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diff --git a/42835.txt b/42835.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4da09e8..0000000 --- a/42835.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6628 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Tommy Tregennis, by Mary Elizabeth Phillips, -Illustrated by M. V. Wheelhouse - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: Tommy Tregennis - - -Author: Mary Elizabeth Phillips - - - -Release Date: May 29, 2013 [eBook #42835] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOMMY TREGENNIS*** - - -E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Matthew Wheaton, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file - which includes the lovely original illustrations in color. - See 42835-h.htm or 42835-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42835/42835-h/42835-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42835/42835-h.zip) - - - - - -TOMMY TREGENNIS. - -by - -MARY E. PHILLIPS. - -Illustrated by M. V. Wheelhouse. - - - - - - - -New York -E.P.Dutton & Company -Publishers - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - _Facing page_ - - Still the ladies talked only to Mammy 20 - - When breakfast was over, Tommy led Dobbin proudly up and down - the alley 24 - - "My lamb," she murmured, "my own precious lamb" 50 - - It was very slow progress that the two made along the uneven - cobbles 94 - - Towards evening Mrs Tregennis grew restless and uneasy, and went - down to the front and looked out anxiously over the angry sea - 122 - - At the Cobbler's window she stopped 152 - - On the day of Granny's funeral, Old John took care of Tommy 186 - - - - -TOMMY TREGENNIS - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -There was Daddy, of course, and Mammy and home. Outside home was the -world, and the world was a stretch of golden sand. It was a very -perplexing world to a small boy, for it had a trick, when one least -expected it, of hiding under the sea. At such times the confines of -the world narrowed, and the world itself became a succession of rocky -ledges entirely made up of don't-go-there-Tommy places, and most of -the fun was spoiled. - -There was always the danger, too, in the world of rocks that clothes -would not stand the extra strain they were called upon to bear. In -sliding down their sea-washed sides "Take care of your trousers, ma -handsome!" was forgotten until the bottom of the rock was reached and -the mischief done. Tommy's trousers were never very durable even in -the beginning of things, for they were made out of Mammy's worn-out -skirts and cast-off coats (all but the Sunday pair, that is) and so -little friction seemed to wear them into holes. - -Just as often as the warning concerning his clothes was given him, -just so often did Tommy disregard it, but never were the consequences -so disastrous as on that July evening when he walked slowly up the -cobble-paved alley to his home; a boy who had lost his illusions; a -boy who regarded sliding down sloping rocks as a highly over-rated -form of enjoyment. With one fat hand he held together a yawning rent, -while with the other now and again he rubbed his eyes. Slowly he -trailed unwilling feet over the cobbles, and only half-heartedly did -he kick the little pile of dust left under the wall near the Church -door, neglected by the dustman on his morning round. - -Mammy was standing in the doorway and saw him coming. "Surely this -cannot be Tommy Tregennis?" she said, in a puzzled, uncertain voice. - -Tommy's heart stood still. Suppose she didn't know him; suppose she -wouldn't have him in the house; suppose he had to sit out on the -cobble-stones all night! There was no end to the awful supposings. - -However "'Tis me, Mammy!" he explained, and tried to put matters on a -pleasant basis by butting her in the stomach as he ran head foremost. - -But Mammy drew back, a hurt, surprised look in her eyes. "It _sounds_ -like Tommy Tregennis's voice," she said uncertainly, "but surely -neither Tommy Tregennis nor his faather ever comes home with they -trousers tore! I'm just waitin' for ma handsome, now," she -volunteered, "he's been out playin' in the----" - -"I'm your handsome, Mammy," declared a choking, muffled voice. "I'm -your Tommy, I am, but I've tore me trousers on the Skiddery Rock." - -It was dreadful to make such a confession, but necessity calls for -decided action; and the effect of the confession was good, for Mammy -admitted her graceless son and followed him into the kitchen. - -"No, don't sit down," she exclaimed, "let me see just what you've been -up to, young man. I'll tell your faather when he comes home, Tommy -Tregennis, you tearin' up the good trousers he goes to sea to get for -ee!" - -Unprotesting, Tommy was led up to bed. "To-morrow," suggested Mammy, -"you'd best run fast all the way to school so as no one shan't see ee, -and start early before they other children goes out." - -There was a moment's silence, then a wailing cry: "Oh, Mammy, Mammy, -can't ee mend they trousers to-night?" Conclusively Mammy proved the -impossibility of such rapid repair and it was a broken-hearted Tommy -who knelt in his little cot. "Bless Mammy, 'n Daddy, 'n make Tommy a -good boy. Please get me trousers mended, Amen." Then "Give I just -another chanst, Mammy, just one more chanst." - -"But you've said that again and again, Tommy Tregennis, an' it's just -been untruth, untruth every time." - -"Well, it'll be truth this time, Mammy, for sure it will; just one -more chanst." Then very pleadingly, "Put 'em in the rag-bag, Mammy." - -Mrs. Tregennis looked horrified. "An' that I won't, my son. Do you -think I be _made_ of trousers that I can afford to use them for -house-cleanin' just because you've got 'em tore slidin' on Skiddery -Rock?" And Mammy kissed her son somewhat coldly and went down the -creaking wooden stairs. - -There was no sleep for the culprit; the evening light coming in at the -window mocked his misery. The sea was going down now, and in the -distance he could hear the laughter of the children who still played -on the widening sands; the very children who, to-morrow, would laugh -at him, Tommy Tregennis, because his trousers was tore. - -He decided that he would leave for school before breakfast as Mammy -had advised, and run very fast all the way. But even so, Tommy