Sonnie-Boys People

Sonnie-Boy's People, by James B. Connolly

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Title: Sonnie-Boy's People
Author: James B. Connolly
Release Date: July 31, 2007 [EBook #22185]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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SONNIE-BOY'S PEOPLE
[Illustration: "Look here, Sonnie-Boy. Here's a man says your papa is the greatest man ever was in his line."]

SONNIE-BOY'S PEOPLE
BY JAMES B. CONNOLLY
ILLUSTRATED
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NEW YORK :::::::::::::::::::::: 1913

COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
Published September, 1913

CONTENTS
PAGE
SONNIE-BOY'S PEOPLE 1
TIM RILEY'S TOUCH 51
IN THE ANCHOR WATCH 95
CROSS COURSES 123
LEARY OF THE "LIGONIER" 167
HOW THEY GOT THE "HATTIE RENNISH" 199
KILLORIN'S CARIBBEAN DAYS 231
THE BATTLE-CRUISE OF THE "SVEND FOYN" 261
THE LAST PASSENGER 285

ILLUSTRATIONS
"Look here, Sonnie-Boy. Here's a man says your papa is the greatest man ever was in his line" Frontispiece
FACING PAGE
"And of course your brother is laying great plans to assure his future?" 6
"That two-faced chairman of yours--he never tipped me off you could fight any way except with your hands." 90
The Orion proved to us that she was faster off the wind than we were by rounding Cape Cod before us. 156
It was Drislane she had, his head cuddled on her knees till the tug came and got us. 164
"Just then one came right under her forefoot and another under her counter. And I looks back to the gunboat." 226
The strangers out with revolvers, back my men into the fo'c's'le, and lock them in. 268
'Twas me she walked home with. 276

SONNIE-BOY'S PEOPLE
The man with the gold-headed cane had been headed for the cottage, but espying the boy at the water's edge, he changed his course. He crept to within a few paces of the lad before he hailed: "Halloo, little boy! I'll bet I know who your papa is."
The boy looked casually around. Seeing that it was a stranger, he faced about and stood respectfully erect.
"Mr. Welkie's little boy, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir. But I'm 'most six."
"Oh-h, I see--a big boy now. But what have you got there?"
The boy held up the toy steamer with which he had been playing.
"Oh-h, I see now. What are you going to do with it?"
The boy looked sidewise out to where in the bay a fleet of battle-ships were lying to anchor.
"Load it with sugar and pineapples, and ship 'em to the States, are you?"
"But it's a gun-ship. See--where the turrets 'n' the fighting-tops will be when papa makes them."
"Oh! and so you want to be a great merchant?"
"I want to be a fighter"--articulating slowly and distinctly--"on a big gun-ship."
"Well, if ever you do, little man, I'll bet you'll be a game one, too. Is your papa home?"
"No, sir, but Aunt Marie is."
"And is Aunt Marie busy, do you think?"
"I don't know, sir, but she's making a battle-flag for my gun-ship."
"That so? I think I will call on Aunt Marie, then."
Swinging his cane and advancing leisurely, the stranger headed for the screened veranda door.
Marie Welkie, because of having to keep an eye on her nephew from the veranda, could not avoid noticing the stranger. The clothing, the jewelry, the air of assurance, had disturbed and half amused her; but the kindly tone with the boy, the parting pat of his head, were more pleasing. She answered his knock herself.
"Good evening--Miss Welkie?" That Southern "good evening" in the middle of the afternoon likewise pleased her.
"Miss Welkie, yes."
"I'm Mr. Necker." From a gold-mounted case he drew out a card. "I'm looking for your brother."
"He won't be home for some time yet. But won't you step in, Mr. Necker, from out of the sun?"
"Thank you. It is warm, isn't it? Warmer than ordinary?"
"No, I shouldn't say so. It's usually hot here."
"Then it must be hot here when it is hot. It wasn't so bad out in the Gulf. I just got in--from Key West. Not many passengers come here, Miss Welkie?"
"Only somebody especially interested in the works--usually from Washington. Do you mind if I go ahead with this ensign for my nephew, Mr. Necker?" She held up a partly finished American ensign. Above the top of it the visitor could see part of the very white forehead and a front of dark straight hair. "I promised to have it ready for my nephew surely by morning, and after my brother gets home there probably won't be much spare time. But were you the only passenger for here, Mr. Necker?"
"There was one other. He got off at the new fortification landing. Twenty-nine or thirty perhaps he was--a well-made, easy-moving kind." His voice was casual,