The times., 1899-05-07
THE LITTLE 'UN.


selves outside The North Star. in Cur
sitor Street. One lolled apart against the
doorpost FIVE leaned in row with their
backs set scuarely against the front Of the
public house.
Smoking and blinking thus in the warmth
of the afternoon sun, they had snooZed TO
such a blissful languor that when, at wide
intervals, one of them revived sufficiently
TO mutter half-inteIligible remark, none
of the others would exert himgeif to an
swer IT,
They were law staticners' clerks be-
Gained in a long vacation Law Offices wers
closed, lawyers were away on their holi-
days, aad the lean scrihes Of the profession
had rarely more than three days work to
do in a week They were lounging there
today. these six, rs they had lounged there
yesterday. and would probably lounge
again tomorrow.
The man who dozed apart against the
doorpost was the Oldest and the shabbiest
Of the group. He was tall. wi,hered man,
with a large head. heavy little sacks under
his sleepy eyes, and q slightly bulhous
nose. His mustaohe and heard were
scanty and untrimmed. and his general eX-
preston was morose and uninvting. The
large head appeared larger than II was by
reason of the NANCY tall hat bsing a size
too small for il. He wore tightly but
toned frock coat that was faded to green
ish brown, and graz trousers. very baggy
at the knees, and very frayed about his
boot tops; the boots were disgracefully
down at the heel. and there were black
streaks in the bend OF his left sleeve where
he wiped his pen.
Yes. VIXEN l heard you'd got the d.
It's agen. Mr.. FAINT" drawled the nearest
idler to him, resuming a somnolent muir
mur he had commenced and discontinued
a few minutes before, u said to young
Freddy here
''It wasn't D. It's this time" Mr.. FAINT
gloomily interposed, lit was only pleu-
risy."
well. we heard It was. Freddy l
said. we shan't see i'm any more. The
third go's always fatal l don't old with
goin' to excess. don't; let it be warnin'
TO you,' i said. never to ave more'n
two
I'VE did talk" grinned Freddy. lazily
corroborating him. ''of subscribin' for a
little wreath-we felt so sure of it,
Mr.. FAINT remained passive and imper-
yious.
The other two were drifting back into a
oontented stupor when all of a sudden
somebody whistled. Instantly six pairs of
eyes opened. and flashed all in the same
direction. A dusty, pallid man stood beck
oaing from the doorway of a law station
er's shop across the road.
Job for somebody" growled one of the
six. Go on. Freddy. It's your turn
Freddy's long legs were galvanized into
spasnlodic activity, and he went.
OF the other five. two retired into The
North Star for consultation. three sank
back into their former listless attitudes,
and relit their pipes.
They were lulled by the snore of the
traffic in Chancery Lane. out beyond the
end OF the street. Now and then an in
trusive cart would rattle nosily past them.
otherwise the quiet of the place was undis-
turbed. except for the monotonous grum-
BILE and thump of printing machines in
some adjacent works.
Presently a perspiring Italian wheeled a
piano organ into the street, and, affabiy
grimacing. drew up exactly opposite THE
North Star" A weary female who accom-
panied him attached herself mechanically
to the hanile and proceeded to turn out
tune. She scattered the notes of a
blithe prelude into the air. and, with the
melancholy perseverance of an automatic
effigy. dashed on to rollick.ng melody
The loungers were startled into wake
fulness. Mr. FAINT glanced round about as
II expecting to see something or somebody
else beside the organ and the organist. and
all Of them looked and listened with q GGll
enjoyment. The tune was of the music
hall yariety-a frivolous. lifting air that
got into the feet of its hearers as an in
toxicant goes to the head. Several indii-
ferent heels drummed in time on the pave
ment outside THE North Star" printers
boys. temporarily emancipated from the
neighboring works. iigged on the curb and
sang snatches OF the chorus; and. in a
fash, as if one joyous note of the music
had materiaiiZed into visibility. tiny,
golden haired, dimpled baby girl was out
there in the road fiuttering her threadbare
skirts in quaint little dance. her small
feet flying SO airily they scarcely seemed
to touch the ground at all.
Here's the little uni" chuckled one o.
the loafers. Thought it would soon bring
her out"
Il saw her comm down the court. Don't
she do it treat"
Some youngster that lives in the same
house an dances in pantomimes-she
taught her. She told me So
Mr. Fant said nothing, but his ewes be-
gan TO sparkle. and he watched her, rapt
and silent.
And the tiny feet went merrily. as II
they would never grow tired, and round
and round bobbed thc happy. buoyant lit
tle fgure-such little. little figure. and
so lithsome that the first puff of wind
might almost have caught it up and car
ried it floating and wayering away like
the downy. feathery ball that is blown
from a dendelion.
Half way through a fantastic circlinc
movement she unexpectedly caught sight
of Mr.. FAINT, and. with a cry of delight,
ran straight from the middle of her dance
toward him.
Uncle Fant," she piped. in her pretty,
childish treble. Uncle FAINT, Where you
bin? They said you wouldn't come bach
no more
Did they?' Mr. FAINT smiled pleasantly
and stopped to pinch her cheek. and wher
Mr.. FAINT smiled you would hardly have
recognized him as the same man. his feat.
ures were SO softened and humanized
But have come back. you see. and hert
j am"
Has you bin poorly?"
''Yes. little 'un.''
Uncle Fant!" She had taken one o