The Virginia enterprise., 1908-11-27

~ Il II ~ s,
= It amt fair play agin a woman,
says old" Sam, three strong amen agin
one poor old woman; that's wot We
feel, Ginger
"'Well, don't feel like it, 'pses Gin
ger; you; please yourself. aud, sPll
please myself
"'E went of, in a huff, an next
morning e was so disagreeable that
Sam an Peter went and signed on
board a steamer called the Penguin,
which was to sail the day arter. They
parted bad friends all round, and Gin.
ger Dick gave Peter a nasty black
eye, and Sam said that when Ginger
came to see things in a proper way
agin he'd be sorry for wot ed said.
And e said that i'm and Peter never
wanted to look on 'is face agin.
"Ginger Dick was a bit lonesome
arter they'd gone, but e thought it
better to let few days go by afore e
went and adopted the red aired land
lady. He waited a week, and at last,
unable to wait any longer, e went out
and 'ad shave and smartened hisself
up, and went off to the Blue Lion.
"'Glass O bitter, ma'am, please he
ses to the old lady as she came out O.
the little parlor at the back O. the bar.
"The old lady drew the beer, and
then stood with one and holding the
beer-pull and the other on the coun.
ter, looking at Ginger Dick in is new
blue jersey and cloth cap.
Lovely weather, ma a'am,' ses Gin.
ger. putting his left arm on the coun.
ter and showing the sailor-boy dancing
the hornpipe.
IT'S ard life, the sea- ses the
old lady.
She kept wiping down the counter
in front of i'm over an over agin, an
e could see 'er staring at is wrists as
though she could 'ardly believe her
eyes. Then she went back into the
parlor, and Ginger card her whisper.
ing, and by and by she came out agin
with the blue-eyed barmaid.
Have you been at sea long?' ses
the old lady.
lover % years, ma am ses Ginger,
avoiding the barmaid's eye wot was
fixed on is wrists, and I've been ship
wrecked four times; the fust time
when | was little nipper O. four.
teen'
pore thing, ses the landlady
shaking 'er 'ead. I can feel for you;
my boy went to sea at that age, and
I've never seen i'm since
I'm sorry to ear it. ma am, ses
Ginger, very respectful-like. 4 suppose
I've lost my mother, so can feel fol
you
Suppose you've lost your mother!
ses the barmaid; don't you know
whether you have?'
NO ses Ginger Dick, very sad
When | was wrecked the fust time
was in a open boat for three weeks
and, wot with the exposure and 'ardly
any food; got brain fever and lost my
memory
Pore thing ses the landlady agin
81 might as we'll be a orfin,' ses
Ginger, looking down; sometimes
seem to see a kind, 'andsome face
bending over me, and fancy it's my
mothers, but can't remember 'el
name, or my name, or anythink about
'er.'
You remind me o my boy very
much,' ses the landlady, shaking 'el
cad
"Ginger Dick would ha' liked to ha
seen 'er a bit more excited, but Z
ordered another glass O bitter from
the barmaid, and tried to think 'ow
he was to bring about the ship on his
chest and the letters on is back. The
landlady served couple O. men, anC
by and by she came back and began
talking agin.
IL like Sailors she ses; one thing
is, my boy was a sailor; and another
thing is, they've got such feelin' carts
There was two of 'em in ERE the othel
day, who'd been in ere once or twice
and one of 'em was that kind 'earteC
l thought he would ha' 'ad a fit a.
something told him.
"Ho,' ses Ginger, pricking up hi,
ears, 'wot for?'
IL was just talking to i'm about my
boy, same as l might be to you, Sc:
the old lady, and l was just telling
i'm about the poor child losing i:
finger
"Losing is wot?' ses Ginger, turn
ing pale and staggering back.
Finger ses the landlady. e wal
only ten years old at the time, and II
sent i'm out to-Wots the matter
Amt you well?'
Ginger didn't answer 'er a word
he couldn't. E went on going back
wards until e got to the door, ant
then e suddenly fell through it int
the street. and tried to think.
Then e remembered Sam an(
Peter, and when e thought of then
safe and sound aboard the Penguin h,
nearly broke down altogether, as Z
thought how lonesome he was.
"An e wanted was is arms rount
both their necks same as they was thu
night afore they 'ad i'm tattooed."
MORE THAN ONE DIFFERENCE