Adventure, November 1915 — page 197: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A Flutter in Canaries 3) “That’s not what I call singin’,” said Mr. Brandon after a moment or so, “but I suppose I must take it. It’s not worth the price, of course.” And at that he glanced quickly at the big, red-faced man at his side. “An’ I’ve never yet asked’ you what the price was. ’Ow much did they rook you for this thing? What did you pay for it?” His look of scorn gave place to one of some anxiety. “Pay!” said Mr. Sullivan, choking down his wrath, “Pay! I’m afther payin’ not quite so much as ye gave me.’ As he groped in his trousers pockets for the change he saw the second engineer stand- ing in the open doorway in an attitude of careless ease. “That’s a good little canary you’ve got, Mr. Brandon,” said he, as one willing to let bygones be bygones. “Good!” said the chief. ‘No such thing! It’s Mr. Sullivan’s idea of a bird, not mine. An’ he says it’s as good as Dickie!” “Here’s your change!’’ said Mr. Sullivan with a grim flicker at the corners of his mouth. The second engineer vanished. Mr. Bran- don held out his hand for the money. “What’s that?” he said shrilly. “One dollar!” And the mate nodded without speaking. “Only one dollar out of forty!’ said Mr. Brandon. He glared at the mate and then shrugged his shoulders with an air of bitter ‘resignation. 7 “T might ’ave known it,” he said, ‘‘an’ I can blame no one else for this, only myself. From the very first I said that they’d cheat you. I wasright. Payin’ thirty-nine dol- lars for a bird like that. Have you no knowledge of the value of money, Mr. Sullivan?” Mr. Sullivan, secure in the strength of his position, smiled. “Were ye not sayin’ only yestiday that ye would not take fifty pounds for Dickie?’’ “TI did,” said Mr. Brandon with quiet - dignity. “But, if you remember, I was re- ferring then to Dickie, an’ not to a mangey, moth-heaten, second-’and bundle of feath- ers like this. There’s a difference that maybe you do not altogether appreciate.” “Tt did me best,” said Mr. Sullivan. “I could do no more.”” And with a curt nod he left the room. 195 He walked slowly toward the bridge, his — hands in his pockets, his cap over his eyes. The second engineer joined him. “Dan,” said he, “it was great! Never did I hear the like in all my born days!” They stood by the rail near the bridge ladder. “The mane, cantankerous little lap-dog!”’ said Mr. Sullivan in a low voice. “Did ye notice that he niver even offered me so much as a dhrink for me throuble? An’ afther all I done for him!’’ “Never you mind, Danny,” said Mr. “You got him back his bird, an’ He paid high, Higgins. —an’ he had to pay for it. an’ it serves him right.” “Yes,”’ said Mr. Sullivan, “we did as we said we would. We got him his bird, an’ I’m glad of it in spite of everything. As for payin’, it’s small cause for complaint that he has. Whin all’s said an’ done, he’s afther payin’ liss than the market price. An’ that’s a fact!”’ “You're right there, Dan,’ agreed Mr. Higgins. ‘‘Much less.” ‘An’ thin to say to me very face that the bird was no good an’ that they had me cheated! The most ongrateful man I iver met. But, by , he was mad whin [ give him his change!”’ “Danny,” said Mr. Higgins, “if Mrs. Bartlett were to come aboard now an’ say _ that she’d made a mistake, dn’ that we’d paid too much for the bird, would you be glad?”’ “Why should I?” asked Mr. Sullivan, rather surprised at the turn in the con- versation. “Oh, nothin’ ‘much! Only, if she did, you could tell the chief he was right about payin’ too much, an’ you could give him some of his money back.” “T would not,” said Mr. Sullivan with grim emphasis. “He has paid too little as itis. I was a fool not to have kep’ the wan dollar what we had in change. There’d have been a few dhrinks for our throuble, at laste.” Mr. Higgins nodded as if he had solved a deep problem. “Y’m glad of that, Danny,” he said. “Very glad. Look what I’ve got for you!” He opéned his fist slowly and displayed before the astonished eyes of the mate a handful of gold and silver. ‘“There’s twen- ee dollars,” he said. “Not a penny ess,”” Gcomicbooks