The record-union., 1894-09-08

by some one | took to be the coster's
princess" and these were succeeded
by the crashing together of opposing
forces, one of which, from the voluble
olalect evoked, must have been sttired in
corduroy and wealth OF pearl buttons
for, moment later, Ikey Pushbarrow,
rumpled and painting, came sinking TO
my side.
Strike me luckyv' gasped key, seat
ing himself discouragedly ii an empty
donkey cart 10 recover his breath. WAT
d'Y ,spose wus th' OF cove's move?"
With apparent deepest concern [
pressed him for particulars.
III al me donah in me harms. HID
jest give 'er chasJe buss. key says
she, hits hall hdp VII hus!' Strike me
lucky says Hi, if it be!' 'Ee'll kill ee!'
says me donah. Not this hevenin'i' says
III. Wat an never makes you so bold?'
says she. Me 'eavenIy donahp says |.
will ye be man, key, if Hill run away
WI YEP says she. Iii hup am bussed 'er
agin. 'Hevery hinch, Gawd's truthn
says L. Ihen,' says she, Hive made a
'ole III tn wall. Hits builders storage
Iot below. Ikey, a twenty-foot ladder Il
reach that ole am me-jest hour from
this yer minute. Hits o'er Seven Dials
way" 'Hangel O. me Iife' says Iii. Jest
then th' cove 'ove in sight. 'Wagaboner
says ee, griffin is grinders like tn hani-
maIs IN tn Zoo. Me domain piunked hout
o me harms am hup up T. th' loft! Vile
gazln arter 'er sunthln' dropped like
shlp's haDchor. Strike me lucky, but
DIDN'T ye ear hit, Guvernor? Wat dye
,spose wus that oP cove's sly move?
Fed run down lis moke donkey at mel
AM, Gawd's truth, Governor, that yer
vicious mammal kicked nearly hevery
DIoomln' button off Inc togs. But, strike
me lucky, th langwidge as come 'long o.
tn klckin' from me domains oP cove.
'asn't hits ekal from Shoreditch T. Bill
lngsgate! Come agin.' says ee, vile th'
mammal hammered me agin tn wall
Wien yer bones is sot, Ikey! Hill tie
knives am tiles T. lis 'eels next time, ye
W'itechapel wagabonen"
Despite the ludIcrous appearance of the
coster who now limped lugubriousiy be-
side me, my sympathies were fully
aroused. | called hanson at FurnivaPs
Inn, and through the drivers knowledge
OF the labyrinthine region, in less than an
hours time we had discovered the stor-
age grounds on the other side OF the
Leather Lane boundary wall.
Ihe caretaker was found and enlisted
in our service. Alter much groping
among the sheds and piles of deals we
trlumphantIy secured q ladder OF the re-
quired length. But here an UNPLEASANT
obstacle confronted us. Great numbers
OF heavy skids and tim bers had been
piled against the wall, and there was no
safe grounding 1or our ladder.
We worked vahantly for another hour
and. at last were able to stealthily hoist
the ladder in place, It's top rounds resting
few feet above the tiny black aperture we
could just distinguish, more than half
way from the ground to the dark wall
edge cutting against the faintly-lighted
Somber sky.
keys bruises rendered it out of the
question Tor him to ascend the ladder
and periorce became the chief actor in
the rescue OF the princess from her
stately 'pallus" tower. The coster's ex-
element was intense, and the novel stu
alton had certain touch of danger in it
which l remember spurred me on amaZ-
ingly, as key held fast below, while
breathing hoarse coster plaudits and
terms of endearmeut as l carefully tested
each round on my way upward
When my head was alongside the aper-
ture L cautiously peered within. | could
see nothing but single strand of light
which pierced the blackness through the
curtaining from the dim lamps of Leather
Lane.
L waited for time and heard no sound.
With any closed penknite | softly tapped
against the wall and listened. | thought
heard a slight rustic, but was perplexed
at securing no other manner of response,
when L whispered impatiently down TO
key to sound his coster call.
Cherry ripe, you 'as it, Governor!
, Ere she goesp'
"ra-ta-taL Ia ia! ta-ta-tar'
1t seemed an unearthly blast in the
silences of the walled aud deserted ward.
but l had scarcely time to reach the TOP
OF the ladder when a little head popued
through the wall opening.
1t was instantly Withdrawn, but in
flash little foot, then another, then
dainty pair OF legs, and, finally, their
substantial upper belongings swung
through the aperture, and the girl hung
there from her finger ends without OUT
cry or apparent fear.
L reached around her. getting a firm
grip on her little body, and brought her
To my own. Her splendid pluck, silence
and faith stirred me deeply, and / kissed
her squarely upon her lips in impassioned
admiration.
Easy does it, Guvernorr' came hoarse-
Iy and tremulously from Ikey below.
But before the coSter's protest had
reached either her ears or mine the girl
savagely squirmed like cat in my arms
and, but for my best efforts, would have
fallen headlong to the earth below. while
she Missed:
mi dearie Dubblesky! (for the dear
Lords sake) Hits th' bing's (deyiPsl
lips stead o. Ike'su'
1t was the only gypsy's kiss l ever
b
Phrony PIunketts lips under the wiliesr
OF false pretenses, ana l hope for never
another, Tor l. was so startled and over
Whelmed by her vicious struggling that
swift consciousness of whose form held
of the real part l had been taking, and
above all Of my loyalty TO one Iowlv
friend working such treachery and havoc
to another, that | know not hoW-for
lkey had desperately run up the ladder
TO ala IN our descent-we all came to the
ground together.
But there was a brief whirlwind OF iov
In which presume | became enveloped:
a quick and quiet replacing of the ladder
IN the shed; steaithy leaving OF the
weird locality; a hurried whirl of car
rlages to place of safety; and, in agood
time, penny wedding in the Shore
dltch quarter, where L gave the happy
bride away, and the ecstatic lkey muir
strike me lucky!-but hits tn,
FUNNIEST go o me life, God bli me, so
bit is!''
And this is how it came about.' con-
cluded the Gypsy Traveller, "that before
The Christmas bells had rung | became |
further involved in the affairs OF nv
humble friends, to the degree that, as the |
CO. OF Pushbarrow, Plunkett d Co.. I |
saw with no little pride our faring SIGN
go up above the door of a happy home
and prosperous coster gypsy shop, where
Ikey and Phrony exist with their green's
ana donkeys IN unalloyed domestic bliss:
where old Zeke rattles and clatters mer-
rlly among pots and kettles, donkey har-
ness and broken eosters' carts. which are
increasing IN number with prophetic
clamor OF opulence, and whence, when
n0Fnl01n ho.