was -five now, and when you are five years old you no longer sit on the -window-seat in Miss Lavinia's school-room. When you are five your legs -are supposed to be so long that you can be given an ordinary chair at -the long, narrow table. - -Of course it was very grand to be promoted from the window-seat; it -meant one was definitely growing up. In spite of the promotion Tommy -often had regrets, for the outside world, as viewed from the window, -was most attractive. The window opened on to Miss Lavinia's -back-garden, and there were always sparrows, and often cats; bees in -the summer, too, and the gay colours of the flowers. The window-seat -was very low (that was why it was your place when you were only four) -and it would have been so easy to sit down there backwards. But a -chair was quite another matter. That meant standing on a spindle -first, then stretching upwards before you turned round and sat; and -detection would seem inevitable. - -There was the new game, too; the game in which you all lay flat on the -ground in a ring and blew at the bonfire in the middle, having first -of all piled it up with leaves and sticks (pretending leaves and -sticks, of course). And you sang all the time. Then you crawled nearer -and nearer to the centre until Miss Lavinia said: "Take care, Tommy; -suppose you should burn!" and you wriggled hurriedly back to your -place in the ring. - -But for such games trousers must be entire. Tommy broke down utterly -and sobbed beneath the bed clothes. - -Mammy must still be standing in the doorway for now and again he heard -a heavy tread up the alley. "Evenin'," a hearty voice would say, and -"G'd evenin'," Mammy would reply. - -Then there came a much lighter step, and through the open window Tommy -heard another voice which caused him to still his sobs and sit up in -bed, his hands tightly clasped and his little chest heaving under the -flannelette nightshirt. - -"Good-evenin', Miss Lavinia." This was exactly what Tommy had feared. - -"I've just had to put my Tommy to bed. He's tore his trousers on the -rocks, and I cannot mend they to-night. He must come early to school -to-morrow and bide still all day, so that the children won't laugh at -him. Yes, thank you, Miss; if he may go back to the window-seat -that'll be fine, and Billy Triggs can have his chair, then they -children won't see." - -When these arrangements had been made Miss Lavinia said "Good-night" -and her footsteps died away round the corner. - -The evening light grew dimmer and dimmer. Grotesque shadows lengthened -in the room and Tommy was still wide awake. At last he could bear it -no longer. - -"Mammy, Mammy!" he cried; but there was no response. - -A second call, however, brought her to the foot of the stairs, for he -distinctly heard her toe hit the stair-rod at the bottom that held the -linoleum in place. So he knew that she was really listening and called -once more. "Mammy, Mammy, don't let anyone have me!" - -"But who should want _you_, Tommy Tregennis?" - -"I don't know, Mammy," he shouted back in his lusty, young voice. "I -don't know, but I thought if you was in the kitchen some one might -come up the stairs and get I." - -"But who should want to take you away, Tommy Tregennis? Who should -want a little boy as tears his trousers when his Daddy's away at sea?" - -There it was again! Even a fly, unpardonably late in going to bed, was -buzzing on the window-pane, "Tommy's tore his trousers; Tommy's tore -his trousers!" Finally the moon looked in at the window laughing at -his grief, and Tommy fell into a troubled sleep. - -Many hours later he was wakened by the striking of a match and a flare -of light. Mammy was putting the kettle on the spirit-lamp at her -bedside, and by this Tommy knew that Daddy was home again. Rubbing his -eyes he sat up and looked anxiously at the foot of his cot. He saw -that the torn trousers were no longer there. He gave a deep sigh of -relief; it was true then; he had feared that it was perhaps only a -dream. But they were not there, so now he knew that the odd little -red-haired man who danced in the moonlight had really taken away those -dreadful trousers to make them into tiny coats for the ten little boys -and girls whom he invariably left at home on his nights out. - -Sleepily Tommy watched his mother's movements. When she had poured -water into the tea-pot he crept into the big bed, and as soon as Daddy -came the feast began. Some potato and gravy from the cold pasty oozed -out of Tommy's share and fell upon his nightshirt. It was too good to -be left, so Tommy licked vigorously making very sure that none was -wasted. Quickly the midnight meal ended. - -"Now, ma handsome," said Mammy (she must have forgotten about the -trousers), "skip back to bed like a fly in a jaboon." - -So Tommy skipped. Daddy blew out the candle, and soon their regular -breathing testified that all three slept. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -After all Tommy Tregennis had breakfast at the proper time the -following morning; and although he left home a little earlier than -usual it was with no intention of hurrying. Rather did he choose to -swagger slowly through the crooked streets, while every now and again -he bent ostentatiously to pick up a stone to throw at a sparrow, or a -lamp-post, or an old tin in the gutter. It did not matter in the least -what he aimed at, sparrow, post or tin, for never by any chance did he -hit it; but it mattered greatly that those children who had laughed -last night, laughed while he was sobbing in bed, should know that -there was no need for him to stand upright unless he cared to do so. -Without shame he could now assume any attitude he chose. For Tommy -Tregennis wore a new pair of trousers! - -Tommy himself had not known of their existence, but weeks before, at -night while he slept, Mammy had planned and cut and sewn by the light -of the kitchen lamp. With puckered brow, and tightly compressed lips -holding two or three pins, she had spread her old green coat carefully -on the kitchen table, smoothed out every wrinkle, and upon it placed a -piece of newspaper which bore some resemblance to the shape of Tommy's -legs. - -The first plan was faulty; the curve of the arm-hole interfered. The -newspaper pattern was taken up, Mammy's mouth held more pins and her -frown grew deeper. It was only after