The record-union., 1895-12-07

\
as she sank back exhausted on her pill
| lows. I'm nobbut fur doin' as thou
reckons best, thou knows, an l cannot
call to mind nobry else as would jus
suit
''Theer's Margaret Heptonstall, isn't
theer?' suggested Betty, with an oddly
triumphant intonation. tom, / tell
thee hoo's tn wife fur thee! a staid,
sensible, thrifty body, wi a tidy bit
saved. fancy Margaret I'D max
thee rarely comfortable, Tummas."
/ Mr. Alty's face did not assume the
rapture which might have been ex-
pected.
"Hoo's gettin' into years pretty well,
isn't hoop he asked, doubtfully, AN
hoo's terrible sharp tongue they say"
| No sharper than other folkseS, re-
torted Betty. IF yo' speak civil to
! Margaret, hooll speak civil to YOU
Her and me was allus pretty thick, an
| never had nought to complain on.
Hoo's notable body, is Margaret, an
hoo mum be a good ten year younger
than thysef, Tom. Eth, I can mind her
fire-irons Last time / went to see her
they fairly glittered, they did, an her
ia bic was scrubbed till yo' could eat off
it, an the tiles O. tn floor, l could welly
see myself in 'eml Hood keep this
here parlor nice, fur sure, an never let
bit O. rust COON nigh tn pots an
pans i tn kitchen as I've ailus took
sich pride in
Tom grunted.
Hood do fur thee" went on Betty
enthusiastically; "eh, dear, it's pleas
ure to think how comfortable hood
max thee
Toms countenance still betrayed but
moderate satisfaction.
L q rest easy i tn ground if I lxnoWed
as Margaret was seein' to thee. Hoo's
a wonderful hand at a pork-pie, Tom
ana as fur sassages an black puddins
hers is reckoned tn best i tn village .
Say no moor" cried Tom, with sud-
den determination, ives do it if thou'rt
SO set ont. Hoo isn't wan as I'd ha
thought o picl1in' fur myself but if
thou'rt satisfied all's rect
An thoun call round to Margaret's
Tomorrow wilto? an ak her to step
over here bit. I'd like to put her in
tn way a things afore I CO.
Mr. Atty assented; and the next day
donning his Sunday suit. but retain
ing his corduroy neither garments-a
costume eminently adapted to the sol
emn but business-like errand on which
he was bent-he duly betook himself to
the abode of poor Betty's prospective
successor.
Margaret HoptonstaH, a tall gaunt
| woman, with a frosty eye and an angu-
her back to the door and her bony arms
plunged up to the elbows in soap-suds
| Good afternoon, observed Tom
| diffidently, his eyebrows climbing a lit
tie further up his forehead than usual
4o'll have heerd as our missus is down
w tn titus an not expected to recover -
All, returned Margaret. II did hear
summat O. tn kind It'll be a bad lob
fur you. Mr.. Atty, won't it? Dun yo'
want me to lay her out or that?'
Not exactly" returned Tom. dole
fully, "hoo isn't dead yet, yo' see
Eh, butts allus well to look for ard
an not be leavin' things to the last"'
HOO toWd me to step round an AK
yo' to look in fur two-three minutes
Hoo's awful anxious to see yo', an
hood TAX it very kind o. yo to COON y
Margaret's face clouded, and she
she clacked her tongue against the roof
of her mouth before replying.
We'll, if it hadn't ha' been washin'
day, there'd ha' been no trouble about
it, but I'm i tn very thickest of my
wark now I'd ha' thought yor Betty
'ud ha' knowed Tuesday was busy day
WI me. Is it summit particlar?"
We'll, it is rayther partic'lar," said
Tom, while his eyebrows actually dis
appeared under his hat. Hoo wouldn t
ha' aXed it, I'm sure, wi'out it wur
thot. Hoo's awful troubled i her mind.
Margaret, and hoo allus thought dale
o you"
Miss Heptonstall slowly withdrew her
arms from the tub, wiped them, and
pulled down her sleeves; then she went
into the adjoining room, presently
emerging, bonneted and shawled
"Ill nobbut feed tn dumb things an
then I'm ready" she remarked
Tom stood by while two large black
cats were each provided with a saucer
of milk, and fat and ancient cooiie
dog invited to partake of an immense
dish of porridge; after which Margaret
sailed forth with pailful of scraps for
the hens.
''Yo' might give pigs their mate" she
observed, nodding sideways at an over
flowing bucket in the corner. It'll save
time"
Tom looked ruefully at his Sunday
coat and wondered what Betty would
say; but he did not venture to protest,
and neither was he possessed of suffi-
cient enterprise to doff the garment in
question before betaking him to his
task
At last they set off, Tom tagging
comfortably behind, according to his
invariable custom when escorting Bet
ty. But, to his annoyance, Margaret
accommodated her pace to his, and in
sisted on keeping abreast of him. She
asked questions, too, which required
answers, instead of keeping to the good
old-establishd rule which prescribes an
occasional placid remark on the one
hand and monosyllabic grunt on the
other.
When they arrived at his cottage he
ushered Miss Heptonstall to Betty's
orders, straight into the sick-room.
Betty was sitting up in bed, a flush on
her hollow cheeks and her eyes un-
usually bright. She received her Wis
tsa,re ~. 4 i
| sit yo' down, Margaret, do, and.
Tom, dunnot thou be for leavin' us.
Coon round here to cheer tother side
o. the bed"
Tom, who had been going out of the
! room, came back rather unwillngly,
walked round the bed, and sat down,
hitching up his trousers at the knees.
Betty thereupon at great length and
with much persuasive detail, broached
her plan to Margaret. whose astonish-
ment knew no bounds.
We'll, of alli' she began, when at
last a pause in Betty's speech enabled
her to put in word. WELL Betty! |
never could ha' dreamed O. sich a thing!
l never reckoned to change my condi-
ton at this time O. day, and I never did
hold wi men folks as how It's. Nay,
nay, no men fur me, I've allus saidi''.
'Ah, but, see yo, Margaret" cried
Betty warmly "our Toms not same S
other folks. Eh, he's that quiet and that
good-natured I could never tell you. l
scare know half my time whether he's
in tn house or out OF.
Here Toms countenance assumed an
expression of gratifed surprise, and he
hitched up the knees of his trousers
again.
Il welly believe theer never was sich
wan as our Toni Never no drinkin'
nor swearin' nor traipsin off to TIL
town o meets. Every penny of his wage
he hands over to me glar, an he'll
warlS-eh. deari how thot man O. mine
will wark. Never one minute idle"