The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-08-11
LIZERUNT.

Somewhere in the register was written
the name Elizabeth Hunt, but II years
after the entry the spoken nam was
Lizerunt.
She worked at apickle factory and ap-
peared abroadin an elaborate and shabby
costume. usually supplemented by n
white ~ ION.
Withal she was something of a beauty
that is to say, her cheeks were very red,
her teeth were very large and white, her
nose was small and snub and her fringe
was long and shiny, while her face, new
washed, was susceptible of a high polish.
Many such girls are married at 16, but
Lizerunt was much belated and had
never a bloke at all.
Billy Chope was a year older than Lie
runt. He wore a billycock with a thin
brim and a permanent dent in the crown.
He had a bobtail coat, and his collar
was turned up at one side and down at
the other, as an expression of independ-
ence. Between his meals he wore his
hands in his breeches pockets. He lived
with his mother, who mangled.
His conversation with Lizerunt con-
sisted long of perfunctory mods, but this
especial Thursday evening. as L~izerunt,
making for home, followed the fading
red beyond the farthermost end of Com
mercial road, great things happened,
for Billy Chope, slouching in the p
site direction, lurched across the pave
ment as they met, and taking the nearer
hand from his pocket caught and twisted
her arm, humping her against the wall.
"Garn," said Lizerunt, greatly pleased,
''le' go!" For she knew that this was
love.
"Where yer auf to, Lizer:"
ZONE, o'course, cheeky. Lee go!" and
she snatched in vain at Billy's hat.
Billy let go and capered in front. She
feigned to dodge by him, careful not to
be too quick. because affairs were devel-
oping.
II sy, Lizer," said Billy, stopping his
dance and becoming businesslike, "goin
anywhere MondayY'
"Not along o'you, cheeky. You go
long O. Beller Dawson, like wot you did
Easter"
"Blow Beller Dawson; she amt no
good. Pm goin on the flats. Conner"
Lizerunt, delighted but derisive, ended
with a promise to "see." The bloke had
come at least, and she walked home with
the feeling of having taken her degree.
She had half assured herself of it two
days before, when Sam Cardew threw an
orange peel at her, but went away after
a little prancing on the pavement.
Sam was a smarter fellow than Billy
and earned his own living. Probably
his intentions were serious. but one must
prefer the bird in hand.
There is no other fair like Whit Mon
days on Wanstead flats. Here is a
square mile and more of open land where
you may howl at large. Here the pub
lie houses are always with you; shows,
SHES, swings, merry-go-rounds, fried.fish
stalls, donkeys. are packed closer han
on Hampstead Heath.
Also you may be drunk and disorderly
without being locked up, for the stations
won't hold everybody, and when all else
has palled you may set fire to the turf.
Hereinto Billy and Lizerunt projected
themselves from the doors of the Holly
Tree on Whit Monday morning.
But through hours and hours of fried
fish and half pints both were conscious of
a deficiency, for the hat Of Lizerunt
was brown and old, plush it was not, and
its feather was a mere foot long and
very rusty black.
Now, it is not decent for a factory girl
from Limehouse to go bank holidaying
under any but a hat Of plush, very high
in the crown and of a wild blue or a
wilder green, carrying also an ostrich
feather, pink or scarlet, OF what not
that springs from the fore part, climbs
the crown and drops as far down the
shoulders as may be.
Lizerunt knew this and would have
stayed at home without a bloke, but a
chance is a chance.
Billy, too, had a vague impression
muddled, but not drowned in half pints
that some degree of plush was con-
dign to the occasion and to his W ex-
penditure.
Still there was no quarrel, and the
pair walked and ran with arms about
each others necks, and Lizerunt
tQuI1peu uer UlOke Oh UQ0 JACK at proper
intervals, SO that the affair proceeded
very regularly, although in view of Liz
erunt's shortcomings Billy did not insist
upon the customary exchange of hats.
Everything went well and well enough
until Billy bought a ladies' tormentor
and began to squirt it at Lizerunt.
For then Lizerunt went scampering
madly with piercing shrieks until her
bloke was left some little way behind,
and Sam Cardew, turning up at that
moment and seeing her running alone in
the crowd, threw his arms about her
waist and swung her round him again
and again as he foundered this way and
that among the SHES and the hoky poky
barrows.
"'Ullo, Lizer! Where are y a-comin
to? If I 'adn't laid 'old o. yer"-
But here Billy Chope arrived to de-
mand what Sam Cardew was doing with
his gal. Now, Sam was ever reader for
a fight than Billy was, but the sum Of
BiIly's half pints was large, wherefore