Frank Merriwells Nobility | Page 8

do for you, sir?" asked Frank.
The little man hesitated and looked around. He sidled over and put his hand on the partition.
"The--ah--next room is occupied by the--er--the French gentleman, is it not?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
"I--I presume--presume, you know--that you are able to hear any--ah--conversation that may take place in that room, unless--er--the conversation is--guarded."
"Not unless we take particular pains to listen," said Merry. "Even then, it is doubtful if we can hear anything plainly."
"And we are not eavesdroppers," cut in Diamond. "We do not take pains to listen."
"Oh, no--er--no, of course not!" exclaimed the singular stranger. "I--I didn't insinuate such a thing! Ha! ha! ha! The idea! But you know--sometimes--occasionally--persons hear things when they--er--do not try to hear."
"Well, what in the world are you driving at?" asked Frank, not a little puzzled by the man's singular manner.
"Well, you see, it's--this way: I--I don't care to be--overheard. I don't want anybody to--to think I'm prying into their--private business. You understand?"
"I can't say that I do."
"Perhaps I can make myself--er--clearer."
"Perhaps you can."
"My name is--er--Slush--Peddington Slush."
"Holy cats! what a name!" muttered Browning, while Rattleton grinned despite his sickness.
"I--I'm taking a sea voyage--for--for my health," explained Mr. Slush. "That's why I didn't go over on a--a regular liner. This way I shall be longer at--at sea. See?"
"And you are keeping us at sea by your lingering way in coming to a point," smiled Merry.
"Eh?" said the little man. Then he seemed to comprehend, and he broke into a sudden cackle of laughter, which he shut off with startling suddenness, looking frightened.
"Beg your pardon!" he exclaimed. "Quite--ah--rude of me. I don't do it--often."
"You look as if it wouldn't hurt you to do it oftener," said Merry, frankly. "Laughter never hurt anyone."
"I--I can't quite agree with--you, sir. I beg your pardon! No offense! I--I don't wish to be offensive--you understand. I once knew a man who died from--er--laughing. It is a fact, sir. He laughed so long--and so hard---that he--he lost his breath--entirely. Never got it back again. Since then I've been very--cautious. It's a bad sign to laugh--too hard."
Merry felt like shouting, but Jack was looking puzzled and dazed. Diamond could not comprehend the little man, and he failed to catch the humor of the character.
"Now," said Mr. Slush, "I will come directly to the--point."
"Do," nodded Frank.
"I just saw a--er--person leave this room. I wish to know if--Good gracious, sir! Do you know that is a bad sign!"
He pointed a wavering finger at Frank.
"What is a bad sign?" asked Merry, surprised.
"To wear a--a dagger pin thrust through a--a tie in which there is the least bit of--red. It is a sign of--of bloodshed. I--I beg you to remove that--that pin from that scarf!"
The little man seemed greatly agitated.
After a moment of hesitation, Frank laughed lightly and took the pin from the scarf.
Immediately the visitor seemed to breathe more freely.
"Ah--er--thank you!" he said. "I--I've seen omens enough. Everything seems to point to--to a--tragedy. I regret exceedingly that I ever sailed--on this steamer. I--I shall be thankful when I put my feet on dry land--if I ever do again."
"You must be rather superstitious," suggested Frank.
"Not at all--that is, not to any extent," Mr. Slush hastened to aver. "There are a few signs--and omens--which I know--will come true."
"Indeed!"
"Yes, sir!" asserted the little man, with surprising positiveness. "I know something will happen--to this boat. I--I am positive of it."
"Why are you so positive?"
"Everything foretells it. At the very start it was--foretold. I was foolish then that I did not demand--demand, sir--to be set ashore, even after the steamer had left--her pier."
"How was that?"
"There was a cat, sir--a poor, stray cat--that came aboard this steamer. They did not let her stay--understand me? They--they drove her off!"
"And that was a bad omen?"
"Bad! It was--ah--er--frightful! Old sailors will tell you that. Always--er--let a cat remain on board a vessel--if--she--comes on board. If you--if you do not--you will regret it."
"And you think something must happen to this steamer?"
"I'm afraid so--I feel it. There is--something mysterious about the vessel, gentlemen. I don't know--just what it is--but it's something. The--the captain looks worried. I--I've noticed it. I've talked with him. Couldn't get any satisfaction--out of him. But I--I know!"
"I'm afraid you are a croaker," said Diamond, unable to keep still longer.
"You may think so--now; but wait and see--wait. Keep your eyes--open. I--I think you will see something. I think you will find there are--mysterious things going on."
"Well, you have not told us what you want of us, Mr. Slush," said Frank.
"That's so--forgot it." Then, of a sudden, to Bruce: "Don't twirl your thumbs--that way. Do it backward--backward! It--it's a sure sign of--disaster to twirl your thumbs--forward."
"All right," grunted the big fellow; "backward it is." And he reversed the motion.
"Thank you," breathed Mr. Slush, with a show of relief. "Now, I'll tell you--why I called. I--er--saw