much anxious thought that she -decided finally that it was possible to cut a strip from a sleeve of -the coat and join it to the top of the trousers in such a way that -when Tommy's jersey was well pulled down the seam would not show. So -the pattern was pinned on more firmly, the first cut was made -half-an-inch from the edge of the paper, and after that there was no -drawing back. - -As Mammy planned and pinned and cut and sewed in the yellow light of -the lamp the silence of the little kitchen was only broken by the fall -of a cinder now and again, and by the steady ticking of the clocks. - -One clock stood on the chimney-piece, a canister on either side, and -beyond each canister a china dog with staring yellow eyes. It was the -chimney-piece clock that told the time. Nailed to the wall, to the -left of the fireplace, with long slender chains dangling and throwing -shadows in the lamplight, hung a cuckoo clock that was Tommy's most -cherished possession. All day and all night it ticked steadily through -the hours, but as the hands never moved it was not considered -trustworthy more than once a day; this was at five minutes past -twelve, when (at any rate on Saturdays and Sundays) Mammy would look -up to the wall, and say: "Deary me, five minutes past twelve; my dear -soul, why 'tis time to put on the potaties!" - -As the clocks ticked, and the cinders fell, and the oil in the lamp -burned low, Mammy's deft fingers moved very busily, and her thoughts -were very busy too. They carried her a long way back--ten years back, -in fact--to the time before she was Mammy, to the days when Tommy, and -even Tommy's father, had not yet come into her life. - -She was just Ellen in those days; Ellen Pertwee really, but no one -seemed to remember that she had a second name more than once a year -when it was all written in full in her Sunday School prize. For four -years Ellen had been a willing little servant-maid at Tomses the -draper's, but when she was eighteen there was a great change in her -life, for she went to the doctor's as house-parlour-maid, and her -wages were twelve pounds a year. She was very hazy at the time as to -the meaning of her grand new title; but the money was very real, and -she remembered even now how dazzled she was at the thought of so much -gold. - -With her first month's wages, ten years ago, she had bought the cloth -for her new green coat. It had cost her much deliberation and several -sleepless nights, but at last she had gone back to Tomses on her -fortnightly night-out, and made the important purchase. Night after -night she had cut and shaped and pinned and stitched, much as she was -cutting and shaping now. At last the coat was finished (all sewn by -hand, too, for Ellen had no machine in those days) and she wore it in -Church on her next Sunday out. - -It was after Church that very night that Tom Tregennis, much to her -surprise, asked her to walk out with him, and----. Well, now the new -green coat was the old green coat, and was being made into trousers -for little Tommy Tregennis to wear! - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -So far Draeth is comparatively unknown, for it lies a little off the -beaten track and hurrying tourists do not find it easily. The Limited -Express does not pull up at Scard, the junction, but hurries on, -through beautiful country, from Plymouth to Falmouth without a stop. -Visitors to Draeth, therefore, travel by a slower train from Mill Bay -and leave the main line at Scard. Here, seizing their own hand-luggage -(for the porters, like the express, are limited, and unlike the -express are slow), they cross the line by the bridge, and pass along a -bit of dusty road, following the direction indicated by a painted hand -under which is written "To the Draeth and Scard Branch Railway." - -The independence of the branch line is emphasized by the fact that the -Draeth train remains just outside the station until all the passengers -are in line upon the platform. It then steams up alongside with much -unnecessary fuss. When at last it starts it runs very slowly and the -line is single, but as a precaution against possible accidents an iron -bar passes across the window of each compartment. Thus, if a traveller -wishes to look out at the narrow East Draeth river, at the willows and -alders on its banks, and at the clumps of Rose Bay and Willowherb that -give rich colour to the line, he rubs his nose on the dusty bar while -he knocks his forehead on the window-frame above. - -So steep is the gradient from Scard to Draeth that half-way there the -train stops, and the engine steams away alone. Returning it is coupled -at the rear and now pulls the train backward at first doubling on its -track. Those who cannot travel facing the engine change places with -those who cannot sit with their backs in the direction in which they -are going. By the time these changes are effected the narrow East -Draeth river expands into a wide sheet of water if the tide is up, or -into a series of mud flats when the tide is low. Five minutes later -the train enters what is surely the prettiest of all Cornish stations, -and the journey is at an end. - -There was a man once who lived in Draeth who made many plans for -beautifying and improving the town. He built the Frying Pan Pier, and -it was he, too, who opened up the Pentafore Estate. The branch railway -also owes its existence to him. He dreamed of a modern sea-front all -asphalt and glittering lights, of a grand Hydro, too, which was to -front the sea on a commanding bit of cliff-coast less than a mile -eastward of the town. But he died and his plans came to naught, and -Draeth is still just Draeth! - -Beyond the station the East and West rivers join and together run out -to sea, dividing East Draeth from West Draeth and forming a safe -harbour for the fishing smacks that have safely weathered so many -storms. Lately the fishing has been poor in Draeth because the -steam-trawlers have driven away the fish, and in winter there is much -poverty in the town. - -It was dread of the winter that led the Tregennises to give up their -three-roomed cottage and move into a house that had eight windows in -the front and rose three stories high. The change was made in April so -that all might be in readiness for the summer and the visitors the -summer brought. - -The new home was