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The Story of a Bad Boy

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door and called to Kitty to bring in a decanter of Madeira and two glasses. "My grandson, here, has talked so much about you," said the Captain, pleasantly, "that you seem quite like an old acquaintance to me." "Thankee, sir, thankee," returned Sailor Ben, looking as guilty as if he had been detected in picking a pocket. "And I'm very glad to see you, Mr.-Mr.-" "Sailor Ben," suggested that worthy. "Mr. Sailor Ben," added the Captain, smiling. "Tom, open the door, there's Kitty with the glasses." I opened the door, and Kitty entered the room bringing the things on a waiter, which she was about to set on the table, when suddenly she uttered a loud shriek; the decanter and glasses fell with a crash to the floor, and Kitty, as white as a sheet, was seen flying through the hall. "It's his wraith! It's his wraith!"' we heard Kitty shrieking in the kitchen. My grandfather and I turned with amazement to Sailor Ben. His eyes were standing out of his head like a lobster's. "It's my own little Irish lass!" shouted the sailor, and he darted into the hall after her. Even then we scarcely caught the meaning of his words, but when we saw Sailor Ben and Kitty sobbing on each other's shoulder in the kitchen, we understood it all. "I begs your honor's parden, sir," said Sailor Ben, lifting his tear-stained face above Kitty's tumbled hair; "I begs your honor's parden for kicking up a rumpus in the house, but it's my own little Irish lass as I lost so long ago!" "Heaven preserve us!" cried the Captain, blowing his nose violently-a transparent ruse to hide his emotion. Miss Abigail was in an upper chamber, sweeping; but on hearing the unusual racket below, she scented an accident and came ambling downstairs with a bottle of the infallible hot-drops in her hand. Nothing but the firmness of my grandfather prevented her from giving Sailor Ben a table-spoonful on the spot. But when she learned what had come about-that this was Kitty's husband, that Kitty Collins wasn't Kitty Collins now, but Mrs. Benjamin Watson of Nantucket-the good soul sat down on the meal-chest and sobbed as if-to quote from Captain Nutter-as if a husband of her own had turned up! A happier set of people than we were never met together in a dingy kitchen or anywhere else. The Captain ordered a fresh decanter of Madeira, and made all hands, excepting myself, drink a cup to the return of "the prodigal sea-son," as he persisted in calling Sailor Ben. After the first flush of joy and surprise was over Kitty grew silent and constrained. Now and then she fixed her eyes thoughtfully on her husband. Why had he deserted her all these years? What right had he to look for a welcome from one he had treated so cruelly? She had been true to him, but had he been true to her? Sailor Ben must have guessed what was passing in her mind, for presently he took her hand and said- "Well, lass, it's a long yarn, but you shall have it all in good time. It was my hard luck as made us part company, an' no will of mine, for I loved you dear." Kitty brightened up immediately, needing no other assurance of Sailor Ben's faithfulness. When his hour had expired, we walked with him down to the wharf, where the Captain held a consultation with the mate, which resulted in an extension of Mr. Watson's leave of absence, and afterwards in his discharge from his ship. We then went to the "Mariner's Home" to engage a room for him, as he wouldn't hear of accepting the hospitalities of the Nutter House. "You see, I'm only an uneddicated man," he remarked to my grandfather, by way of explanation. Chapter Sixteen In Which Sailor Ben Spins a Yarn Of course we were all very curious to learn what had befallen Sailor Ben that morning long ago, when he bade his little bride goodby and disappeared so mysteriously. After tea, that same evening, we assembled around the table in the kitchen-the only place where Sailor Ben felt at home3/4to hear what he had to say for himself. The candles were snuffed, and a pitcher of foaming nut-brown ale was set at the elbow of the speaker, who was evidently embarrassed by the respectability of his audience, consisting of Captain Nutter, Miss Abigail, myself, and Kitty, whose face shone with happiness like one of the polished

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