Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-08-23

Jack, or pike, or whatever you call II, va
a sorter imitation o. that precious relation
as came out on purpose to see.
"Ah =; says 1, land We poor chaps !
the gudgeon as he lives on. And precious
gudgeon you are, Tom Scott,-six feet high
fourteen stone weight, and humbugginl
yourself, and pretending all sorts o gan
mon, because you amt got enough stuff II
you to 20 in like man to pawn that plane
Tom, | says" I'm. ashamed Of you TAKE
1t home again, and ask the missus to DO Il
for you, and don't be a humbug and say
you got the wrong shop"
And so gave 1t him-that's me, you
knOw-hot and strong for about FIVE min
utes, and then felt better.
+ Don't be donkey says and then
hugs the plane up tight, and walks on
I but I'm blessed If everybody didn't
I seem TO know where | was a-going, and
KEEP staring at the red Handkerchief when
I they wOuldn't have took bit of notice If
had carried the plane in my hand, open
| Ike.
Now for it." | says, for Id made my
mind quite up, and meant business, when
meets a policeman. and he looks at me, and
looks at bim, and don know how chap
feels that has stolen a plane, but if be feels
half as bad as did that afternoon, why,
the sooner he turns honest, and earns the
tool instead, the better for him.
| knew | was a fool 10 mind, and KEEP
tellin myself 90 4; but it wasn't no use, bless
you, for I'd got dozen yards past the po-
liceman, if didn't turn round TO look, and,
as a matter Of course there was he turned
round too, and staring at me.
Talk about q look why, his eyes went
through me like mortice chisels in door
jamb
turns round again, and scuiiies on mean
ing to rush into the shop. Now for IT.,
SAYS again and believe | should have done
it, if a chap hadn't have come out at the
s=me moment, with his hand in his pocket
chinking some money and We nearly ran
against one another, and startled back, for
he knowed me by sight, and | knowed hIm,
through having worked few benches Oh
one another up at Cubitt's.
We Just nods, and he was gone like a
shot Tor be knowed | could tell what he'd
been there for, while Of course. put 1t to
you now, I couldn't 90 in then could |. On
J goes ever so far up the lane, and then,
back once more. and this time. although |
knowed every body was looking al me,
bluuders right into the shop, slips off the
Handkerchief, and bangs the plane down on
the counter.
Lend me FIVE shillings on this for
week, | says and two or three people IN
cupboards Ike reaches round TO see who made
such noise but as there was four or five
people in the place no body takes any no
uce O. me. and there | stands, hot and
savage, till skinny little chap with pen
holder across has mouth. like blt, because
be was vicious, comes up and turns my old
plane over. and then he numblcs as well as
lie could for the pen,-
How much ?''
Twelve and six" | says for thought
be meant what did give for the plane.
He gives it push and shakes hIs head,
and was Just gong to speak, when feels
a hand on my shoulder, and looking round,
there was Tie policeman met, and he
says
"Whoro did you get 1t from, my man p
Bought it. says |, in q regular furry.
"WLere p says he.
"Charing Cross, 1 says, and, to make
a long story short, / had TO let him walk back
to my lodging with me and see my basket Of
tools, and then he only SCENE CALF satisfied;
while half an hour after I reused up and
went out quite savage swinging the plane in
nv hand, and sold IL at marine store shop
Tor two sbIllings.
1t has hard work TO comfort the wife
when she knew that she was going to he left
alone for 80 Tom, - she says, "the power.
tvs hard enough to bear without having to
be separated" Bu. | promised her that
Ia take a lodging, and get her down with
me as soon as l found the work likely to
last but next morning at breakfast | saw
more than one tear drip into her teacup.
But 1t was a bright morning, and Id been
doing all | could to cheer her up for
wasn't going to start TIL line so | gave
Young lom treat,-washod his head for
him, and rubbed on soap till his little mob
was all white.
"Now sloosh, faryer,' be saws and
slooshcd him, and never got the soap once
in his eyes nor yet up his nose, which wash
surprising, seeing what a little chap be was
then, and no nose at all to speak Of.
Well, at last had my tOol-basket ready,
and a hammer through the handles to SWING
1t over my shoulder. There were three
clean aprons inside, and some odds and ends
| should want and tnen there was nothing
else to do but say good bye. But there. l
won't tell you about it, for she took on "a
great deal, as it was the first time | had
been away from her.
"You will write, Tom?' says she.
" shy. of course, | says.
And I've put four sheets and some en-
velopes in. she says, " 50 that you needn
write on the back of the sandpaper with
YOUR pencil, for it's so hard to make out.
And then, after five minutes silence, |
bolted out, and | wouldn't look behind TIL
was out q the court.
Nhy, Of course was sorry to leave her
behind; and | went along with my heart
feeling as heavy as lump Of lead, and
everybody | met looking dim and weary,
which should 5hink must have been indi-
gestion, or something OF that kind; but it
soon went of, and the clear sunshiny morn
ing seemed TO brighten one up, TIL | ielt so
hearty and CHEEKY that | was ashamed oi
myseif. for felt as though | ought to be
miserable, like | knew the wife was at home.
But there we were, several OF US, along with
carts full of scaffold-poles and material, and
before long we were out in the open coun-
| try.
Ont in the open country-God bless it =
with the birds twittering in the trees and
| hedges the Dluc SKY ONGlntdN WIN NJ" go
then light cloud slowly sailing across the
soft wind smelling that delicious, that We
opened our mouths and drew in great long
breaths, ac though We should never be tired
There were flowers everYwhere,-hlac,
laburnun and may; orchards full OF plnky
| annie blossoms while as to the green OF the
fields in the golden sunshine, ah it was
| sight to see men who bad been cooped up II
| close London courts, without knowing where
the next days bread was to come from
Out in the open country, with fresh beau
ties at every turn Why, we were like 81
many boys, running by the carts, larking
shouting, and making regular fools of our
selves, which must of course have beer
owing to the light, free air. I've heerd tall
of prisoners, and sick men. and their deligh
at beng out once more; but they could no
have felt happier than we did, out in tn
open country, on that bright May day.
Every now and then, though, sOmethIn
duh would keep coming over me, and
wasn't sorry, when it did for what bushes
had to be so happy and cheerful, KNOWN
, how miserable had left some one at home
| P,. g., ~ xras opd the hit o. blackness VOL