d, and boiled down, he was surprised to
find that it became unfeeling to the verge of flippancy. Ultimately he
embodied it in a letter, which he preceded by a telegram, breaking the
sad news in as gentle a form as could be managed for one-and-three.

The best part of the day was spent in relating the sad end of Captain
Fred Flower to various enquirers. The deceased gentleman was a popular
favourite, and clerks from the office and brother skippers came down in
little knots to learn the full particulars, and to compare the accident
with others in their experience. It reminded one skipper, who invariably
took to drink when his feelings were touched, of the death of a little
nephew from whooping-cough, and he was so moved over a picture he drew
of the meeting of the two, that it took four men to get him off the
schooner without violence.

The mate sat for some time after tea striving to summon up sufficient
courage for his journey to Poplar, and wondering whether it wouldn't
perhaps be better to communicate the news by letter. He even went so far
as to get the writing materials ready, and then, remembering his promise
to the skipper, put them away again and prepared for his visit. The crew
who were on deck eyed him stolidly as he departed, and Joe made a remark
to the cook, which that worthy drowned in a loud and troublesome cough.

The Wheeler family were at home when he arrived, and received him with
some surprise, Mrs. Wheeler, who was in her usual place on the sofa,
shook hands with him in a genteel fashion, and calling his attention to
a somewhat loudly attired young man of unpleasant appearance, who was
making a late tea, introduced him as her son Bob.

"Is Miss Tyrell in?" enquired Fraser, shaking his head as Mr. Wheeler
dusted a small Wheeler off a chair and offered it to him.

"She's upstairs," said Emma Wheeler; "shall I go and fetch her?"

"No, I'll go up to her," said the mate quietly. "I think I'd better see
her alone. I've got rather bad news for her."

"About the captain?" enquired Mrs. Wheeler, sharply.

"Yes," said Fraser, turning somewhat red. "Very bad news."

He fixed his eyes on the ground, and, in a spasmodic fashion, made
perfect by practice, recited the disaster.

"Pore feller," said Mrs. Wheeler, when he had finished. "Pore feller,
and cut down suddenly like that. I s'pose he 'adn't made any preparation
for it?"

"Not a bit," said the mate, starting, "quite unprepared."

"You didn't jum