Part 40 (2/2)
A pale little clerk put his head in at the door in a very doubtful way
”Skipper of the _Black Eagle_, sir,” said he ”Clerk, too,” he added
”Show 'erowled
What happened need not be described It was bothteravation; but he was now presently eh sea of it, fro quiet harbour again It was not the first interview he had had with the skipper and clerk of the _Black Eagle_ since that trim craft had returned from the French Shore trade But it turned out to be the final one The books of the _Black Eagle_ had been examined; her stores had been appraised, her stock taken, her fish weighed And the result had been so a that Sir Archibald had not only been ed It was for this reason that when Skipper George Rumm, with Tommy Bull, the rat-eyed little clerk, left the presence of Sir Archibald Ar, the prediction of the clerk had co for a berth on the streets of St John's First of all, however, they set about finding Toate; but this, somehow or other, the discreet Tom Tulk never would permit them to do
By Sir Archibald's watch it was now exactly 2:47 Sir Archibald rose frohed ”I had hoped----”
Again the pale little clerk put his head in at the door This ti shamelessly
”Well?” said Sir Archibald ”What is it?”
”Master Archie, sir”
Archie shook hands with his father in a perfunctory way Sir Archibald's cheery greeting--and hat admiration and affection and happiness his heart was filled at thatfailed in his throat Archie was prodigiously scowling This was no failure of affection; nor was it an evil regard towards his creditor, ould have for hi but the warmest sympathy It was shame and sheer despair In every line of the boy's drawn face--in his haggard eyes and tre lips--in his dejected air--even in his dishevelled appearance (as Sir Archibald sadly thought)--failure ritten What the nature of that failure was Sir Archibald did not kno it had come about he could not tell But it _was_ failure It was failure--and there was no doubt about it Sir Archibald's great fatherly heart warreeting; he understood And Sir Archibald ca son in the most sentiood many years
”Father,” said Archie, abruptly, ”please sit down”
Sir Archibald sat down
”I owe you a thousand dollars, sir,” Archie went on, co Sir Archibald straight in the eye ”It is due to-day, and I can't pay it--now”
Sir Archibald would not further hu the debt There was no help for Archie in this crisis nobody knew it better than Sir Archibald
”I have no excuse, sir,” said Archie, with his head half-defiantly thrown back, ”but I should like to explain”
Sir Archibald nodded
”I s you have given me--on the yacht and the boat and the pony,” Archie went on, finding a little difficulty with a lump of shame in his throat; ”but I missed the mail-boat at Ruddy Cove, and I----”
The pale little clerk once more put his sharp little face in at the door
”Judd,” said Sir Archibald, sternly, ”be good enough not to interrupt me”
”But, sir----”
”Judd,” Sir Archibald roared, ”shut that door!”
The pale little clerk took his life in his hands, and, turning infinitely paler, gasped: