MY OLD FRIEND NICK 57 



benefit from the estate, nevertheless, in his zeal 

 to further the settlement, succeeded in involving 

 himself in several legal entanglements, from 

 which it was my privilege to rescue him, and I 

 thereby earned his gratitude and admiration to 

 such a degree that he delivered frequent and 

 high-pitched assertions to the effect that " 'Enry 

 was a 'ell of a feller." He further paid me the 

 following (we hope undeserved) compliment: 

 " Hi like tha, 'Enry, dormned if Hi don't. Tha 't 

 more lang-leggit nor 'Arry, but tha' sweers for 

 aw th' world like 'Arry." I accepted the homage 

 thus given, but had mental reservations as to my 

 ability to "sweer like 'Arry," who was an artist 

 in that line. 



The want of worldly goods under ordinary 

 circumstances did not affect Nick in the least de- 

 gree; yet I surmised from some of his remarks 

 that he was beginning to feel that he was prac- 

 tically penniless. His nephew, who had suc- 

 ceeded to 'Arry's farm, had generously offered 

 him a home, but, as Nick feelingly remarked, 



" Johnny 's aw reet, but 't is na th' same. Wi' 

 'Arry things were sair differ; aw thot 'Arry 'ad 

 were mine, hand aw thot Hi 'ad were 'Arry's." 



I suggested that he go back to the mill, but he 

 was profanely adamant in his refusal. 



"Blawst th' blank-dashed owd mill," was his 

 sole comment; and then he added: "Tha sees, 



