Question: CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

OTHER THINGS BESIDES MURDER "WILL OUT."

Meanwhile Davy Spink, with his heart full, returned slowly to the shore.

He was long of reaching it, the boat being very heavy for one man to pull. On landing he hurried up to his poor little cottage, which was in a very low part of the town, and in a rather out-of-the-way corner of that part.

"Janet," said he, flinging himself into a rickety old armchair that stood by the fireplace, "the press-gang has catched us at last, and they've took Big Swankie away, and, worse than that--"

"Oh!" cried Janet, unable to wait for more, "that's the best news I've heard for mony a day. Ye're sure they have him safe?"

"Ay, sure enough," said Spink dryly; "but ye needna be sae glad aboot it, for. Swankie was aye good to _you_."

"Ay, Davy," cried Janet, putting her arm round her husband's neck, and kissing him, "but he wasna good to _you_. He led ye into evil ways mony a time when ye would rather hae keepit oot o' them. Na, na, Davy, ye needna shake yer heed; I ken'd fine."

"Weel, weel, hae'd yer ain way, lass, but Swankie's awa' to the wars, and so's Ruby Brand, for they've gotten him as weel."

"Ruby Brand!" exclaimed the woman.

"Ay, Ruby Brand; and this is the way they did it."

Here Spink detailed to his helpmate, who sat with folded hands and staring eyes opposite to her husband, all that had happened. When he had concluded, they discussed the subject together. Presently the little girl came bouncing into the room, with rosy cheeks, sparkling eyes, a dirty face, and fair ringlets very much dishevelled, and with a pitcher of hot soup in her hands. 1. What was Davy Spink pulling?
2. Was it difficult for him?
3. Where did he go when he left the boat?
4. Who was there?
5. What did he do when he came into the place?
6. Where was it located?
7. Who caught them?
8. What else did they do?
9. Was she glad to hear this?
10. Was Swankie mean to her? Provide a numbered list of answers.
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A numbered of answers: 1. boat
2. yes
3. to his poor little cottage
4. Janet
5. fringed himself into a rickety old armchair
6. by the fireplace
7. press-gang
8. took Big Swankie away,
9. yes
10. no

Question: I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention.Finally,the driver,a man about 60,looked up from behind the wheel and apologized,"I'm sorry,but I was reading a letter." He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough.

Since I was in no hurry,I told him to finish his letter.He shook his head,explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart.Curious,I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild."This isn't family,"he replied."though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family.Old Ed and I grew up together."

They were always friends.But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago,it'd generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them.A couple of weeks ago,Ed died."I should have kept in touch." He repeated this,more to himself than to me.To comfort him,I said sometimes we just didn't seem to find the time."But we used to find the time," he said."Take a look." He handed the letter over to me.

The first sentence "I've been meaning to write for some time,but I've always delayed it." reminded me of myself.It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together.When I read the part where it said "Your friendship really means a lot to me,more than I can say because I'm not good at saying things like that",I found myself nodding in agreement.

We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph: "So I thought you'd like to know that I was thinking of you." And it was ended with "Your Old Friend, Tom."

"I thought your friend's name was Ed," I said.

"I'm Tom," he explained. "It's a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he'd died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner." His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.

When I got to my hotel room I didn't unpack right away.I had to write a letter and post it. 1. Why was the cab driver preoccupied?
2. How long had it been since Tom had seen Ed? Provide a numbered list of answers.
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A numbered of answers:
1. reading a letter
2. 30 years