only a stone's throw from the old one, and there was -much running backwards and forwards between the two houses, much -fetching and carrying, until the last moments in the old home came, -and nothing remained but to lock the door and give up the key to the -landlord. Then Mrs. Tregennis leaned up against the kitchen sink and -cried, while Tommy, not in the least understanding why, cried, too. - -"Mammy," he wailed, "Oh, Mammy, what've I done to ee?" "Done, ma lamb, -done?" Mrs. Tregennis spoke breathlessly between her sobs. "Why, -nothin', ma handsome; you're just the best little boy as ever I had." - -Then, having wiped Tommy's eyes and her own with a large red-bordered -handkerchief, Mrs. Tregennis ran upstairs for the last time, took one -more look at the empty rooms and, with set mouth and without a -backward glance, came slowly down the stairs. She took Tommy's hand in -hers, and silently and tearfully mother and son passed through the -open door, locked it behind them and crossed the cobble-stone alley -to the imposing double-fronted house which was henceforth to be home. - -Much more furniture was wanted in the three-storied house than in the -forsaken cottage, and for some months past the Tregennis family, -Daddy, Mammy and Tommy had attended all the neighbouring sales. They -were almost too nervous to bid when the articles they wished to buy -were put up for auction; when shame-facedly they had made their nod -they were held upon the tenterhooks of despair while some one else, -who could not possibly want the goods as much as they did, bid against -them and so raised the price. - -Now the furnishing was complete. The kitchen and one bedroom held the -old things, but in the other four rooms Mrs. Tregennis arranged with -pride the bargains collected at the sales, and the new things sent out -from a Plymouth shop. - -It was all so grand and wonderful that she could scarcely realize that -the rooms were her very own. Morning after morning, for many weeks, as -soon as she was dressed, she opened the door of the tiny sitting-room -on the first floor and looked round almost with awe on its beauty and -newness. On tiptoe she then advanced into the room, picked a piece of -cotton off the gay Brussels carpet, dusted an imaginary fleck from the -green art-serge tablecloth, and stroked out the fringe of the plush -mantel-border. Then, having slightly altered the position of one of -the velvet upholstered chairs, she passed out with a sigh of -contentment, and gently closed the door behind her. - -The final act of preparation in the new house was to hang up, in the -lower sitting-room window, a long narrow card bearing in gold letters -the word "Apartments." After this the Tregennis family settled down -and waited. - -June was a blank month for Draeth that year. It was unusually wet and -cold, and very few visitors came to the little fishing-town, and none -at all to the double-fronted house. Whenever a stranger walked up the -alley Mrs. Tregennis's hopes rose high, but not until July did anyone -knock at her door and ask about the price of rooms. Outwardly Mrs. -Tregennis was very calm but her inward agitation was great. She -displayed her rooms with pride, they were taken, and after that with -one party and another she was busy until the end of August. - -Early in September, towards the end of the afternoon, she was -interrupted in her dressing by the rapping of knuckles on the door. -She buttoned her bodice as she came downstairs, shook out her skirts -and hurriedly put on an apron before she opened it. "We wondered if -you could take us in just for the night," said the taller of two -ladies who stood on the step. "We are on a cycling tour and are going -on further to-morrow." - -"Please come in," said Mrs. Tregennis, and they passed into the -downstairs sitting-room, which was just on the left-hand side of the -door. - -"We've tried so many places," said the lady who had already spoken, -"and no one can take us." - -Mrs. Tregennis pulled forward two Windsor chairs for the ladies and -stood before them smoothing a non-existent crease from her white -apron. - -"Well, I might manage it, Miss," she said, "if the young gentleman -didn't mind, for I have this room free." - -"Oh, I do wish you could, for it's getting late to go on, and we're so -tired." - -"It would be no better to go on, Miss, the rooms at all the places is -full, I know. It's like this, you see, Miss." Mrs. Tregennis again -smoothed her apron. "Two young gentlemen really belongs to a party at -my sister-in-law's and only sleeps here, they have one bedroom. -Another young gentleman has the other bedroom and the upstairs -sitting-room. If it should be as how he would have a chair-bed in his -sitting-room for the night, then you could have his room." - -"Well, I do hope he will, Mrs. ----?" - -"Tregennis, Miss." - -"But Mrs. Tregennis, if the young gentleman doesn't wish to sleep on a -chair-bed what shall we do?" - -"There's the Royal Standard, Miss." - -"No, we had a very unsatisfactory lunch there, badly cooked and badly -served; the waitress wore a dirty apron and her hair was in curling -pins. We really couldn't go there!" - -"Well, Miss, will you call again in an hour's time; the young -gentleman will be in then, and I'll let you know for certain." - -"Tom," she said, when they had left, "there's two young ladies asking -for rooms for the night. They're on a cycling tour, but they'd no -bikes with them, and they hadn't a scrap of luggage. I've said I'll -take them if the young gentleman doesn't mind the chair-bed." - -Tregennis slowly uncrossed his legs as he sat in front of the kitchen -fire, and with his forefinger re-arranged the tobacco in the bowl of -his pipe. "Well, Ellen," he said slowly, "and suppose they be just -frauds?" - -"All I can say is as they don't look it, an' after all we'm got to -take our risks. A room for one night isn't much, but all the littles -add up, and the summer's nearly gone." After a pause she resumed. "The -Royal Standard isn't good enough for they, Thomas Tregennis, I'd have -you know, when folks wants things done in real style they comes to the -likes of we." - -Mrs. Tregennis cleared her throat and prepared her husband's tea. - -Two hours later the ladies had brought their bicycles and carry-alls -from the hotel-stable, and were sitting down to supper in