Jim MortimerBell, R. S. Warren (Robert Stanley Warren)
General
Jim Mortimer
Bell, R. S. Warren (Robert Stanley Warren)
London (England) -- Fiction; Physicians -- Fiction
"First-rate valet you’d make, Koko," said the Long ’Un, ungratefully.
Koko, without replying, pushed the empty portmanteau under the bed, and
then washed his hands.
"I must be off now," he said simply.
"Oh, hang on a bit," returned Mortimer, as they went back to the
sitting-room.
"Must go," said Koko, smoothing his silk hat with his coat
sleeve--"work."
"Where?"
"Billiards in the afternoon, fight in the evening."
And with that he quietly departed.
Nobody would have dreamed that this quiet little man with the bald head
had attended and described in nimble boxing terminology some of the
fiercest combats that have ever been held at the National Milling Club;
nobody would have dreamed that the Mr George Somers, whose hobby was the
collecting of old, worm-eaten volumes, and whose initials, "G.S.," were
so familiar to the readers of the _Book Hunter_, was a well-known figure
in swimming-baths, gymnasiums, billiard saloons, football, and cricket
grounds the country over, gun clubs, lacrosse clubs, tennis clubs, and
weight-lifting clubs. Yet the little man who nosed round bookstalls in
Holywell Street (that was), Wych Street (that was), and St Martin’s Lane
(that is), in search of rare first editions, was identical with the
little man who accompanied Jim on many of his freebooting expeditions
"up west," and with the little man who attended sporting functions of
every kind all the year round, rain or shine, in the proud capacity of
the _Sporting Mail’s_ "special representative."
When Koko, some hours later, on his return from the billiard match,
again looked in on the Long ’Un, he found Mr Mortimer still in his
dressing-gown lolling over a book. The table bore the _débris_ of Jim’s
lunch.
As Koko entered the room, Mortimer threw away his book and yawned
sluggishly. Koko walked gently up to him, and stood by the arm of his
chair.
"I’ve got a bit of news for you, Jim."
"Go ahead with it."
"I’ve found out who that girl is."
"_What?_"
The Long ’Un was out of his chair in a second, all life and fire and
eagerness; the transformation was complete.
Koko laughed inwardly; he never laughed out loud.
"Yes, I’ve found out about her. She’s one of the girls at the Milverton
Street post-office--she’s the girl that takes in the telegrams."
"Are you sure?" exclaimed Jim.
"Certain," said Koko, selecting a cigarette from his little silver case.
Mortimer was struck dumb with delight. For, ever since Koko and he,
whilst taking tea at an ABC shop near St Matthew’s Hospital, had on
three successive occasions observed an extremely handsome girl at a
neighbouring table, the Long ’Un had been burning to know the young
lady. That was before he went home for a month’s vacation. It would
appear that Koko, faithful as ever to his friend’s interests, had not
been idle during that month.
"Come on," exclaimed Jim, "let’s go and send off some telegrams. She’ll
at least be obliged to look at us. That’ll be something, won’t it?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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