Evening star., 1924-10-12

llUS Oiu Jerry
~ nursery and, crossing the
i A stile, stepped into the glare OF
the white road. He carried
an ash stick, and the rest of his
worldly belongings in a spotted red
and white handkerchief. He was
hungry and he eyed, critically. the
potentiai possibilities of a cottage
standing back from the road. 1t was
- shabby little three-roomed affair,
with fowls running in and out of the
front door some washing on a line,
and the sound of a child crying with
in. While he was hesitating a farm
laborer came through a gate to an
adjoining field and walked toward
the cottage. One hand balanced a
steel fork across his shoulder. AS
he came up the tramp said:
Where does this road lead to, mate ?"
The laborer replied brusquely:
"Pondhurst."
sHow far?"
"1'hree and a half miles"
He walked Stolidly across the road
and entered the garden OF the cot
tagc. The tramp watched him enter
the cottage, and he heard "A woman's
voice. He sighed and muttered into
his stubby red beard: Lucky devil
Then, hunching his shoulders, he set
out down the white road.
Having kicked some mud Oft his
boots, the aborer, Martin Crosby,
said to his wife:
Dinner ready"
She answered petulantly:
NO, it isn't. You'll have TO wait
another 10 minutes. the 'taters arent
cooked. I've enough to do this morn
ing. ! can tell Yer, what with this
washing, and Lizzie screaming with
her teeth, and the bler going
wrong
Ugh, There's alIus somethin'.'
Martin went out into the garden
and lighted his pipe. The fowls
clucked round his feet and he kicked
them away. He, too, was hungry.
However. there would be food of a
sort-in time. When YOU work in the
open air all day YOU can eat any,
thing. The sun was pleasant on his
face, the shaS pungent and comfort
ing. If only old Emma weren't such
Il muddler, \ good enough piece Of
goods when at her best, but no man
agement. Lizzie months old and
two teeth through already. \ lovely
child. the image of-what her mother
must have been. Life wasn't SO bad
really.
The gate clicked and the tall figure
of Ambrose Baines appeared. Tucked
under his arm was d gun. with its two
barrels pointing at the ground. He
Letter. He called out:
'Mornin. Martin"
Martin replied: "Mornin'."
''I was just passin'. The missus
says YOU can have - cookin' or 50 OF
runner beans il YOU wants EN-. We've
got more than enough. and | hear as
yours is blighty.'
''Oh. ay, than'ec.
"Middliu' hot today.
NY terrible hot
"Whenll YOU be comn':''
III stroll over now. There's noHt
to do. I'm waitin' dinner. l 'Specks
it'll be a half hour or So"
He went inside, fetched a basket and
1ejoined Baines in the road. They
Strolled through the cutting and got
into the back of the gamekeeper's s
garden. Martin went along the row
and filled his basket. Baines left him
and went into his cottage. He could
hear Mrs. Baines singing and wash
ing up.
Of course. they had their dinner.
Mrs. Baines was q marvel. On one or
TWO occasions Martin had entered
their cottage. Everything was spick-
and-span and done on time. The two
children always seemed to be clean
and quiet. Mrs. Baines could cook,
and she led the hymns at church--so
they said. Even the garden was neat
and trim and fruitful. Mrs. Baines
appeared at the door and called out:
"Mornin', Mr.. Crosby"
He replied gruff1y: "Mornin', Mrs.
Baines"
"Middlin' hot"
".\y 9. terrible. hot
She was not what YOU would call a
pretty woman, but she was natty,
competent. irrepressibly cheerful. She
would make shilling go as far as
Emma would a pound. The cottage
had five rooms, all in a good state of
repair. Baines paid no rent: Martin
had to- pay ) shilings 4 week. and
then the roof leaked. and the boiler
never worked proper!y-but perhaps
that was ENNIS fault. He heard the
two children laughing and Baines'
voice joining in.
Some people do have luck Martin
murmured, and went back to his wife.
x :: :: x
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch pail of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
TT was very pretty-the way Winny
i Baines sang that, balancing the
smaller boy on her knee and jerking
him skyward on the last word. She
was pretty enough to Ambrose, with
her clear skin, kind, motherly eyes
and thin brown hair
She's too good for me- Ambrose
would think at odd moments. She
didn't ought to be a gamekeeper's
wife"
She was a wonderful woman. She
managed 50 well; she never COM
planned OF course, SO far as the ma
terial necessities were concerned,
there was enough and to spare, and
yct-he would have liked to have
made things better for Winny. There
never seemed q chance to save, and
soon there would be the boys school
ing.
At dawn he would wander through
the coppiccs, drenched in dew, the
gun under his arm and the dog close
to heel. Life would be good then. and
Vet somchow-it was not Winny'S s
life. Only through their children did
they seem to know each other.
"Oo-Ambrose, the other boy was
tugging at his beard. when Winny
spoke. He pretended to scream with
pain before he turned to his wife.
Yes, my dear?'
will you be passing NIr. Meads'
shop? We have run out of candles.'
oh? Roight be, my love. Ill be
nigh there afore sundown. I have to
order seed from CrumblingS.'
At Mr.. Meads' shop he had to walt
while several women were being
served.
Mrs Meads came in through a par
lor at the back. She was going to a
welfare meeting at the Wears. She
sid.
Good evening, Mr.. Baines, hope you
are all nicely"
The parlor door was open, and Am
brose could see Il maid Ill cap and
al vi fao n a