The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-06-16

"Artfulness" said +he nightwatchman smoking
placidy, lis gift but it don't pay always. I've
met some artful in my time-plenty of 'em: but
| can't truthfully say as 'ow any of them was the
better for meeting me-"
He rose slowly from the packng-case on which he
had been sitting and, stamping down the point of
rusty nail with his heel, resumed his seat remark
ing that he had endured it for some time under the
impression that it was only splinter
"Tve surprised more than one in my time" he
continued slowly. "When / met of these ere
artfu ones used fust of all to pretend to be
stupid than wot really am"
He stopped and stared fxedly.
"MOre stupid than looked" he said.
He stopped again.
more stupid than wot they thought looked"
he said, speaking with marked deliberation. "And
I'd let 'em go on and on until thought had 'ad
about enough, and then turn round on 'em. Nobody
ever got the better o me except my wife, and that
was only before we were married. Two nights AFTER
wards she found fsh-hook in my trouser- pocket
and arter than could ha' left untold gold there
if I'd ha had it, 1t spoilt wot some people call the
honeymoon, but it paid in the long rum
One o the worst things man can do is to take
up artfulness all OF sudden. never knew it to
answer yet and can tell you of q case thatl prove
my words true.
It's some years ago now, and the chap it 'appened
TO was young man, a shipmate O. mne named
Charlie Tagg. Very steady young chap he was, too
steady for most of EN-. That's 'ow it was me and
i'm got to be such pals.
He'd been saving up for years to get married, and
all the advice we could give i'm didn't ave any eff
1ect' lie saved up nearly every penny of is money
and gave it to his gal to keep for i'm and the time
I'm speaking OF she'd got seventy.two pounds of lis
and seventeen-andsx Of 'cr own to set up house.
keeping with
Then thing happened that I've known to 'appen
to sailormen afore. At Sydney q got silly on another
GAL and started walking out with her, and aforc he
knew wot he was about he'd promised to marry Ter
too.
Sydney and London being long way from each
other in is favor, but the thing that troubled
i'm was 'ow to get that seventy.two pounds out of
Emma Cook. is London GAL 80 as he could marry
the other with it. 1t worried i'm all the way home
and by the time we got into the London river is
mead was all in maze with it. Emma Cook 'ad
got it all saved up in the bank to take little shop
with when they got spliced, and 'ow to get it he
could not think.
He went straight off to Poplar. where she lived
as soon as the ship was berthed He walked all tho
way so as to ave more time for thinking but wot
with humping into two old gentlemen with bad tenn
pers, and being nearly run over by cabman with
white Orse and red whskers, he got TO the house
without 'aving thought of anything.
ihey was just finishing their tea as g got there
and they all seemed pleased to see i'm that IL made
1t worse than ever for i'm. Mrs. Cook who 'ad
pretty near finished gave i'm her own cup to drink
out Of and said that she 'ad dreamt of i'm the night
afore last and old Cook said that he 'ad got so good
looking o shouldn't ave known him.
u should ave passed i'm in the street." he ses
VI never see such an alteration"
They'll be nice.looking couple" ses his wife,
looking at young chap, named George Smith, that
ad been sitting next to Emma
Charlie Tagg filled lis mouth with bread and but
ter and wondered 'ow he was to begin He squeezed
Emmas and just for the sake of keeping up appear.
ahces ana all the time e thinking of the other
gal waiting for i'm thousands o. miles away.
You've come 'ome just in the nick o. time" ses
old Cook; IF you'd done it o purpose YOU couldn't
ave arranged it better"
smile. ''''"s "
-, o,d Cook shook his ead. Though mine is next
Wednesday he SEES, "and thank you for thinking of
IT, NO. you're Just in time for the biggest bargain
al the ehandlery line that anybody ever ad chance