In answer to the hail of the officer of the deck Barney Breslin had
asserted that he had important letters for Scott Clemmons, and so had
come on board.
His speaking to Bemis Perry and his rebuff, his cut by Decatur Knowles,
and the fact that a score of middies took it into their heads to pass
near him and make no acknowledgment of his existence, did not appear to
distress him in the least.
“He has the gall of a book agent,” muttered a cadet, in reference to
him.
“The cheek of a Chinese idol,” another remarked.
“I pity him that he has fallen so low,” Mark Merrill commented, for it
did distress him to see one who had once had the same opportunity they
all had of making a name for himself throw it away as he had done.
“Your heart is softer than your fist, Merrill,” Dillingham returned
with a smile.
“Hard as you can hit, Merrill, I do not believe you could bruise that
fellow’s cheek,” said Nazro.
Though not wishing to appear to watch his meeting with Clemmons, all
eyes turned surreptitiously upon the two, and several who were nearest
heard the very decidedly uttered words of the cadet midshipman as to
why the disgraced youth had dared visit him aboard ship.
But Breslin did not seem in the least disconcerted, nor did he make
an effort to hand over the “important letters,” which he had said he
brought with him.
He simply dropped his outstretched hand, which Clemmons failed to take,
and while his eyes flashed with anger, replied:
“Ah! you, too, do not care to recognize me, Clemmons; but I guess that
you will have to do so, for I came to see you and am not to be snubbed.”
“I was told I had a visitor, but had I known that it was you, Breslin,
I would not have seen you.”
“Indeed! but suppose I had insisted?”
“Come, say why you have come here, where not a man will recognize you.”
“True; but what do I care for the recognition of my foes so long as my
dear friend Clemmons recognizes me.”
“Will you tell me why you are here, for I am busy in the captain’s
cabin?”
“If you cannot find time to see me here, appoint an hour ashore, for it
is important.”
“It will be impossible for me to see you, Breslin.”
“See here, Clemmons, I wish to see you upon a matter of importance, I
tell you.”
“I cannot tell when I will come ashore.”
“Then I will appoint to-night at eight o’clock, at the Astor House.”
“I cannot be there.”
“Very well, I shall take a trip to Maine to-morrow, if you do not come.”
“What do I care where you go?”
“I believe you live in Maine.”
“I am a sailor, sir, my home being aboard ship.”
“Ah! grandiloquently said, my sea cub, my baby tar, who is not yet out
of Uncle Sam’s nursery for middies. You do not live in Maine now?”
“No, sir.”
“Your father does.”
“Well?”
“I shall go there to see him.”
Scott Clemmons started, and asked quickly:
“And why?”
“Because I can get no satisfaction from you.”
“What do you wish from my father?”
“What I desire is from his son. I am poor, very poor, and in distress,
as I wrote you, and which letter, with several others, you did not
favor with a response. But I know you got the last, for I sent it to
your town in Maine to be registered, and I got the return card with
your name on it as having received it. You thought it was a money
package from home, and found it was a letter from your old chum whom
you have treated so badly. I told you that my parents had refused to
receive me at first, but relented, and I was given a chance; but I lost
heavily in gambling one night, so got money to pay the debt by using
my father’s name, which is the same as my own, you know, only I forgot
to mention on the check that I was my paternal’s junior, you know, and
this little discrepancy got me fired out of the home circle. Luck is
against me now, I’m down at the heels, and must have money, so I came
to my rich friend and bygone chum, Scott Clemmons. I’ll be at the Astor
House at eight o’clock, and if you are not there I’ll be there again
at the same hour in the morning. Then if I miss you I’ll start for
Maine, and have a talk with Clemmons, senior--ta-ta, Scotty--tra la-la,
dear boy,” and Barney Breslin made a mock salute and turned toward the
gangway.