The Skipper's Wooing, and The Brown Man's Servant

ten before had occasion to comment ruefully upon the pace of the quarry, and especially at such times when he felt that he had strung his courage almost up to speaking point. To-day he was

bly-"and the boy," he added, an

ne shaded with tall trees and flanked by hawthorn hedges. Along this he walked a litt

ak to her anyway," he

that, after waiting a considerable time, he concluded that it had not been heard, and raised the knocker again. Then the door opened suddenly, and the knocker, half detained in his grasp,

the skipper, his nerves tho

said th

repeated the sk

he old woman. "Are you sure it is C

ure," said Wil

se, led the way into the small front room. The skipper followed her with the conscience of a fox invited into

turning to the girl. "I thought he-he doesn't seem quite sure whether it

rding the adventurous mariner by no means favo

ing for him long?"

said the other, f

mpathetically. "Won't y

e skipper, and took

ain of the name?" sugg

in a small, modest voice. "It might have been Blacks

e news of my poor husband," she said at length. "I lost him some years ago, and when you

ooking for somebody else," said the girl; "you

said the old woman, bridling mildly, "a

hich he tried in vain to make stronger. "W

d and folding her hands in her lap. "How long do

per with a calmness wh

't given up ho

s," said the other,

old woman energetically. "What a s

f them," sa

of May," said the old woman, "sin

est to this gentleman, mo

defiantly; "besides, when I'm looking for poor Jac

woman. "There's one gentleman looking for him now

ombining his entire stock of Christianity and politene

lady. "He's a commercial traveller by trade, and

the skipper, striving manfully to kee

head and looked unea

" she said in a low voice

ood many ports in the course of the year, and if you think it would be any use my looking

e manner of one half desiring and

ar circumstances," she said, glancing

about that, you know, ma'am,"

can neither read nor write. He is a very passionate, hasty man, and five years ago he struck

a strong man," co

over her work. "But he didn't hurt him really. The man was

here," said the s

n of a ship himself a good many years, and for one thing he couldn't live away from the water, and for anoth

per, glancing at two or three small craft

"but the painters never could get the clouds to please him. I shouldn't thi

oking man is he?

" said the old lady, and

ntly three times, and was on the very verge of a remark-about the weather-when she turned her head and became absorbed in somethin

aid the old lady, entering the room again and

f a sturdy full-bearded man of about sixty. Then he plac

rop across him," he said slo

ll him that he has nothing to fear, and that his wife and his daughter Annis are dy

said the other warm

nd then, standing with his hands by

oon," she sa

showed him

e shall be pleased to see you and hear how

ance covertly at the window; but the girl was bend

she was engaged to another man. As he remembered this he pushed his plate from him, and, leaning his head on his hand, gave way to a fit of deep melancholy. He took the photograph f

uired, handing it over to the mate,

urs?" inquired th

aid the

ch of him," said the ma

s missing, and I've got to find him if I can

ng to look for him

e's likely to be in a seaport town, and if you

rse," said the mate.

; "but he's been missing some five years,

xious, I s'pose

said th

te, "that women are more anxious

hearted," sai

he baffled mate, regarding it closely. "Seems to me I've seen s

r, I should think," sa

told him that the mate was holding it upside down, and conscience told him that this was for his benefit. He therefore rigidly averted his gaze while

the skippe

said

r, I think," said the skipper.

raph from him, listening intently to much the same instructions as had been previously given

aid Henry in

t I speak plain?" r

they'll only make a muddle of it, sir.

old!" said the

l only worry me with a lot o' questions a

"and tell them there's a couple of sove

en the very man only two days before at Poplar; the cook knew his features as well as he knew those of his own mother, while Dick had known him for years as an old and r

down the river. Gravesend was silent, and the dotted lines of str

d a timely diversion to the skipper's melancholy by lying across his bows. By the time he had fully recovered from the outrage and had drun