Mrs. -Tregennis's sitting-room, for the young gentleman had proved most -accommodating in the matter of the chair-bed. - -It was after supper that the meeting with Tommy took place. The -arrival of unexpected visitors had put off his bedtime, and when these -visitors passed the kitchen door on their way out, he had only just -had his bath. He was standing on a chair while Mammy vigorously -brushed up his stiff fair hair. Peeping out below the pink nightshirt -were toes almost as pink as his flushed little face. All the time his -hair was being rubbed and brushed, he went through a rhythmic motion -of the body, slowly bending his knees, and rapidly straightening them -again. The upright movement frequently brought his head into sharp -contact with the hair-brush, but this in nowise disconcerted him. - -When Mammy's ladies appeared in the doorway, then in response to Mrs. -Tregennis's invitation actually walked into the kitchen, he was -overcome with shyness and hid his eyes in his hands. To his great -surprise, however, the ladies talked to Mammy, neglecting him utterly. -He was accustomed to much consideration, and gradually his tight -little fingers relaxed that he might peep through the gaps and see -what manner of strangers these were who were so ignorant of his -importance and of his claims upon them. - -Still the ladies talked only to Mammy. He could bear it no longer, so, -dropping his hands, he pursed up his mouth and whistled; at least he -called it whistling, but it was very much the same noise that Daddy -made each morning when the tea in his saucer was too hot. Its value as -a whistle, however, mattered very little, as it had the desired -effect. The taller lady, the one in the blue dress, looked at him in -surprise; evidently until now she had had no idea that he was there. - -"Hallo, Tommy," she said, and made a dash for his toes. - -"Hallo," he half-screamed, half-gurgled. "Hallo, Blue Lady," and flung -two chubby, suffocating arms tightly around her neck. Then, peeping -over her shoulder, "Hallo, Brown Lady," he laughed. Thus their -friendship began. - - [Illustration: STILL THE LADIES TALKED ONLY TO MAMMY.] - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -At breakfast the following morning the Blue Lady looked up from her -pilchards. She was eating slowly for pilchard bones are many in number -and very small. "Dorothea," she asked, "what about this cycling tour? -Do you want to go on to-day, or wouldn't it be rather nice to stay -here for one more night and just enjoy Draeth?" - -"I should love it!" the Brown Lady replied. - -Mrs. Tregennis was summoned. No, she didn't think the young gentleman -would at all mind having the chair-bed again; he'd slept very well -indeed and had been quite comfortable. As for her, well, she'd be -delighted for the ladies to stay. - -Thus it was settled, and they stayed. - -The tide was high that morning, and they pulled slowly up the -beautiful West River. After lunch they took photographs of Tommy at -play on the sands, and sat on the rocks reading. In the evening they -bathed for the second time that day, and went to bed at night -completely under the spell of Draeth. - -The next morning it was arranged that they should stay yet one more -night, and it ended in the young gentleman sleeping on the chair-bed -in his sitting-room for a week. Then, however, the ladies were obliged -to leave. By the end of the week they had planned to reach Padstowe -after cycling all round the Cornish coast, and had arranged that -luggage should be awaiting them there at the Salutation Inn where they -had already engaged rooms. - -The evening before they left the ladies went into Mrs. Tregennis's -bedroom to hear Tommy say his prayers. He was kneeling in the cot, and -by judicious pressure made the mattress rise and fall in such a way -that his petitions were more broken than is usually considered quite -reverent. - -"Please God take care of Daddy, 'n bring the fishes, 'n Mammy, 'n keep -me good, 'n----" - -A sudden somersault choked the rest. "I've got a sweet, Miss!" - -The opening of the right hand disclosed a hot, melted chocolate cream, -whose pink inside now filled up the lines of the small, fat palm. -After much licking brown and pink disappeared, but an uncomfortable -stickiness was left behind. The Brown Lady brought a sponge and towel -and washed the stickiness away. - -"Tommy," said the Blue Lady, "when you waken in the morning a wooden -horse called Dobbin will be downstairs under the kitchen table. That's -his new stable." - -"Who be it for?" asked Tommy all thought of sleep dispelled. - -"Well, it _might_ be for Jimmy Prynne." - -"Mammy, Mammy," with even more than customary vigour, "is the Dobbin -that's goin' to be under the kitchen table for Jimmy Prynne?" Then -with a catch suspiciously like a sob, "Jimmy Prynne doesn't wipe his -nose with a hankycher; he sniffs does Jimmy Prynne." - -"Oh, my dear soul," replied Mammy, in the doorway, "I haven't got no -Dobbin. 'Tis a grand thing for Jimmy Prynne if he's goin' to have a -horse for to ride. He'll be like the quality will Jimmy Prynne." - -"Mammy," brokenly, "do you think as sometimes Jimmy Prynne'll lend his -wooden horse to me?" - -"Tommy Tregennis," said the Blue Lady, throwing her arms round the -dejected figure still kneeling on the bed, but no longer bobbing up -and down. "Tommy Tregennis, if you go tightly to sleep, now at once, I -shouldn't be at all surprised if that wooden horse turned out to be -for you, and not for Jimmy Prynne at all." - -At once Tommy lay down in bed and screwed up his eyes. Then, rubbing -his forehead, "There ain't no sleep there," he said. - -So the Blue Lady held one hot hand in hers, and sitting on the side of -the cot sang many a nursery rhyme. - -"Hush-a-bye, baby," was sleepily demanded a second time. - - "Hush-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green, - Thy father's a nobleman, thy mother's a queen; - Thy sister's a lady and wears a gold ring, - And Johnnie's a horseman, and rides for the king." - -"Was the horse called Dobbin?" Tommy asked, but before the answer came -he was riding a kicking wooden steed in the wonderful land of dreams. - -Later in the evening Tommy's Ladies bought Dobbin. Mrs. Tregennis said -that no fisher-child in Draeth had ever before possessed such a toy. -It was dapple-grey and very strong; it