St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-30
LIzERUNr AND HER BL0KE.

| Somewhere in the register of the East
end, London. was written the name
Elizabeth Runt. but seventeen years
after the entry the spoken name was
Lizerunt.
She worked at pickle factory and
| appeared abroad in an elaborate and
shabby costume, usually supplemented
by 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 sus-
ceptible of high polish.
Many such girls are married at six
teen, but Lizerunt was much belated
and had never bloke at all.
Billy Chope was year older than
Lizerunt. He wore blllycock with a
! thin brim and permanent dent in the
crown; he had bobtail coat, and his
collar was turned up at one side and
| down at the other, as an expression of
| independence; between 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
LiZerunt, making for home, followed
| the fading red beyond the furthermost
| end of Commercial road. great things
happened.
For Billy Chope. slouching in the OPP
| posite direction, llrched across the
har of nd foty h0
| 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?"
"'Ome o. course, cheeky. Lee CO."
| and she snatched-in yain-at Billy'S
| hat.
Billy let go ana 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 Monday?'
! @Not along o. you, cheeky-you go
long o. Beller Dawson, like Wot you did
| Easter"
sBlow Beller Dawson-she amt no
| good. Pm gein' on the Flats. fCeme?7
| Lizerunt, delighted but derisive. ended
with promise to "see." The bloke
| had come at last. and she walked home
| with the feeling of having taken her
degree.
Sue had half assured herself Of it two
| days before, when Sam Cardew threw
all orange peel at her, but went away
! after 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 public 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 be drunk and disor-
/ derry 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 door of the Holly
| Tree on Whit Monday morning.
But through hours and hours of fried
fish and half plnts both were conscious
of 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 factory
girl from Lilnehouse to go bank holt
| daying under any but hat of plush,
very high in the crown and of wild
blue or wilder green, carrying also az
ostrich feather, pink or scarlet, or what
not, that springs FROM the forepart,
climbs the crown and drops as far down
the shoulders as may be.
I4izerunt knew this, and would have
stayed at home without a bloke, but a
| chance is chance.
Billy, too. had vague impression
muddled. but not drowned in half-pints
that some degree of plush was con-
| dign 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
proper intervals, so that the affair pro-
| ceeded very regularly, although, in view
| of LiZerunt's shortcomings, Billy did
not insist upon the customary exchange
| of hats.
| Everything went we'll and we'll
enough until Billy bought ladies'
tormentor and began to squirt it at
| LiZerunt.
For then Lizerunt went scampering
madly, with piercing shrieks, until her
little bIoke was lett some little way be-
hind, 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 ami that among the SHES and
the hockey pokey barrows.
"'UllO. Lizer! Where are y comm
to? II 'adn't laid 'Cld o. YER
But here Billy Chope arrived to de-
mand what Sam Cardew was doing with
his gal. Now. Sam was ever reader for
fight than Billy was, but the sum of
Bilfy's haif-pints was large, wherefore
the fight began.
Tn tile skirt of the hilarious ring Lize-
runt, after some small outcry, triumphed
aloud. Four days before she had no
bloke. and here she stood with two, and
these two fighting for her! Here in the
public gaze. on the flats! For almost
i've minutes she was Helen of Troy.
And in much less Billy tasted repent
ance. The haze of half pints was dis
| PEELED, and some teeth went with it.
Presently he rose and made running
! kick at the other. but. being thwarted
| in bolt, flung himself down, and it was
| likely to go hard with him at the hands
of the crowd. Punch you may On Wan
stead Flats, but eXecration and worse Is
your portion if you kick anybody except
your wife.
But. az the ring closed, the helmets of
two policemen were obserned working
inward above the surrounding heads,
ana Sam Cardew, quickly assuming his
coat, turned away with such an air of
blainelessness IS is practicable with a
damaged eye. While Bil:y went Off I'M
needed in the opposite direction.
Billy was ali very well. but Sam was
i lafra.. yo6 II, ~ 81 N, fr,,.