“C. Q.” or, In the Wireless House
Now, this chap. He ’s shirty because we don’t see him.”
He pushed his key swiftly.
“Now, I ’ve just said, ‘Keep your hair on and tell me what sort of a bloomin’ vessel you are.’ . . . Oh my! He ’s like a hornet! Says I must be chaffing him! . . . Oh, I say! The beggar ’s too familiar! . . . He is that cruiser over there. Must have rigged a wireless for himself. Lots of 'em do. I ’ll fix him!”
He pressed his key a few times, grinned delightedly, and threw down his receiver.
“What did you say?” asked Bennett.
“I just said, ‘Oh, are you that old hay wagon on our starboard quarter?’”
The girl laughed again.
“It ’s really quite sociable!” said she as they rose to go. “Will you let us come up again?”
“Come any time you want” answered Micky, good-naturedly. “You ’ll always find me here, and you ’ll always be welcome.”
41
