The National tribune., 1902-09-25

Isaac was asking i'm about is clothes
agin.
Don't bother me about your clothes, u
ses Ginger; talk about something else
for a change" ~
where are they?" ses Isaac, sitting on
the edge of is bed.
Ginger yawned and felt in lis waistcOat
pocket-for neither of 'em 'ad undressed
and then e took the pawn-ticket out
and threw it on the floor. 1sacc picked
it up, and then e began to dance about
the room as if e d gone mad.
"Do you mean to tell me you've pawned
my clothes?" he shouts.
ME and Peter did," ses Ginger, sitting
up in bed and getting ready for row.
Isaac dropped on the bed agin all of q
'eap. "And wot am to do?' he ses
IF you be'ave YOURSELF" ses Ginger,
''and give us our money, me and Peter'll
go and get 'em out agin. When we've
| 'ad breakfast, that is. There's no hurry u
Isaac; ''it was all sewn up in the lining
of the coat. I've on'y got about five shill-
ings. You've made a nice mess of it, Gin,
ger, you ave"
You're a silly fool, Ginger, that's wot
you are" ses Peter.
Sewn up in the lining Of the coat I?
| ses Ginger, staring.
three pounds of gold 'idden in the cap
Did you pawn that tOo?"
Ginger got up in is excitement and
walked up and down the room. I'VE must
go and get 'em out at once" e ses.
And where's the money to do it with!
| ses Peter.
Ginger 'adn't thought of that, and il
| seemed to be able to think of way of
getting the other 10 shillings wOt was
wanted, and Ginger was so upset that e
took no notice Of the things Peter kept
saying to i'm.
Lets go and ask to see 'em, and say
we left railway-ticket in the pocket,
ses Peter.
Isaac shook is 'ead. There's on'y one
way to do it." e ses. I'VE shall ave to
pawn your clothes, Ginger, to get mine
out with"
That's the on'y way, Ginger" ses Pc
ter, frightening up. Now, wot's the
good O. carrying on like that! It's no
worse for you to be without your clothes
for a little while than it was for pore old
Isaac"
1t took 'em quite arf an hour afOre
they could get Ginger to see it. First of
all e wanted Peters clothes to be took
instead of lis, and when Peter pointed
out that they was too shabby to fetch 1O
shillings e ad a lot O nasty things to say
about wearing such old rags, and at last,
in a terrible temper, e took lis clothes off
and pitched 'em in a cap on the floor.
IF you amt back in arf an hour, Pc
ter" e ses, scowling at i'm, you'll ear
from me, can tell you"
Don't you worry about that" ses
Isaac, with a SMILE I'm going to take
'em."
You" ses Ginger; "but you can't.
You amt got no Clothes"
I'm going to wear Peters," ses Isaac,
with a smile.
Peter asked i'm to listen to reason, but
it was all no good. He'd got the pawn
ticket, and at last Peter, forgetting all
he'd said to Ginger Dick about using bad
langwidge, took lis clothes off, one by one,
and dashed 'em on the floor, and told
Isaac some of the things e thought of
i'm.
The old man didn't take any notice of
i'm. He dressed 'imself up very slow
and careful in Peters clothes, and then
e drove 'em nearly crazy by wasting time
making is bed.
BE as quick as you can, Isaac" ses
Ginger, at last; "think Of us two a-sitting
ere waiting for you"
Il shan't forget it," ses Isaac, and e
came back to the door after ed gone arf-
way down the stairs to ask 'em not to go
out on the drink while e was away.
1t was 8 o'clock when he went, and at
ha'-past 8 Ginger began to get impatient
ard wondered wot 'ad 'appened to i'm,
and when 10 o'clock came and no Isaac
they was both leaning cut of the winder
with blankets over their shoulders looking
up the road. By IL o'clock Peter was in
very low spirits and Ginger was SO mad
e was afraid to speak to i'm.
They spent the rest O the day 'anging
out Of the winder, but it was not till ha'-
past 4 in the afternoon that Isaac, still
wearing Peters clothes and carrying a
couple of large green plants under is arm,
turned into the road, and from the way
e was smiling they thought it must be
all ! right. , ,.o,, ,..,, .,,o, ,onr ,;r,o
for" ses Ginger, in a low, fierce voice,
as Isaac stopped underneath the winder
and nodded up to 'em.
II met a old friend" ses Isaac.
passion. "Wot dye mean, wasting time
like that while we was sitting up ere
waiting and starving"
II 'adn't seen i'm for years." ses Isaac,
"and time slipped away afore l noticed
II dessay," ses Ginger, in bitter voice.
"Well, is the money all rightF'
81 don't know" ses Isaac; Il amt got
the clothes"
"Wot?' ses Ginger, nearly falling out
Of the winder. "Well, wot ave you done
with mine, then? Where are they? Come
upstairs"
II won't come upstairs, Ginger" ses
Isaac, because Pm not quite sure wheth-
er I've done right. But I'm not used to
going into pawnshops, and walked about
trying to make up my mind to go in and
couldn't"
"Well, wot did you do then?' ses Gin
ger, 'ardly able to contain hisself.
while 1 was trying to make up my
mind" ses old Isaac, Il see a man with
a barrer of lovely plants. e wasn't ask
ing money for 'em, only old clothes"
"Old clothesW ses Ginger, in voice as
il e was being suffocated.
81 thought they'd be bit o green for
you to look at" ses the old man, 'olding
the plants up; there's no knowing 'Ow
long you'll be up there. The big one is
yours, Ginger, and the other is for Pc
ter"
"'Ave you gone mad, IsaacW ses Pc
ter, in a trembling voice, arter Ginger
'ad tried to speak and couldn't.
Isaac shook lis 'ead and smiled up at
'em, and then, arter telling Peter to put
Gingers blanket little more round lis
shoulders, for fear e should catch cold,
e said ED ask the landlady to send 'em
up some bread and butter and cup O.
tea.
They 'eard i'm talking to the landlady
at the door, and then e went off in
hurry without looking behind i'm, and the
landlady walked up and down on the other
side of the road with 'er apron stuffed
in 'er mouth, pretending to be looking at