Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-05-27
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CHAPTER Nv

'dCh L nlllllnOTe, most Nt-
tired as a smart young sailor. with hands
carefully stained, had made his appear
ance in Rydland, and, putting up at a
second-class inn, had deferred inquiries
till the following day. And now. Jack,
unwittingly, began to experience the diff
culties of the task he had undertaken.
To begin upon, he attracted considerable
attention in the quiet little country town.
Rydland had nothing to do with ships
and the shipping interest it was purely
agricultural market town and a thorough
Jack tar such as Philimore was sight
j. rarely Witnessed. The inha bitants. like
most towns of its class had plenty of
spare time on their hands except on mar
ket day The consequence was that Ryd-
land came pretty generally to its shop
doors to look al the handsome sailor who
was loafng about Its streets inQuiring for
Mr.. krabbe. The women especially were
enthusiastic about the handsome seaman:
and invented facts and anecdotes about
Mr.. Krabbe with the most audacious eff
frontcry for the qualification of talking
to him. That evening Jack comforted
himself with the reflection that he had
done a rattling good days work He
had ascertained that old Mr. Krabbe had
been a clerk in Pegram's Office for some
thing like five-and-thirry years. Every
body in Rydland knew him, a quiet, pleas
ant, kindly old gentleman; man of mid
die age when he first came to Rydand,
but a very old man now. Mr.. Pegram
took cottage for him outside the town,
and pensioned him off. and he lived there
now. with a nurse to take care of him.
On one point had he failed, and that
was in seeing Mr.. Krabbe. He hhd been
out to the cottage. seen the nurse but he
had not succeeded in seeing Mr.. Krabbe.
The nurse was very civil, and would have
apparently made no difficulty about his
seeing her patient. only that he was
asleep. He slept, she said a great deal
Disturbing him made him very irritable.
and it seemed a pity to do so when it was
very doubtful whether he would recognize
his visitor when he saw him. OF course,
as Jack said. in his case that could not
be expected. He was distant connec-
tion whom, in all probability. Mr.. Krabbe
had never seen still he should like to
see the old man. The nurse told him if
he called about noon the next day, the
probability is that he would find Mr.
krabbe awake, and that he could then
see him.
Excessively well satisfied with his days
work, and the manner in which he had
played his part, Jack laid out his plans
for the next day. He conceived that he
had nothing much 10 do now beyond see
ing Mr.. Krabbe but, as the train did not
go till the afternoon, Jack determined
further to call upon lawyer pegram, and
see what he could make out of him.
Ten o'clock the next day saw Jack in
Mr.. Pegram's offices. and respectfully in
quiring of the clerks if he could see that
gentleman. A few minutes more, and the
clerk, requesting him ito step this way"
ushered him into the presence of the
Pegrams, father and son.
We'll, my man, you want to see me
what is it: That is my son and partner,
Mr.. Robert Pegram,' he continued, seeing
Jacks eye wander towards that gentle
man; you can speak out before him just
as you would speak to me. Now what
is it!'
We'll your honor he replied, Il amt
much of a hand at a yarn. but. you see,
my father, he married niece of old Mr..
these parts, | thought I'd just have a
look at the old gentleman. cause my moth
er she thought a deal of him, she did
and as / hear he lived with you many
years, | thought, may be, your honor
would tell me something about him if |
called"
Very good" rejoined old Pegram. Il
shall be happy to supply you with all the
information you require about Mr.
Krabbe; but. in the first place, let us
know who you are exactly"
Jack Fluter, boatswain's mate on
board Her Majesty's ship Casiope'
Neither old Pegram nor his son had
the slightest previous knowledge of the
name Casiope. and yet they both felt in
tuitively that q common sailor would not
have so pronounced the name of a ship.
And the name of your captain is
-?'
FLETCHER. your honor and q real smart
officer he is. If he is hardish on the
skulkers. he is good skipper to the
chaps as does their duty. They were tell
ing me lin the town. sir. thar my great
uncle served his biggest spell under your
honor's command"
'lir krdbbe was over thirty years
In our Office. and when he broke down
last wear we pensioned him off as an old
and valued servant. We found nice
little cottage for him about threequar-
ters of mile from the town, and got a
nracticed nurse down from London to
,ake care of him. You must know he
has broken down both mentally and bod
ilv. however. you will be glad to hear
that he is well taken care of. md every
thing that can be done for man in his
position is. we trust, done for him."
eYes. / am told everywhere that your
honor has been very kind 10 The poor old
gentleman. | went out TO his cottage yes
,erday to see him. but he was asleep, the
nurse said, and she did not like TO dis
+urb him. | was thinking if your honor
saw no harm in it, I'd just run out and
try and have look at him to-day"
Harm" rejoined Pegram, as he once
more eyed the sailor keenly through his
snec+acles: "of course not. His old
friends. relatives, or indeed anybody else,
are quite welcome to see Mr.. Krabbe
whenever they think fit. As / have no
doubt his nurse told you, he sleeps q
great deal, is very irritable, and apt at
times to be very much put out by seeing
thos. who are virtually strangers TO him.
that h, old acQuaintances be can no long