"That he wants you? My child, his eyes fill with tears when he thinks
of you. I have seen them moisten as he lies looking from the window."
But Kate was gone.
When Mrs. Fortune opened the door to the sick man's room soon afterward
she drew back quickly, closed it again, and, lifting her eyes aloft,
murmured:
"God make them happy!"
MR. HAMSHAW'S LOVE AFFAIR
Mr. Hamshaw was short, bald, pudgy--and fifty-seven. Besides all this,
he was a bachelor, and one jolly one, at the time when this narrative
opens. He lived in apartments pretty well downtown, where he was looked
after with scrupulous care by a Japanese valet and an Irish
"cook-lady." Mr. Hamshaw was forever discharging his valet and forever
re-engaging him. Sago persistently refused to leave at the hour set for
his departure, and Mr. Hamshaw finally came to discharge him every
evening in order that he might be sure to find him at his post in the
morning. Regularly, he would call Sago into the den, very red in the
face over some wholly imaginary provocation.
"This ends it, Sago! You go! I've stood it as long as I can--or will.
You leave the place tonight, sir--bag and baggage. I don't want to see
your face again. Understand?"
"Yes, sir; very well, sir" Sago would respond with perfect equanimity.
Sago engaged to be very, very English at such distinguished times.
"You go tonight."
"Yes, Mr. Hamshaw. May I ask what I have done to displease you, sir!"
"Never mind, sir! I'll tell you tomorrow. Don't bother me about it
today. And, say, if you don't press this dinner coat of mine before
tomorrow night I'll discharge you without a recommendation."
"Very good, sir."
Once when Sago threatened to leave unless Ellen, the cook, was
dismissed, poor Mr. Hamshaw had a most uncomfortable half-hour. Young
Mr. Goodrich from the bank was dining with him at the time. Now it was
quite as hard to get rid of Ellen, notwithstanding the fact that she
was constantly on the verge of leaving of her own accord, as it was to
discharge Sago. The host prayed down to his comfortable boots that the
threats of Sago might not grow louder than confidential hisses as he
passed behind his chair in the capacity of butler, but he was counting
without Ellen. There was a long, painful interval between courses, and
then Ellen marched in from the kitchen, majestically attired for the
street.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Hamshaw, but this time I go for fair. It's
aither me or the Chinee-"
"Blawst yer eyes!" snarled Sago in his very best English, mightily
incensed.
"But, Ellen--" began Mr. Hamshaw, bowled over.
"Don't beg me to stay," she cried, glaring at Sago, who glared back
safely from behind Mr. Goodrich's chair. "The dago has insulted me for
the last toime. I'm sorry, sor, it had to come roight in the middle of
dinner, sor, but it couldn't wait."
"Can't you subdue yourself till morning, Ellen? It is--"
"I can subjue meself, sor, but who the divil is to subjue the Malay?
He's gone too far this--"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account