'anded the things over to 'im and came away. He came to the door to see
me off, and if ever a man looked puzzled, 'e did. Pleased at the same
time.

It was a load off of my mind. My con-science told me I'd done right, and
arter sending a little boy with a note to Ted Dennis to tell 'im not to
come any more, I felt 'appier than I 'ad done for a long time. When I
got to the wharf that evening it seemed like a diff'rent place, and I was
whistling and smiling over my work quite in my old way, when the young
policeman passed.

"Hullo !" he ses. "'Ave you seen the ghost agin?"

"I 'ave not," I ses, drawing myself up. "'Ave you?"

"No," he ses.

"We missed it."

"Missed it?" I ses, staring at 'im.

"Yes," he ses, nodding. "The day arter you came out screaming, and
cuddling me like a frightened baby, it shipped as A.B. on the barque
Ocean King, for Valparaiso. We missed it by a few hours. Next time you
see a ghost, knock it down fust and go and cuddle the police arterwards."




BEDRIDDEN