Ship's Company, the Entire CollectionJacobs, W. W. (William Wymark)
General
Ship's Company, the Entire Collection
Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark)
England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Humorous stories, English
“'Oh, get 'im back,' she ses. 'Don't let it be said I follered 'im 'ere
all the way for nothing. Have another try. For my sake!'
“''Ow can I get 'im back when I don't know where he's gorn?' I ses.
“'He-he's gorn to 'is godfather,' she ses, dabbing her eyes. 'I promised
'im not to tell anybody; but I don't know wot to do for the best.'
“'Well, p'r'aps his godfather will 'old on to 'im,' I ses.
“'He won't tell 'im anything about going to sea,' she ses, shaking 'er
little head. 'He's just gorn to try and bo--bo-borrow some money to go
away with.'
“She bust out sobbing, and it was all I could do to get the godfather's
address out of 'er. When I think of the trouble I took to get it I come
over quite faint. At last she told me, between 'er sobs, that 'is name
was Mr. Kiddem, and that he lived at 27, Bridge Street.
“'He's one o' the kindest-'arted and most generous men that ever lived,'
she ses; 'that's why my brother Harry 'as gone to 'im. And you needn't
mind taking anything 'e likes to give you; he's rolling in money.'
“I took it a bit easier going to Bridge Street, but the evening seemed
'otter than ever, and by the time I got to the 'ouse I was pretty near
done up. A nice, tidy-looking woman opened the door, but she was a' most
stone deaf, and I 'ad to shout the name pretty near a dozen times afore
she 'eard it.
“'He don't live 'ere,' she ses.
“''As he moved?' I ses. 'Or wot?'
“She shook her 'cad, and, arter telling me to wait, went in and fetched
her 'usband.
“'Never 'eard of him,' he ses, 'and we've been 'ere seventeen years. Are
you sure it was twenty-seven?'
“'Sartain,' I ses.
“'Well, he don't live 'ere,' he ses. 'Why not try thirty-seven and
forty-seven?'
“I tried'em: thirty-seven was empty, and a pasty-faced chap at
forty-seven nearly made 'imself ill over the name of 'Kiddem.' It
'adn't struck me before, but it's a hard matter to deceive me, and all
in a flash it come over me that I 'ad been done agin, and that the gal
was as bad as 'er brother.
“I was so done up I could 'ardly crawl back, and my 'ead was all in a
maze. Three or four times I stopped and tried to think, but couldn't,
but at last I got back and dragged myself into the office.
“As I 'arf expected, it was empty. There was no sign of either the gal
or the boy; and I dropped into a chair and tried to think wot it all
meant. Then, 'appening to look out of the winder, I see somebody running
up and down the jetty.
“I couldn't see plain owing to the things in the way, but as soon as I
got outside and saw who it was I nearly dropped. It was the boy, and he
was running up and down wringing his 'ands and crying like a wild thing,
and, instead o' running away as soon as 'e saw me, he rushed right up to
me and threw 'is grubby little paws round my neck.
“'Save her!' 'e ses. 'Save 'er! Help! Help!'
“'Look 'ere,' I ses, shoving 'im off.
“'She fell overboard,' he ses, dancing about. 'Oh, my pore sister!
Quick! Quick! I can't swim!'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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