The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-30

Sudden, someow. there didn't seem to be
any money There was chequcs-they was
bit OF paper written on and they was jes
as good as money-jes' as good If they come
from customers you knew. Then all OF
sudden they wasn't. was lef' with three
OF EN- and two I'd given change Then it
got about that fve-pun notes were no good.
and then the silver sort OF went off. Gold
you couldn't get for love or-anything. The
banks in London 'ad got It, and the banks
was all smashed up. Everybody went bank
rup' Everybody was thrown out of work.
Everybody"
He paused, and scrutnized his nearer.
The small boys intelligent face expressed
hopeless perplexity.
That's 'ow it 'appened," said old Tom.
He sought for some means of expression.
ut was like stoppin' @ clock" he said.
Things were quiet for bit, deadly quiet.
except for the airships fighting about in the
sky. and then people begun TO get excited. I
remember my lars customer, the very lars
customer that ever | lad. lie was a Mr..
Moses Gluckstein, city gent and very
pleasant and fond of sparrowgrass and
chokes, and g cut in-there 'adn't been no
customers for days-and began to talk very
fast, offerin' me for anything 'ad. anything.
petaties or anything, it's weight In gold. IG
said it was little speculation C wanted to
try. r said it was a sort OF bet RELY. and
very likely ed lose; but never mind that. @
wanted to try u always ad been gambler
e said. e said I'd only got TO weigh il out
and ed give me Ills check right away
We'll, that led to bit OF argument, perfect
respectful it was, but argument about
whether check was still good. and while
e was explaining there came by lot Of
these here unemployed with a great banner
they 'ad for every one to read-every ono
could read those days-We want Food
Three or four OF 'em suddenly turns and
comes into my shop.
Got any food?' says one
No | saws. mot n wish 'ad
but If 'ad. I'm afraid l couldn't let you
have it. This gent, 'e's been offerin'
Mr.. Cluckstein e tried TO stop me. but
Whats e been offerii' youe' says
great big chap with 'atchet; what's e been
oiferin' you?' ad to tell.
Boys e said. "ercs another feenancierr
ana they took i'm out there and then, and
'ung i'm on n mpose down the street
=" 4 never lifted finger TO resist After
tole on i'm e never said word
Tom meditated for space. First chap
ever sin 'ung!" he said.
Then there was strikes and Social.
ISM, things | never did old with, worse
and worse: There was fghtin ana shootn'
down. and burnin' and plundern.' They
broke up the banks up in London and got
the gold But they couldn't make food of
gold. 'Ow did we get on? Well. we
KEEP quiet We didn't Interfere with no-one
and no.one didn't interfere with us. We 'ad
some old tatoes about, but moccly we lived
on rats. Ours was a old ouse, full of rats.
and the famine never seemed TO bother EN-
Orfen we got q rat Orfen. But moce 81
the people VINO lived hereabouts was too ten.
der stummicked for rats. Didn't seem to
fancy EN-. They'd been used to all sorts
OF ialials, and they didn't take to 'onest feed
ing, not till 1t was too late. Died rather.
III was the famine began 10 kill people
Even before the Purple Death came along