moved on wheels and was high -enough from the ground for a boy of five to sit astride, slip his feet -into the stirrups, and so prepare to set out on great adventures. - -Tommy was downstairs in his night-shirt at five o'clock the next -morning. He sat on Dobbin's back, kissed his carmine nostrils, poked -his glassy eyes, and wished to waken up the Prynne household to show -Jimmy Prynne his treasure and assert to him emphatically that Dobbin -was his, Tommy's, and his alone. - -From this course, however, his mother dissuaded him. She told him that -as yet the horse did not belong to him; until it had been given to -him, he was certainly not justified in calling it his own. - -"Perhaps after all," Mrs. Tregennis demurred, "it may be for some -other little boy in Draeth." - -"No, Mammy, no; the ladies _said_ it was to be for me if I slept -tight. They said so, Mammy, they said it was mine." - -To make quite sure of ownership, however, Tommy hurried up the two -flights of stairs and with both clenched fists hammered on the bedroom -door. "My ladies, my ladies; is the Dobbin for me?" - -He returned to the kitchen triumphant, and convicted Mammy of lack of -faith. - -When breakfast was over Tommy led Dobbin proudly up and down the alley -by the real leather reins. Three--then four--five--six--seven -children followed the horse and his master. - - [Illustration: WHEN BREAKFAST WAS OVER, TOMMY LED DOBBIN PROUDLY - UP AND DOWN THE ALLEY.] - -Then Jimmy Prynne stepped forward: "Tell ee what, Tommy Tregennis, 'll -give ee two cherries to ride him wanst down." - -This bargain was concluded. - -Ruby Dark parted with three treasured rusty pins for the privilege of -herself leading Dobbin three steps, one pin for each step. Although -she made her strides as long as possible her turn was soon over, and -other contracts were entertained. - -In half-an-hour's time the Tregennis household was richer by three -rusty pins, one screw, one length of stamp-edging, one dead rose, a -parrot's feather and a piece of string. - -After lunch that day the ladies left. Tommy smiled until they had -turned the corner, then a sudden despair seized him and he screamed -with grief. Dobbin's placid, glassy stare irritated him so much that -he hit him full in the face with his open palm. Afterwards in a fit of -remorse he flung his arms around the wooden neck and sobbed bitterly -into the flowing mane. Ten minutes later he and Dobbin slept together -on the kitchen floor. - -The house seemed strangely quiet to Mrs. Tregennis when the ladies had -gone. No other visitors had become so much a part of the household. - -A few days later the three gentlemen also left Draeth, and Mrs. -Tregennis prepared her house for the winter months. All the ornaments -from the sitting-rooms were wrapped up in paper and put away in a box -under the bed. The curtains and blinds were washed and folded -carefully to be in readiness for the spring; the Brussels carpet -upstairs was well swept and overlaid with newspapers; the velvet -mantel-border was turned up and brushed, and it, too, was swathed in a -paper covering. The best knives, spoons and forks were folded -separately in tissue paper and locked away in the cupboard underneath -the stairs. - -When all these preparations were complete Mrs. Tregennis realized that -winter was indeed upon them. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -Although Miss Lavinia's door was sorely in need of a coat of paint, no -house in Draeth had a brighter knocker, and no door-step was whiter -than hers. The twenty boys and girls who were Miss Lavinia's pupils -had learned to respect the whiteness of this step, and on muddy days -they jumped over it so that no footprint should mar its cleanliness. -More than twenty children Miss Lavinia could not take. The back -sitting-room was used as the schoolroom. There were tables and chairs -for the children with the longest legs, while the very little ones sat -on the two low window-seats. - -Tommy loved going to school, and he was never late. At twenty minutes -to nine each morning he left home, his face shining with soap and his -hair neatly brushed. On his way he almost always called for Ruthie, -who was now only his cousin, but who in the future was to be his wife. -Hand in hand the two children ran round the twists and corners of the -narrow alleys, until they were in Main Street itself. At the top of -Main Street, this side of the bridge, stood Miss Lavinia's house. At -this time of day the shabby green door stood wide open, and in the -narrow rather dark passage one saw the low wooden pegs on which the -children hung hats and jackets as they entered. - -When the new Guildhall clock struck nine Miss Lavinia walked into the -schoolroom, and the twenty children, standing in their places, made a -little bobbing curtsy and wished her "Good morning." Then when all the -hands were clasped and all eyes tightly closed they said "Our Father" -together, and after this sang a hymn led by Miss Lavinia's sweet -though trembling voice. - -Tommy enjoyed the hymn-singing very much. He had absolutely no idea of -tune, but as he learned the words very quickly that did not matter, -and his voice could always be heard above the rest. - -His quite favourite hymn was one about Angels in Heaven, and with -great energy he sang, "Bright songs they sing, sweet harps they hold," -but (if Miss Lavinia had only known!) his interpretation was -"sweethearts they hold." Of _harps_ he was quite ignorant, but his -Mammy often called him "sweetheart." He had a very vivid picture of a -chorus of Angels all with golden hair, white robes and beautiful -wings. They sang songs all day long, and each held by the hand a -little boy. In his fancy all the boys were very much like Tommy -Tregennis, as Tommy Tregennis appeared to himself in the looking-glass -that hung by the kitchen sink. - -His second favourite hymn was "Shall we gather at the river?" for -Angels came in that, too. He wished the verses did not leave it quite -so indefinite as to what it was that was gathered; after a little -thought he decided that it must be grasses and forget-me-nots and -dismissed the subject from his mind. - -Once he did speak to Miss Lavinia about it. "It means they meet -together, Tommy," she explained. - -"Meet to gather?" asked Tommy. - -"Yes," replied Miss Lavinia, and Tommy's