NOBODY’S RESIDENCE

New Zealand Tablet, 11 May 1911, Page 885

NOBODY’S RESIDENCE

The skipper of a certain little vessel relates the following story, though the laugh is decidedly against him. When anything goes wrong aboard his'boat the skipper likes to get to the bottom of the affair, if, as he puts it, ‘ it takes me a month of Sundays to do it.’ One morning, while lying in port, a trifling accident occurred in the usual mysterious manner. No one was to blame. The skipper tackled each member of the crew, until ho came to the cabin boy. ‘ Now, young shaver,’ he remarked, ‘ maybe I’ll get the truth from you. Who did it?’ ‘Nobody, sir,’ responded the youth, who scarcely deemed it wise to blame any of his superiors. ‘lndeed!’ ejaculated the skipped ‘Mr. Nobody again? You seem to know the fellow well! I should like to have a look at him myself. lam going ashore now. You can come with me, and if you don’t point out the house where this Mr. Nobody lives, you’ll get the finest rope's ending you ever got in your life!’ The outlook was anything but pleasing, and the cabin boy was the reverse of cheerful as he led the skipper up one street and down another. The skipper was enjoying the lad discomfiture, when suddenly the boy pulled' up and nodded to a house across the way, * But that’s an empty house!’ said the skipper. Yes, sir,’ was the reply. ‘Nobody lives there.’ The rope’s ending was averted.