A Girl of the People

m his cousin Hester Wright, he was overtaken by a young sailor of about his own ag

slip, Will. And where be you

s in no mood for his companion's idle chatter, an

nt. "You're down on your luck, and a bit crusty;

truth, Dent. I want to turn in early; for most lik

ellow! The best ship in the docks, and you to get a berth in her.

uilt, with dark clustering curling hair, and very bright, very honest blue eyes. His companion was short and thick-set-he had a flat head, large ears set rat

k for good luck," said Dent, poin

his hand fr

took a voyage together, so we needn't talk it

idea of letting

rth of your'n? It ain't nothing to the cap'n who sails

flushing; then he l

suppose I were willing, you haven

I can pay for it. The 'Good Queen Anne' is quite to my mind-time for sailing, length of voyage-all just what I wa

avering about him; but Dent, who was a shrewd observer of character, and knew this particular young sai

where-and it's yours just to let me go to sea this week instead of next. A handy, neat-looking sailor like you, Will, need never be long out o

th you in a minute if you'll wait by the corner, Dent, but I must

he boy who performed and the boy who begged both looked audacious and disreputable; but, owing to their tiny statures, and the cadaverous whiteness of their faces, there was something pathetic in the spectacle. The boy who stood with his cap waiting for stray half-pence or pence to be dropped into it, had large blue eyes, w

half-penny, and then began to laugh heartily,

!" said Wi

he crowd, and caught the revolv

at will your sister say when she finds you not in? Bad boys-run home thi

captain, raised his blue eyes, now

t were out. Yer's a lot of coppers; we

eir bare feet along the slippery stree

Will, whose face s

said. "Well, I tell you what-their sister's f

hts. Their mother is lying dead, and Bet's in trouble. Good-night, Dent. I ha' made up my mind to sail i

on Will's face. Dent l

d. "Well, she's a handsome lass. I mean t

can," sa

and, and then the quick res

't let me buy your berth from you, Will. Come, shall I go home with you? Any one with half an eye can see that you have no mind for the ocean wa

t he made no further objection, and the two went up

ntly, but with a very ugly look about his face. He had bought a berth on board the "Good Queen Anne" for two c

imself, "for I mean to have her for myself. And if this little trick hasn't ch

he paper money, with a queer

t up, too, for Isaac Dent, a fellow whom he was quite sure was more or less a bit of a scoundrel. Will was hon

e me, but-who knows? Bet's a wild one, and a desperate earnest one. Ef she could bring herself to say just once, 'I love you, Will.' it 'ud be as good from her as if she said it every day. It's once and always with Bet. Well, I shouldn't ha' stayed now ef Dent hadn't let out that he meant to make up to her. Dent shan't cross her path if I can help it. She's the bravest lass in Liverpool, and the handsomest to look at; and I'll