NAN. 17

you. So if youcan’t keep a civil tongue in your head, you'd best sheer off, or you and
I'll come to words.”

“Better if they’d left me alone,” growled the man. “What's life to them as hates
it?” and he turned off to the village inn that lay across the way. ;

Brown thought this unwelcome guest was gone, and indeed, was not sorry for his
departure. But he was mistaken. Day after day went by, and he still stayed on at the Blue
Anchor, smoking, drinking, quarrelling, and swearing, till at last the Dutchman’s mate, as
he was called, became a byword in the place.

One day Nan was passing the door of the Blue iwchoe when she heard a gruff voice
—“Come here.” . She looked up» and there on a bench sat, or rather
lounged, the “mate,” his face

   
  
  
 
  
 
 
    

crimson, his eyes glazed and start-
_ mug and broken pipe on the table
he growled.
Nan went up to him.
“going?” he asked, look-
“Up to granny’s, sir—

ing, and an empty beer

before him. “Come here,”
Too terrified to refuse,
“Where yer

ing hard at her.

on the down,” she
The mate stag-

answered.
gered to his feet,
her that Nan shrank
till his bloated face
hers, he seized hold
which the girl had
“ Whose locket’s
almost tearing it
neck.

and came so close to
back. Bending down
was almost touching
of her mother’s locket
worn for years.
that?” he shouted
from the — child’s
But before he had
Brown steppedacross

/

said or done more,
the street, and came to
Nan’s rescue. The mate now
seemed sobered, and ms began to talk in maudlin
fashion. : “ The locket’s mine. The
locket’s her mother’s. I gave it her. And they say she’s drowneded. The kid’s mine!”
he added fiercely to Brown; and putting his arm round Nan he drew her to him—“ Kiss
yer father, my dear.”

Nan cried, and put out her arms to Brown. She only thought it was the freak of a
drunken man. But Brown, with sick heart, felt it was all true. The long-dreaded trial
had come. The sea that had brought Nan to bless their lives was now the means of
parting them.

“Come across to my place,” he said quietly : and the mate followed, still holding Nan’s
hand tightly, as though determined to assert to the full his authority and power.

Needless to tell what followed. Dazed, besotted, brutal as he was, his story was too
circumstantial to be discredited, though Brown and his wife would not be convinced for a

Cc