“I'm 'fraid Lorenzo's gittin' dissipated in his old age,” he observed.
Then, as a fat gray cat shot past the door, “There he is! Reg'lar
prodigal son. Comes home when the fatted ca'f's ready.”
A moment later Captain Jerry appeared, milk pitcher in hand. He entered
the dining room and, putting the pitcher down on the table, pulled
forward the armchair with the painted sunset on the back, produced his
own pipe, and proceeded to hunt through one pocket after the other with
a troubled expression of countenance.
“Where in tunket is my terbacker?” he asked, after finishing the round
of pockets and preparing to begin all over again.
“I see it on the top of the clock a spell ago,” said Captain Perez.
“Was that yours, Jerry?” exclaimed Captain Eri. “Well, that's too bad! I
see it there and thought 'twas mine. Here 'tis, or what's left of it.”
Captain Jerry took the remnant of a plug from his friend and said in an
aggrieved tone:
“That's jest like you, Eri! Never have a place for nothin' and help
yourself to anything you happen to want, don't make no odds whose 'tis.
Why don't you take care of your terbacker, same's I do of mine?”
“Now see here, Jerry! I ain't so sure that is yours. Let me see it.
Humph! I thought so! This is 'Navy Plug' and you always smoke 'Sailor's
Sweetheart.' Talk about havin' a place for things!”
“That's MY terbacker, if you want to know,” observed Captain Perez.
“I've got yours, Eri. Here 'tis.”
“Well, then, where IS mine?” said Captain Jerry somewhat snappishly.
“Bet a dollar you've got it in your pocket,” said Captain Eri.
“Bet ten dollars I ain't! I ain't quite a fool yit, Eri Hedge. I guess
I know--well, I snum! I forgot that upper vest pocket!” and from the
pocket mentioned Captain Jerry produced the missing tobacco.
There was a general laugh, in which Captain Jerry was obliged to join,
and the trio smoked in silence for a time, while the expanse of water
to the eastward darkened, and the outer beach became but a dusky streak
separating the ocean from the inner bay. At length Captain Perez rose
and, knocking the ashes from his pipe, announced that he was going to
“show a glim.”
“Yes, go ahead, Jerry!” said Captain Eri, “it's gittin' dark.”
“It's darker in the grave,” observed Captain Perez with lugubrious
philosophy.
“Then for the land's sake let's have it light while we can! Here, Jerry!
them matches is burnt ones. Try this, 'twon't be so damagin' to the
morals.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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