difficulty remained. - -Although Miss Lavinia had no time-table to refer to, all the children -were kept busily occupied in one way or another from nine o'clock -until twelve. - -The first lesson was writing when for half-an-hour or so slate-pencils -squeaked unremittingly. The older boys and girls copied from a book, -but those who sat on the window-seats had a line set at the top of the -slate, and this they wrote out eight times below. During the -writing-lesson Miss Lavinia was able to run upstairs, make her bed and -dust the rooms. On her return the writing was put on one side, and -while some of the children did sums the younger ones read. Reading, of -course, meant saying letters and putting together words of one -syllable. Ruby Dark could go backwards from Z Y X to C B A without a -pause! - -The naughtiest girl in the school was Lizzie Wraggles. Lizzie sat on -the window seat. She was only four and looked very shy, but Miss -Lavinia said she was naughty and uncontrolled. It was always in the -reading-lesson that difficulties arose for Lizzie would not read -properly. - -Tommy's Ladies had left Draeth on a Saturday, and it was on the Monday -morning following that Lizzie was naughtier and more uncontrolled than -she had ever been before. On the Friday she had learned, after saying -it many times over, that S-O spelled _so_. This morning, in reading a -column of letters and little words, she had pronounced T-O as _tow_. - -"_Too_," corrected Miss Lavinia. - -"S-O, _so_; T-O, _tow_," murmured Lizzie in a low, sing-song voice. - -The squeaking of slate pencils ceased, and all the older children -stopped doing sums to listen. - -Miss Lavinia became agitated: "Say T-O, _tow_, Lizzie," she ordered -sternly, and Lizzie said "T-O, _tow_." - -Miss Lavinia flushed deeply: "I made a mistake," she explained. "T-O, -_too_." - -"_Tow_," whispered Lizzie. - -Then Miss Lavinia stood up and slapped her! It was a real slap on her -bare arm; a slap that was heard by every child in the room. The school -held its breath. - -Lizzie Wraggles looked straight into Miss Lavinia's eyes, dropped her -slate, and "Tow" she said, in quite a loud voice. - -Miss Lavinia picked up both Lizzie and the slate, and with a shake put -them on a hassock in the corner. Miss Lavinia was thoroughly -perturbed. "There you must sit," she said, "and write T-O fifty times -before you go home to dinner." - -The children had no proper play-time because there was no place in -which they could really play. But at half-past ten, while Miss Lavinia -did one or two odd jobs in the kitchen, they sat anywhere in the -school-room, and those who had brought lunch with them ate it then. -Miss Lavinia stayed away from the room longer than usual this morning. -The encounter with Lizzie Wraggles had upset her altogether. Never -before had she either slapped or shaken a child, and she could have -cried with vexation. - -When she returned to the school-room the chairs and tables were pushed -on one side so that the middle of the floor was left clear for a game. -Then they all joined hands in a ring and played "Luby Loo." - - Here we dance luby loo, - Here we dance luby light, - Here we dance luby loo - All on a Saturday night. - All your right hands in, - All your right hands out, - Shake your right hands a little, a little, - And turn yourselves about. - -Twenty shrill childish trebles (no, nineteen, for Lizzie Wraggles -still sat on the hassock in the corner) sang out the old tune and -words; nineteen right legs were shaken, nineteen left legs too; then -hands and heads wriggled and shook all through the six verses. - -Every morning after the game came composition. Sometimes it was -History composition, sometimes Geography, sometimes Scripture; -sometimes just anything Miss Lavinia read out of a book. The best -composition time of all was when Miss Lavinia told a story, right out -of her head. - -The children only half understood Miss Lavinia's stories, but in spite -of this they liked them better than any others, possibly because they -felt that these stories belonged to them and to Miss Lavinia only; out -of all the world no one else could know them, they were every bit -their own. - -It was to be Scripture composition this morning. When it was -composition all the children listened to Miss Lavinia first of all, -then the older boys and girls wrote about it from memory, while the -little ones did something else. - -After the games "Coppersition" was what Tommy liked best of all. Tommy -had a very real love for Miss Lavinia. To most people she was just a -little old maid who had great difficulty in making both ends meet, but -Tommy admired her greatly. He liked to look at her all the time she -was speaking; he admired the wave of her silvery hair and the shape of -her delicate, white hands--so different from Mammy's hands. Still his -Mammy had the most beautiful hands in all the world, and he would -fight any boy his own size who said she hadn't. Thus he ruminated when -the composition class began. Then he wondered if Miss Lavinia would -agree to wait for him until he was grown up, so that he could marry -her then if Ruthie would not greatly mind. - -He was recalled to the things of everyday by Miss Lavinia's urging -him to look at a picture in front of him. He was glad to do so, for -it was a delightful picture, Tommy thought. One of the most attractive -giants he had ever seen was crouching down behind a boulder of rock. -Facing him, at some little distance, stood a young man who wore very -few clothes and these of a most unusual pattern. - -"This," said Miss Lavinia, pointing to the central figure of the -picture, "this is David." - -David Williams, sitting in the corner near the old Grandfather clock, -smiled self-consciously as eighteen pairs of eyes turned to look at -him. (Lizzie Wraggles still sat on a hassock in the corner with her -back to the rest of the school.) - -"David," continued Miss Lavinia, and now nineteen pairs of eyes were -fixed solemnly on hers, "David was very brave. All the boys in this -room want to grow up to be brave men and true." - -Ten chests swelled visibly and the composition lesson continued: -"David went out in the light of the Eastern morning to meet the giant -who threatened all the land. And the sun's rays fell upon David as he -went forth. He had no weapons wherewith to fight the