Manners Makyth Man: Ship's Company, Part 12.Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark)
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Manners Makyth Man: Ship's Company, Part 12.
Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark)
England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Humorous stories, English
"'Certingly not,' I ses. 'But you must give me 'is name and address,
and, arter the Blue Shark--that's the name of your ship--is clear of the
land, I'll send 'im a letter with no name to it, saying where you ave
gorn.'
"He didn't seem to like it at fust, and said 'e would write 'imself, but
arter I 'ad pointed out that 'e might forget and that I was responsible,
'e gave way and told me that 'is father was named Mr. Watson, and he kept
a big draper's shop in the Commercial Road.
"We talked a bit arter that, just to stop 'is suspicions, and then I told
'im to stay where 'e was on the floor, out of sight of the window, while
I went to see my friend the captain.
"I stood outside for a moment trying to make up my mind wot to do.
O'course, I 'ad no business, strictly speaking, to leave the wharf, but,
on the other 'and, there was a father's 'art to relieve. I edged along
bit by bit while I was thinking, and then, arter looking back once or
twice to make sure that the boy wasn't watching me, I set off for the
Commercial Road as hard as I could go.
"I'm not so young as I was. It was a warm evening, and I 'adn't got even
a bus fare on me. I 'ad to walk all the way, and, by the time I got
there, I was 'arf melted. It was a tidy-sized shop, with three or four
nice-looking gals behind the counter, and things like babies' high chairs
for the customers to sit onlong in the leg and ridikerlously small in the
seat. I went up to one of the gals and told Per I wanted to see Mr.
Watson.
"'On private business,' I ses. 'Very important.'
"She looked at me for a moment, and then she went away and fetched a
tall, bald-headed man with grey side-whiskers and a large nose.
"'Wot d'you want?" he ses, coming up to me.
I want a word with you in private,' I ses.
"'This is private enough for me,' he ses. 'Say wot you 'ave to say, and
be quick about it.'
"I drawed myself up a bit and looked at him. 'P'r'aps you ain't missed
'im yet,' I ses.
"'Missed 'im?' he ses, with a growl. 'Missed who?'
"'Your-son. Your blue-eyed son,' I ses, looking 'im straight in the eye.
"'Look here!' he ses, spluttering. 'You be off. 'Ow dare you come here
with your games? Wot d'ye mean by it?'
"'I mean,' I ses, getting a bit out o' temper, 'that your boy has run
away to go to sea, and I've come to take you to 'im.'
"He seemed so upset that I thought 'e was going to 'ave a fit at fust,
and it seemed only natural, too. Then I see that the best-looking girl
and another was having a fit, although trying 'ard not to.
"'If you don't get out o' my shop,' he ses at last, 'I'll 'ave you locked
up.'
"'Very good!' I ses, in a quiet way. 'Very good; but, mark my words,
if he's drownded you'll never forgive yourself as long as you live for
letting your temper get the better of you--you'll never know a good
night's rest agin. Besides, wot about 'is mother?'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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