Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-07-27

he had 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 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 caughtand twisted
her arm, humping her against the wall.
"Garn, said Lizerunt, greatly pleased,
''le' gor' For she knew that this was
love.
"Where yer auf to, Lizer?"
"'Ome, O. course, cheeky. Lee goF' and
she snatched In vain at Billy's hat.
Billy let go and capered in front. She
feigned to dodge by him, careful not t.
be too quick, because affairs were devel
oping.
II sy, Lizer," said Billy, stopping hi,
dance and becoming businesslike, "goin
anywhere Monday?"
mot along O. you, cheeky. You gC
long O Beller Dawson, like wot you did
Easter"
"Blow Beller Dawson; she amt No
good. I'm goin on the fats. 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 Cardew threw an
orange peel at Eer, 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 like Whit Mon.
days on Wanstead flats. Here is q
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 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 twas not, an6
its feather was a mere foot long and
very rusty black.
Now, it is not decent for factory girI
from Limehouse to go bank holidayine
under any but hat of plush, very higl
in the crown and of a wild blue or 9
wilder green, carrying also an Ostrich
feather, pink or scarlet, or what moi
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 bloke, but &
chance is O 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 own ex
penditure.
Still there was no quarrel, and thu
pair walked and ran with arms abou
each others necks, and Lizerun
thumped her bloke on the back at proper
intervals, SO that the affair proceeded
very regularly, although in view of Liz
erunt's shortcomings Billy did not insis
upon the customary exchange of hats.
Everything went well and well enough
until Billy bought ladies' tormentol
and began to squirt it at Lizerunt.
For then Lizerunt went scamperine
madly with piercing shrieks until hel
bloke was left some little way behind
and Sam Cardew, turning up at thai
moment and seeing her running alone il
the crowd, threw his arms about hel
waist and swung her round him agai1
and again as he foundered this way ant
that among the SHES and the hoky poky
barrows.
"'Ullo, Lizer! Where are y a-comi1
to? If 'adn't laid old o YER
But here Billy Chope arrived to de
mand what Sam Cardew was doing will
his gal. Now, Sam was ever reader fol
a fight than Billy was, but the sum O
Billy's half pints was large, wherefor'
the fight began.
On the skirt of the hilarious ring Lie
runt, after some small outcry, triumphet
aloud. Four days before she had nj
bloke, and here she stood with two, snt
these two fighting for herl Here in tn
public gaze on the flats! For almos
five 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
I fkick at the other, but being thwarted il
bolt flung himself down, and it wa
like to go hard with him at the hands o
the crowd. Punch, you may, on Wan
sted flats, but execration and worse |
your portion if you kick anybody excep
your wife.
But as the ring closed the helmets o
two policeman were observed working
L L L i