The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Old Man of the Sea, by W.W. Jacobs

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Title: The Old Man of the Sea
Ship's Company, Part 11.

Author: W.W. Jacobs

Release Date: January 1, 2004 [EBook #10571]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA ***

Produced by David Widger

SHIP'S COMPANY

By W.W. Jacobs

THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

"What I want you to do," said Mr. George Wright, as he leaned towards the
old sailor, "is to be an uncle to me."

"Aye, aye," said the mystified Mr. Kemp, pausing with a mug of beer
midway to his lips.

"A rich uncle," continued the young man, lowering his voice to prevent
any keen ears in the next bar from acquiring useless knowledge. "An
uncle from New Zealand, who is going to leave me all 'is money."

"Where's it coming from?" demanded Mr. Kemp, with a little excitement.

"It ain't coming," was the reply. "You've only got to say you've got it.
Fact of the matter is, I've got my eye on a young lady; there's another
chap after 'er too, and if she thought I'd got a rich uncle it might make
all the difference. She knows I 'ad an uncle that went to New Zealand
and was never heard of since. That's what made me think of it."

Mr. Kemp drank his beer in thoughtful silence. "How can I be a rich
uncle without any brass?" he inquired at length.

"I should 'ave to lend you some--a little," said Mr. Wright.

[Illustration: "What I want you to do," said Mr. George Wright, "is to
be an uncle to me."]

The old man pondered. "I've had money lent me before," he said,
candidly, "but I can't call to mind ever paying it back. I always meant
to, but that's as far as it got."

"It don't matter," said the other. "It'll only be for a little while,
and then you'll 'ave a letter calling you back to New Zealand. See? And
you'll go back, promising to come home in a year's time, after you've
wound up your business, and leave us all your money. See?"

Mr. Kemp scratched the back of his neck. "But she's sure to find it out
in time," he objected.

"P'r'aps," said Mr. Wright. "And p'r'aps not. There'll be plenty of
time for me to get married bef