Light Freights
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by W. W. Jacobs 14 Sep, 2021
Excerpt.. Speaking o' money,” said the night-watchman thoughtfully, as he selected an empty soapbox on the wharf for a seat, “the whole world would be different if we all ‘ad more of it. It would be a brighter and a ‘ap ... Read more

Excerpt..

Speaking o' money,” said the night-watchman thoughtfully, as he selected an empty soapbox on the wharf for a seat, “the whole world would be different if we all ‘ad more of it. It would be a brighter and a ‘appier place for everybody.”

He broke off to open a small brass tobacco-box and place a little quid of tobacco tenderly into a pouch in his left cheek, critically observing at the same time the efforts of a somewhat large steamer to get alongside the next wharf without blocking up more than three parts of the river. He watched it as though the entire operation depended upon his attention, and, the steamer fast, he turned his eyes back again and resumed his theme.

“Of course it's the being short that sharpens people,” he admitted thoughtfully; “the sharpest man I ever knew never ‘ad a ha'penny in ‘is pocket, and the ways ‘e had o' getting other chaps to pay for ‘is beer would ha' made ‘is fortin at the law if ‘e'd only ‘ad the eddication. Playful little chap ‘e was. I've seen men wot didn't know ‘im stand ‘im a pot o' beer and then foller ‘im up the road to see ‘im knock down a policeman as ‘e'd promised. 

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  • 207.488 KB
  • 160
  • Public Domain Books
  • English
  • 9780851152028
William Wymark Jacobs (8 September 1863 – 1 September 1943) was an English author of mainly comic fiction. He wrote occasional horror stories and is best remembered for The Monkey's Paw. He was born...
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