The Argosy — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

94 A Secret of the Sea. shape as Mr. Hammond’s; or of carrying a slim silk umbrella to and from business. To be sure, the umbrella, however elegant and even useful it might seem when folded tightly up, was in reality so worn and dilapidated as to be quite incapable of being opened: but as this was a secret known to Pod alone, it did not matter greatly. Then it was surely a brilliant stroke of inventiveness to allow himself to be seldom seen in the town without a Zi#es newspaper under his arm—generally three or four days old: but that was of no consequence. To he so seen seemed to add a foot to his stature, and it is impossible to say how much to his consequence. But with all his boyish ways, Pod was a good son to his mother—a poor hard-working widow with a large family, of whom Pod was the eldest. He did his best to help her in every way, and would nurse the baby for hours together when he got home of an evening. He was not unmindful that his education had been a poor one, and three evenings a week he attended a night school, where he laid a tolerable foundation both of French and Latin: but of this he said nothing to Mr. Ham- mond. Neither did he say anything of the numerous books he was in the habit of obtaining from the town library, and over which he would pore of a night long after everyone else in the house was fast asleep. Gerald Warburton was duly ushered by Pod into the private office. “Tf you can wait a minute or two, Mr. Kelvin won’t be long,” he said, as he handed Gerald a chair and a newspaper. Five minutes later, Matthew Kelvin opened the door and walked in. Gerald rose as he entered, smiled, and held out his hand. For a moment or two Kelvin was evidently at a loss. ‘“‘T seem to know your face,” he said, “and yet you must excuse me if for the moment I fail to recollect where I have seen it before.” ““Don’t you recollect Jack Pomeroy and the ‘Jolly Anglers’ at Grasmere P ” ‘‘ Of course—of course !” Shaking him by the hand. “ How memory fails as one grows older! But sit down and tell me how you have been getting on all this long time.” “ Oh, with the proverbial luck of the rolling stone,” said Gerald, as he resumed his seat. Kelvin by this time had been able to note his visitor’s appearance— to note that his clothes, although originally well-made, were now worn and shabby: and Kelvin never liked a man who did not dress well; to note that there was not a single item of jewellery visible, that his scarf was without a pin, and his pocket minus a watch, and that altogether there was a decidedly impecunious look about his unwelcome Bohemian acquaintance. In Kelvin’s estimation, a man who could not afford to carry a gold watch was hardly worth knowing. He elevated his eyebrows, and felt sure in his own mind that before ten CORNICE OOS (GO)