The National tribune., 1902-09-25

took to take charge O. this money and In
going to do it; and | 'ope that when W
all sign on aboard the Planet there'l b'
a matter O. II pounds each left. Now,
don't want to be 'arsh with you, but In
going back to bed, and if l ave to ge
up and dress agin you'll wish yourselves
dead"
He went back to bed agin, and Peter
taking no notice of Ginger Dick, who KEEP
calling i'm a coward, got into bed along
side of Ginger and fell fast asleep.
They all 'ad breakfast in a coffee-shol
next morning, and arter it was over Gin
said that e and Peter Russet wanted :
little money to go on with. He said the!
preferred to get their meals alone, 81
Isaac's face took their appetite away.
Every good" ses the old man. 81 dom
want to force my company on nobody,
and after thinking ard for a minute o.
two he put is and in lis trOuser-pOcke
and gave them 1S pence each.
"Wot's this for?" ses Ginger, starin;
at the money. Matches"
That's your days allowance" se
pence for your dinner, fourpence for you
tea, and twOpence for crust O. brea'
and cheese for supper. And If you mus
go and drown yourselves in beer, tha
leaves threepence each to go and do i
with"
Ginger tried to speak to i'm, but ii
feelings was too much for i'm, and
couldn't. Then Peter Russet swalleret
something e was going to say and asket
old Isaac very perlite to make it quit
for i'm because he was going down t.
Colchester to see is mother, and e didn
want to go empty-'anded.
You're good son, Peter ses ole
Isaac, land l wish there was more lik'
you. I'll come down with you, if yOl
like; I've got nothing to do"
Peter said it was very kind of I'm, bu
ed sooner go alone, owing to his mother
being very shy afore strangers.
''Well, I'll come down to the station
and take ticket for yOu," ses Isaac.
Then Peter lost is temper altogether
and banged is fist on the table ant
Isaac whether e thought i'm and Ginger
Dick was a couple O. children, and e said
if e didn't give 'em all their money righ
away ed give i'm in charge Of the tirsl
policeman they met.
I'm afraid you didn't intend for to &C
and see your mother, Peter" ses the ole
man.
Look 'ere," ses Peter, "are you going
to give us that money!
Not if you went down on your bended
knees" ses the old man.
Every good" ses Peter, getting up and
walking outside; then come along O. me
to find a policeman"
I'm agreeable" ses Isaac, "but I've
got the paper you signed"
Peter said e didn't care twopence If
ed got 80 papers, and they walked along
looking for a policeman, which was a very
unusual thing for them to do.
Il 'Ope for your sakes it wont be the
same policeman that you and Ginger Dick
set on in Gun Alley the night afOre you
shipped on the Planet" ses Isaac, purs,
ing up is lips.
"'Tain't likely to be-" ses Peter, be-
ginning to wish e 'adn't been SO free with
Us tongue.
Still, if tell i'm, 1 dessay he'll soon
find i'm ses Isaac; there's one coming
along now, Peter; shall stop imp
Peter Russet looked at i'm and then he
looked at Ginger, and they walked by
grinding their teeth. They stuck to Isaac
all day, trying to get their money out o
i'm, and the names they called i'm was a
surprise even to themselves. And at night
they turned the room topsy-turvy agin
looking for their D:oney and 'ad more un-
when they wanted Isaac to
get up and let 'em search the bed.
They 'ad breakfast together agin next
and Ginger tried another tack.
He spoke quite nice to Isaac, and 'ad
three large cups O. tea to show i'm 'Ow
e was beginning to like it, and when the
old man gave 'em their 1S pences e smiled
and said ed like a few shillings extra
that day.
It'll be all right, isaac" he ses. Il
wouldn't ave a drink if you asked me to.
Don't seem to care for it now. l was
saying so to you ony last night, wasn't
I, Peter"
"You was," ses Peter; $50 was l."
"Then I've done you good, Ginger" ses
Isaac, clapping i'm on the back.
you ave" ses Ginger, speaking be-
tween his teeth, "and l thank you for
it. 1 don't want drink; but thought O.
going to a music-'all this evening""
"Going to a wot?" ses old Isaac, draw
ing 'imself up and looking very shocked.
"a music'all?" ses Isaac; "why, it's
worse than pub, Ginger. l should be a
very poor friend O. yours if | let you 90
couldn't think of it,
'.Wot's it got to do with you, you gray
whiskered serpent!" screams Ginger, arr
us alone? why don't you mind your own
business? It's our money"
Isaac tried to talk to i'm, but he
wouldn't listen, and he made such fuss
that at last the coffee-shop keeper told
i'm to go outside. Peter followed i'm
out, and being very upset they went on
and spent their DAYS allowance in the
first hour, and thea they walked about
the streets quarreling as to the death
they'd like old Isaac to ave when lis time
came.
They went back to their lodgings at
dinner time; but there was no sign of the
old man, and, being 'ungry and thirsty,
they took all their spare clothes to a
pawnbroker and got enough money to go
on with. Just to show their independence
they went to two music-'a 'alls, and with a
sort of idea that they was doing Isaac
a bad turn they spent every farthing
afore they got 'ome, and sat up in bed
telling i'm about the spree they'd 'ad.
At 8 O'Clock in the morning Peter woke
up and saw, to lis surprise, that Ginger
Dick was dressed and carefully folding
up old Isaacs clothes. At first e thought
the old mans things like that, but afore
e could speak Ginger noticed that e was
awake, and stepped over to i'm and whis-
pered to i'm to dress without making a
noise. Peter did as e was told, and, more
puzzled than ever, saw Ginger make up
all the old mans clothes in a bundle and
creep out Of the room on tiptoe.
"Going to 'ide lis clothes?' e ses.
Yes ses Ginger, leading the way
downstairs; ''in pawnshOp. Well make
the old man pay for today's amusements. ("
Then Peter see the joke and e began
to laugh SO ard that Ginger 'ad to threat
en- to knock lis 'ead off to quiet i'm. Gin
ger laughed 'imself when they got out
side, and at last, arter walking about till
the shops opened, they got into a pawn
brokers' and put old Isaac's clothes up