The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-06-23

stretched on the fender. His wife's
half-eaten dinner was getting cold on
the table; Mr.. Grummit, who was
badly in need of cheering up, emptiej
her half-empty glass Of beer and
wiped his lips with the back of his
hand.
"Come away, I tell you," he called.
"D'ye hear? Come away. You'll be
locked up II you don't"
He gave a little laugh at the sa"-
casm, and sticking his short pipe in
his mouth lurched slowly to the front
room door and scowled at his wife
as she lurked at ,Ae back of the
window watching intensely the fur
niture which was being carried In
next door.
Come away or else you'll be lock-
ed up" repeated Mr.. Grummitt. "You
mustn't look at policemen's furniture;
it's agin the law"
Mrs. Grummit made no reply, but,
throwing appearances to the winds,
stepped to the window until her nose
touched, as a walnut sideboard with
bevelled glass back was tenderly
borne inside under the personal SUI
pervision of Police-C Constable Evans.
"They'll be 'aving pianner next"
said the indignant Mr.. Grummitt,
peering from the depths of the room.
They've got one," responded his
wife; there's the end of 1t stickin'
up in the van"
Mr.. Grummitt advanced and re-
garded the end fixedly. "Did you
throw all them tin cans and things
into their yard wot told you TOT"
he demanded.
He picked ND three OF 'em while
was upstairs" replied his wife. Il
card i'm tell her that they'd come In
handy for paint and things"
That's 'ow coppers get on and buy
planners" said the incensed Mr..
Grummit, "sneaking other peoples
property. I didn't tell YOU to throw
good 'uns over, did I? Wot dye
mean by IT."
Mrs. Grummit made no reply, but
watched with bated breath the tri-
umphal entrance of the piano. The
carman set II tenderly on the narrow
footpath, while p. G. Evans. STOPPING
low, examined It at all points, and
Mrs. Evans. raising the lid, struck n
few careless chords.
Showing off," explained Mrs.
Grummit. with half turn; "and
she's got fingers like carrots"
"It's a disgrace to Mulberry Gard
ners to ave a conner come and live In
IT," said the indignant Grummlt;
"and to come and live next to me!
that's what I can't get over To
come and live next door to man wot
has been fined twice, and both times
wrong. Why. for two pins I'd go IN
and smash is pianner hrst and i'm
after It. He won't live ERE long, you
take my word for Il.
"Why not?" incurred his wife.
"Why?" repeated Mr.. Grummit.
why? Why, becos I'll make the
place too 'ot to hold him. Amt there
enough houses in Tunwich without
i'm a-coming and living next door to
me?"
For a whole week the brain con-
cealed in Mr.. Grummit's bullet-shap-
ed head worked in vain. and his tenn
per got correspondingly bad. The
day after the Evans arrival he had
found his yard Uttered with tins
which he recognized as old acquaih-
tances, and since that time they had
travelled backwards and forwards
with monotonous regularity. They
sometimes made as many as three
Journeys a day, and on one occasion
the heavens opened to drop battered
tin bucket on the back Of MI. Grum-
NIT as he was tying his bootlace.
Five minutes later he spoke OF the
outrage to Mr.. Evans, who had come
out to admire the sunset.
81 heard something fall" said the