The Last Cruise of the Spitfire; or, Luke Foster's Strange Voyage

uk

r. Stil

eep and dust the o

id,

u d

s,

tate, was my esteemed uncle. "I must say, young man, th

e not falsified-not t

n't contr

ing the tr

e, and then dare to tell me that this office ha

nto his office with one hand, while with the

ntly some business matters had gone wrong, and he intended to vent the spleen raised thereby upon me. He was a high-strun

me I was a scholar at the Hargrove Military and Commercial Academy, a first class t

in a terrible railway accident in England. The death of both my parents at once was a fearful blow to me, and for a long while I could not think, and was utterly unable to judge what was ta

s expected to clean everything as bright as a pin. Then I went to the post-office, a

ents a week spending money-not a large sum, but one with w

do not care to call her my aunt-was a very proud woman who had come from a blue-blooded Boston family, and she

le miss of seventeen, never spoke to me excepting when she wanted something done, and Gu

ce, and my Sunday suit was two years old. I had my breakfast with the servants before the others were up, took my noon lunch wi

During my parents' lives I had had nearly everything that my heart wished, and to be thus cu

lewoman and my father a gentleman, and I was conceited enough to think that by both breeding and education I was f

knew a soul. But my work kept me so busy I had no time to think of my

Mr. Ira Mason, who had his law offices in the same building with Stillwell, Grinder & Co. I h

had finished he told me that if matters did not mend, or got wor

n patents, and whom he had taken elsewhere; the reason given being that Stillwell, Grinder & Co

ious, to give me a holiday, which I intended to spend with an old school chum of mine, Har

received numerous invitations from them to spend some time at

or him to refuse, as it was the middle of July, and business was dull. I had saved my money for som

ary, there was work to do, and, besides, Gus was going to take the day

oliday for two years, and was clearly entitled to one. Gus had had a week at Christmas, and half a dozen

ations, so that I might find him home, and we could have a good time. He would surely exp

Gus had seen me do so, and had made a mean remark concerning the

the point of hitting me when my uncle came in and stopped the row. But my cousin was fearf

and so set to with a will to clean up as usual. This job took fully half an hour, and when it was done I crossed

Gus enter his father's private office, closing the door after him. I was on the point of following, w

e door softly behind him. He paused for a moment in the hallway, an

ing busy at his desk in a smaller office beyond. Presently I heard my uncle's well-known step, and hu

neglect your work," he went on, in a rising voice. "

ly not half an hour ag

to contradict

e truth," was a

at look

, and the bottle of ink on the desk had been upset, creating a small blue-black river

d to get square with me, and this was his method of doing so

k like it?" repeated Mr. St

do this, U

"Well, who did, then? We

a two-legged cat, but thinking he

know. Gus

! I left him at hom

ot ten minutes

uld he make a pig-pen of the office,

it up, and he wanted to get even wit

asn't beyond such childishness! You did this

t do--"

word! Clean i

to reason with him. So getting a sponge and some water, I began to clean up the

you come back from the post-office. I want some let

he letters

he cried, "or I'll crack you o

way to the post-office