The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-24
LIZERUNT.

the name Elizabeth Hunt, but II wears
after the entry the spoken name was
LiZerunt.
She worked ut pickle factory and ap-
peared abroad i'll an elaborate and shabby
costume, usually supplemented by u
white apron.
Withal she was something of 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 high polish.
Many such girls are married at is. but
LlZerunt WAS much belated and had
never bloke at all.
Billy Chope was a year older than Lie
runt. He wore billycock with a thin
brim and Il permanent dent in the crown.
He had Il 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 i'll 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 Lizerunt,
making for home, followed the fading
red beyond the farthermost end of Com
mercial road, great things happened,
for Billy Chope, slouching in the oppo-
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
lie gov' For she knew that this was
love.
"Where yer auf to, Lizer:'
Zone, o course, cheeky. Lee gow and
she snatchcd i'll 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.
Il sy, Lizer," said Billy, stopping his
dance and becoming businessiike, "goin
anywhere Monday:'
Not along o you, cheeky. You go
long o Beller Dawson, like wot You did
Easter"
BLOW Beller Dawson; she amt 10
good. I'm goin OH the flats. Gomez"
Lizerunt, delighted but derisive, ended
with 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 Cart!ew threw an
orange peel ut her, but went away after
little prancing on the pavement.
Sam was 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 lilo N1rI,;+ NJ,
days on Wanstead flats. Here is n
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 than
on Hampstead Heath.
Also you may he 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.
Hcreinto Billy and Lizcrunt 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
deficiency, for the hat of Lizerunt
was brown and old, plush itw not, and
It's feather was Il mere foot long and
very rusty black.
Now, it is not decent for Il factory girl
from Limehouso to go bank hol:daying
under any but hat of plush, very high
i'll the crown and of wild blue or a
wilder green, carrying also an ostrich
feather, pink or scarlet, or what not
that springs from the fore part, climbs
the crown and drops as far down the
shoulders as may he.
LiZerunt knew this and would have
stayed at home without bloke, but q
chance is IL chance.
Billy. too, had q vague impression
muddled. but not drowned in half pints
that some degree of plush was con-
diSn to the occasion and to his own ex-
penditure.
Still there was no quarrel, and the
pair walked and ran with arms about
each others necks, and Lizerunt
thumped her bloke on the back at proper
intervals, so that the affair proceeded
very regularly, although in view of Liz
erunts shortcomings Billy did not insist
upon the customary exchange of hats.
Everything went well and well enough
until Billy bought Il ladies' tormentor
and began to squirt it at Lizerunt.
For then Lizerunt went scampering
madly with piercing shrieks until her
blokc 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 floundered this way and
that among the SHES and the hoky poky
barrows.
Julio, Lizer! Where are y a-comin
to? If admit laid old O. yer'-