Year: 1871

me. Besides, he was secure that l could
no more leave this island than Robinson
Crusoe could leave his


l sat down on the hotel balcony, IN utter
despair From the parlor came murmur
of low-voiced conversation, and l fancied
that the tones were those of woman and
a serpent, that is, a painter, but | cared
not What was I to do? My bill at the
hotel; my afternoons bad luck, twenty
three dollars; my evenings failure, say
twenty more my fare to Boston, where
must he by the next evening: 1t may seem
light matter, but to an inexperienced lad
of nineteen it was no joke.


While sat there, absorbed in my trou


Bile, hand was laid upon my shoulder
which made me look up. 1t was Fred.
p. "See here, my boy, I've been
looking for you all the evening. Here's
Minnie says she must 60 tomorrow,
and-I don't like to trouble you,
but she wants enough for her fare
to Boston, aud I've lost my wallet to-day,
believe; can't find 1t anywhere. Let
me have that twenty l paid for the boat
last week. did not mean to ask you for
it, as I supposed it might not be convent
ent till you got home, but cant help
myself" Here was new complication.
We had gone on a fishing party together,
and Fred had paid the bill; but | had
undertaken to get the other fellows
shares, and had done so. had handed it
all to Freds room mate and college chum,
who had since left the island. 1t was evi-
dent that Cunningham had forgotten to
paw Fred. They were Of course intimate
friends, and was comparatively stranger,
who had been kindly taken up by them.
l felt awfully, for I hardly knew how to
make the truth appear. Suppose Gun
ninEham, rich and careless young fellow,
had forgotten all about it. Fred was out
of sorts too over something, for he was
usually very even tempered. When l
said, II must have paid it," could not
for the moment remember that had done
80. He said roughly, 90 bother, no; l
could not have had the money; besides,
Cunningham would have told me, aud he
never said word, only that I'd better get
it before you spent all your money"


"Mr. P" said l, II will go up to
your room and arrange with you; we will
not dispute here on the steps,"


Fred led the way, muttering something
about "snobs picked up at water places"
which made me furious: When we got to
his chamber was SO angry that forgot
all about my bill deposited at the library,
and pulled out my porte msonalGae; and by
the time he got the gas lit was opening
it, and feeling in the secret pocket. There
was the bill, twenty dollars, and slapped
it down on the table, saying, "As l am to
pay this twice over, I'll trouble you to
leave a receipt at the office for me to-
morrow morning. doa't wish to pay the
room raging. When l cooled off a little,
70 hot I bod off hoA
bill on Fred P, but to that l answered
my conscience that it was for an unjust
claim. At any rate l was quite ready to
go to Jail or anywhere else, and went to
sleep thinking of an odd story had heard,
in consequence of which dreamed that
was sent to the Nantucket prison for pass
ing counterfeit money, and that every
night was in the habit of slipping out of
my cell and prowling round the streets.
Then was giving reading to crowded
house, but the books were all wrong.
Whatever took up turned to dictionary
or a spelling book. Then l woke up and
thought over two plans, one of which was
to 20 off to sea in y Whaler from New Bed.
ford, the other was to get Fred to have
me arrested for passing the counterfeit bill
on him and sent to Boston for trial. Once
there, I could get some one to help me.
In the midst of working out these plans to
a grand and triumphant tableau got to
sleep again, and this time dreamed that
was being marched up State street in
chains, and that was stopped at each cor
ner and rearrested on new charge, when
l was really awakened by strange man
in my room, who was shaking me by the
shoulder. My first thought was, ut has
come now, and I'm glad of it, 1t was the
matchmaker. "1've come round to see
thee" he began, "to look at thy watch
once more. I've thought thee might be
wanting money good deal, and | don't
mind letting thee have twenty dollars, If
thee thinks thee can pay me in week or
so. guess thcc's pretty honest as folks
CO."


was just putting the watch into his
hands, when the door opened again, and
in came Apollyon, mean the artist.


my dear young frien6," he began,
"what is all this about broken buggy
I've just seen the stable fellow hanging
round here, and Of course you arc not to
pay sixpence for the team or for the dam
age. am afraid was little careless in
letting your horse get away-in fact,
I-well-I wanted-it was of the ut.
most importance for me to have an un-
interrupted talk with Miss-with Miss
P. Two years ago we were engaged.
1t was broken off by most unlucky
chance, and have never had it in my
power to explain matters till yesterday.
Sothe stable bill, which shall cut down
considerably, is my business. For the
ether matter, ! owe you an apology,which


I was too bewildered to answer at once,
but the artist, noticing my Quaker friend
fn th0 =
mock solemn ty, and added, "If you de-
coffee for two down stairs in about ten
minutes, and a friend of mine will be glad
to see you" And out he went


had just exchanged my watch for the
good Quaker's bill, and he had departed,
when Fred bounced in, blushing up to his
eyes.


Il say, old fellow" was his greeting, II
behaved abomiuably last night. This
morning found my money, you know
left it in my pantaloons pocket when I
changed TO go sharking. There was more
than l cared to lose; and then I was
awfully mad about Minnie, seeing that
artist fellow with her; but he came up to
my room last night and it is all right
tell You some day. And I found letter |
on my table from Cunningham, which |
ought to have had three days go, telling
me about that boat money; you did pay
twice, and here it is back, the bill you
gave me. And beg your pardon, heaps"


don't know what SAID as we shook
hands, but certainly felt on good terms
with all creation, and all the more as Fred
added, "Here's book, by the way, l !
found in your room when went to look
for you-where were you, by the way, all
the evening ?-and took up to my room to
read. luckily saw it this morning, and
suppose you'd like to carry it back to the
AtheDHum. Then / remembered my
bill which had deposited, and rather as.
tonished Fred by tearing out of bed and
f1inging on my clothes, and starting down
the street on the run.


| must have started the amiable
librarian by my breathlcss and some
VI hat dishevelled appearance; but like a
True Nantucket woman, she was perfectly
self possessed and polite, and accepted NV
confused statement with entire compcsure,
put HaDdy Andy on Its shelf, and handed
me my twenty in the envelop in W ,ich
she had placed it, expressing kind wish
TO meet me again another summtr.


1t is religious belief with the island
era, that whOsoever sits Nantucket once
will surely return again, and must say it
is well undtd belief. There Is a spell
in that ba my air, like that OF the sweet
waters of the fountain of Trevi at Rome,
10 lure back the traveller, aud Whosoever
eats of the chowdcr Lf Siasconset will
long to cat it again,