The record-union., 1894-09-08

judge 'as is standin' hout agin better
ment. If Hi 'ad lis craft HID go T. Lun-
non. stay in Lunnon an be as rich as tn
Lud Mayor of Lunnonr'
The girl had the best of the argument
! and Zelle dejectedly saw [ recoe nized
this. She had risen to her feet with q
movement and manner that brook ed
no opposition, and as she left the tent she
shook her little fist back at us defantly
with:
"HPll do as Hi loikes. HIM woman
grown an free. Hpll take th' man Iii
| chooses. HPll make summat % I'm too,
| aside from th' beggars hus is now-''
Here she worked her little fist savagely.
"Or Hp1 make i'm wish ee'd gotten an
othern'
Its no use, Zeke!" 1 said, turning
sympathetically to the old tinker beside
! Inc.
No use? Tain't no more use than
whlstlin' pheasant back t. coop, when
hits once skulked IN cover fur only arr a
dayr
1t was long and dusty journey into
| London, but nearly the whole day | en-
deaVored on the one hand to dissuade the
| gypsy girl from purpose which L felt
! sure would ostracise her from compan-
lOnSnlp with her race. ana on the other
tried to reconcile old Zeke to the neces-
sarlly lonely life which he must lead
among his own people soon, or the
! changed condition OF a kair rajah, or city
! gypsy. which l could see was an almost
unbearable outlook to this bronzed old
/ pilgrim OF the roads.
We came by way of Holborn and it was
late at night when we reached this popu-
| louS thoroughtare.
| Leke and Phrony Hospitality invited
| me TO accompany them to their gypsy
! quarters, but gypsy quarters on the
peasant highway and gypsy quarters in
/ a great city are so StartlIngly different IN
| nature that l left them with a pleasant
! good night ana the agreement between
us that when they were well settled for
! The winter they were to let me know at
my lodgings, when l would certainly at
| once visit them.
Perhaps TWO weeks had passed, and as
no tldIngs had yet come from tinker
/ Zeke PIunkett and his daughter Sophro-
ma began To feel a sense OF anxiety and
| toreboding regarding their welfare. This
SO grew upon me that resolved to make
an effort TO find them.
one evening had set out from nv inn
IN the Joyous neighborhood of Covent
GARDEN for an aimless stroll, when the
sudden impulse seized me TO penetrate a
few of the London gypsyries / knew, in
the hope OF accidentally hearing some
word from my Ronany friends. | passed
through the deserted market place, wan
| dered along the broad piazza and finally
turned slowly inIo Drury Lane
here, at noted tap, chiefly patronized
by costermongers and Covent Garden por-
ters, L encountered a crowd of costers
making merry over the fine appearance
OF one OF their mum ber who was arrayed
with unusual gorgeousness.
bis natty skull cap was perched on the
very side OF his head, its huge visor
pointing straight toward the sky. His
silk "kingsman" or neckcloth was of
red and rgSnlnnGGnf lie, q
deeper scarlet, tied in aa ample sailors
Knot, the ends tucked in his gay woolen
shirt, the whole exposing a line, we'll
corded neck and chest.
His coat was carefully folded and held
across his arm, but his waistcoat was Of
gray corduroy, as long as a jockey's.
with capacIous pockets and huge lapels.
and his trousers, of the same material
were halI Mexican In cut, and their wide
bottoms Mapped over as fine a pair of
ankle boots as could be found IN all Lon
don.
But this was not all. The buttons upon
this rIcn coSter attire were something
marvellous in their number and dimen-
sions. They were shining pearl, at least
an inch IN diameter, and were set their
polished edges touching, around the cap
band and vlsor-edge, down the edge of
the waistcoat from throat to point. above
every pocket. and on the edges of lapels
hAlS o1OhE t-4O "AOO push Siue-SIElD6S OF
the trousers from just below the knees
TO the very edge OF the trousers hem.
SO that the last buttons clicked and pat-
tered merrlly against pavement and
shoes.
A hasty glance revealed all this: and
though anxious to avoid the harun-
scarum lot and their lively tongues
there was strange Familiarity in the
face of the splendid coster hero of the
moment, who was paying back the rich
badinage of his fellows with lusty in
terest.
When / turned TO look again | saw
sudden breaking of the group, and in an
instant more my old friend key Push
barrow-Ikey who had at one time fallen.
through thirst for chaf1inch pegging fame,
to the lowest depts of coster penury:
key who had lost credit, standing, even
companionship among his fellows, until
he could not borrow basket, barrow or
greens; key whom L had a few months
before come upon in this doleful strait.
and, with only few shillings. sent on
the bright road TO coster opulence and
success, had leaped beside me- and with
tears glowing his unspeakable gratitude
and friendship stood grasping my hands
with both his huge and knobby fists.
"Chy-ike:-an' Lor' love ye, 'ow air ye,
Guvernor?''
why, Ikey, this can't be you!' I re-
turned in surprise and admiration at his
imposing appearance.
ME? Hit arn't no hother, Governor.
Wy, hits bleedin' 'arppiness t. glim We.
so it is!o
well. well, well! Ikey Pushbarrow.
then? And how goes it these days, Ikey.
lad?u
'Goes it. Governor? Goes it? Cherry
ripe!-cigarnet! Strike me lucky, SO it
dor'
(which way tonight Ikey, in all that
finery?h asked as be fell in beside me
radiantly.
''Vich way, is it? Chy-ike, vich way
does any coster go in lis togs, fit for a
bloomin' marks, an lis art peggin'
lis waistcut buttons? Guvernor, tell me
that"
He said this almost archly and with
sucn Wholesome earnestness that l could
not but humor him with the answer:
'Oh. to his sweetheart, / SUPPOSE,
Strike me luckyi You've lit il cherrv
ripe!' he answered boiling over with admi
ration at my apparent wonderful knowl-
edge OF human nature. Then a little
cloud came over his face and he looked
up at me as if abashed at some reouest
which fingered unspoken on his impetu-
'ous coster tongue.
"out with ii. key" I cheerily COM
manded.
"Gor bli me. Governor, but hits
awskin too much, as th' whale re-
marked t joiner, wen ee wus a 'eayen
i'm hup; but if We ave no hother lay fur