. his foster SON, who lived
with him. was o mystery.
He was Q merry, well-favorsd boy
OF Is or thereabouts, the son Of Nick's
old skipper, Tom Galloway. who was
lost with the Will o. the Wisp on the
Labrador coast. when Nathaniel was q
iisping child. II was not strange that
hs should abide with his dead fathers
mate, the town gossips could account
for that. The marvel was that rough
old Nick Top, whose coat was never
but OF the shabbiest. should deck out
the SON Of Tom Galloway, who was
drowned without dollar to his credit,
In Q manner 10 PROFESSIONALLY ex-
travasant.
Nicholas Top was desperately poor:
but there was no end to that lads ap-
parel-to his tweeds and overcoats and
topcoats. to furs and his shoes, to his
cravats and what-not; and each single
item OF that vast wardrobe must be
speckiess and In the fashion. else Nick
would make Tuning haste TO provide
another.
The mystery went o deal further.
When hrst I dined at the little cot
tage-it was Nick Top who gave the
invitatlon-I was utterly bewildere5
by the strange circumstances Of the
occasion. At one end Of 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 doll
cacies that 81. Johns might have Of.
fsred o nabob at that season. At the
other sat the grotesQue. SCARED.
shabby old foster-fathsr. dining heart
lily on salt-junk and cabbage and hard
biscuit, laid upon coarse ware, with
but Q bottle Of rum to grass It al.
The third chair was cot ct Nicholas
end OF the table; and the guest, to his
chagrin, was invited to partake Of
Nicholas fare Of salt-junk and cab
bage.
"Mr. Gather" Nathaniel began.
"Mr. Gathers Z dinner with mel"
Numbered Nicholas. He'll not have
bite o. that fresh beef. Mr.. Gather
knows old Nicholas Tops too poor Z
have fresh beef. Mr.. Gather didn't
come lookin' for fresh beef. He'll not
have Q bite Of it-not . bite!"
NorhadI. But when next sat at table
with them It was % the guest Of young
Nathaniel; my place was at his side
within the glitter Of his jewels-and
my fare. which was Of the best was
topped OF with Q bottle Of wine in
place Of the hard rum. Al before
Nicholas partook Of cabbage and salt
junk.
He occasionally looked me in the
eye with an air Of deepest cunning and
mystery. Then he pointed down
whether to the cellar or to the bowels
Of the earth there was no telling-and
nodded in . way most knowing.
TITS paid for" said he, hoarsely.
Never you fear-it's all paid for"
It was not long before I perceived
that I was no longer cultivating the
friendship of Nicholas Top-that he,
indeed. was cultivating mine, and most
assi6uously.
This was eoincident with O sudden
development Of some mortal affection
of the heart. The surgeons had told
him Gas he confded to me at the
Anchor and Chain) that he was like
T. 70 Z Kingdom Come afore he
knowed It." It took no extraordinary
persplcacity to discover that he had
chosen me % q prospective guardian
for the lad. concerning whose future
he was evidently much troubled. With
this plan, when It was at last frankly
stated, I readily fell In; for I was fond
CT the lad, and had NO SON OF my
own.
One night in early winter I was sum-
moned In haste to Nicholas Tops bed
side. There had been q seizure. and
he was greatly alarmed for his life.
found him propped up In bed, purple
and gasping.
"Mr. Gather. sir" Nicholas began.
speaking In haste. you'll take my lad?"
He was eager for o positive answer.
Yes" replied. "You may depend
upoa me-"
"Ah." he sighed hell be made q
ssauemAa Of, win Nathaniel"
"AAs Wa Q rotten cid tub" he con-
tinued, "that VIII o. the Wisp. TomCal-
laway was skipper. an ] was mate;
an we had q crew. all hands. o. s.
men. The gale cotched rs on Lab
rador, ten days out. LOr'! twas
Y hard gale. that-a wind full o. frost
an snow-the seas a. high o. the
truck o. the foremast o. that old Will