giant, but he -trusted in God who was his strength and his shield. On the way he -passed a brook, rippling through the fresh, green valley, and -stooping, he chose from the bed of the stream five large, smooth, -polished stones. Why do you think David wanted these stones?" - -"For to kill the giant," said Jimmy Prynne, and Tommy was annoyed that -he had not thought of the answer. - -"David," continued Miss Lavinia, "put a stone into his sling and hit -the giant" (here Miss Lavinia lowered her voice and there was deep -silence in the room) "right on the forehead between the eyes; and the -giant fell back dead." - -"Oh!" murmured the children, and David Williams, in the right-hand -corner by the old Grandfather clock, looked as though reflected glory -shone upon him. - -In a dazed way Tommy rubbed his forehead and wondered how it would -feel to have a stone just there. Then, remembering the distinction -achieved by Jimmy Prynne, "We'm going to have beans for dinner," he -declared. - -Miss Lavinia was shocked. She had hoped the story was making a deep -impression, and now, before she could point the moral, before she -could show how good must always soar triumphant and evil must ever -suffer defeat, Tommy Tregennis, one of her best little boys, had -interrupted in a manner that surely proved his thoughts to be very far -away. - -While Miss Lavinia hesitated, Ruthie's high-pitched voice broke the -silence. "'Tisn't that giant, Tommy," she said, "'twas Jack and that -giant, but this is David." - -Miss Lavinia's brow cleared. There was some connexion it seemed -between beans and the Scripture story and after all Tommy Tregennis -had listened although he had missed the point. - -After giving the composition Miss Lavinia went away to put on the -potatoes; then there was only time for a short Geography lesson with -the little ones before the Guildhall clock struck twelve, and morning -school was ended. - -"Shoes is too tight," Tommy complained to Ruthie, as they stood -together in the narrow passage, putting on their hats. "They pinches!" - -Ruthie sighed. "You do be growin' brave an' fast, Tommy," she replied. -"I can't keep up with ee nohow." - -Tommy drew himself up proudly. "When my head do be so high as the knob -on Mammy's cupboard, then I be a-goin' to wear long trousers," he -asserted. - -Ruthie looked at him still more admiringly, and, as her custom was, -slipped her hand into his, and turned towards the door. - -But Tommy hesitated. "I be gettin' a'most too big to hold hands," he -demurred, and, as he spoke, he tried to pull his hand away. - -"Don't ee be so silly," Ruthie admonished. "'Tisn't your hands as is -growin'. Your shoes is pinchin' because your feet do be that big; your -hands is all right, Tommy." - -This argument was unanswerable and the children ran home hand in hand. - -They were the last to leave. When the door closed behind them Miss -Lavinia went over to Lizzie Wraggles in the corner to see the fifty -"TO's" that were to be written before Lizzie went home. Alas! the only -"TO" on the slate was the one Miss Lavinia herself had written there -as a copy. Below was Lizzie's conception of a house. - -As for Lizzie herself she had fallen asleep and one tear was still wet -on her cheek. Miss Lavinia's heart softened. All the other children -had gone. She put one arm round Lizzie and gently roused the sleeping -child. "Lizzie," she whispered and kissed her, "little Lizzie, try to -be a good girl, dear; and try to read your words just as well as ever -you can." - -Lizzie smiled, a little roguish smile. "TO, _too_," she crooned, and -Miss Lavinia kissed her again and sent her home. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -Every Saturday morning Tommy kept Granny Tregennis company, for it was -then that Aunt Keziah Kate made her pastry. Granny Tregennis had lived -for a great many years and was getting very tired; so until twelve -o'clock each morning she stayed in bed. Her bed was a very high one -with a long post at each corner, and curtains hung all around. - -Tommy knew that Granny was always very anxious for his visit; for when -he came into the bedroom she was thinking of him audibly. "Where _can_ -Tommy Tregennis be?" he would hear her say: "Surely 'tis time for him -to come to his granny!" - -Then Tommy would creak across the room on tip-toe, climb first of all -on to a hassock, and from this to a chair; lifting up a corner of the -curtain, "Bo," he would cry, and Granny always gave a little start. -"Why, 'tis the very boy I was thinkin' of; 'tis Tommy Tregennis -himself." - -When these friendly greetings had passed between them, they settled -down comfortably for the morning. - -By the fireplace in Granny's room was a small cupboard, and in this -cupboard Tommy's Saturday playtoys were kept. One of his favourite -toys was a massive bedroom candlestick in shining brass. - -Granny had many stories to tell a little boy about that candlestick. -The very night that Tommy's father was brought to her, years and years -ago, she had stuck a lighted dip in the brass candlestick and had put -it in this very bedroom window, because Granfaather Tregennis was out -on a rough, wild sea catching pilchards. - -There was no light at the end of the Frying Pan then, for the pier was -not yet built and the men in the boats looked to the cottage windows -for guidance. When Granfaather came home, very cold and very wet, in -the grey light of the dawn, the candle was just guttering out. In the -candlestick were little runnings of grease, and in the big fourposter -bed, along with Granny, was a son. - -Tommy could picture Granfaather's great surprise when he came upstairs -and found a new boy in the house. It was disconcerting to feel that -new children might appear in this way at any moment. Whenever Tommy -had been away from home for some hours, he was always just a little -apprehensive lest another child should have come in his absence, -knowing, as he did, how very suddenly his own father had been brought -to Granny on the night of the storm. - -Among the playtoys, too, were a pair of wee, patent-leather slippers. -They were cracked now and stiff with age, and the tiny buckles that -used to be so bright were quite yellow. These were the first leather -shoes that Tommy's Daddy had ever worn. Tommy knew exactly how his -Daddy had tried to walk in them holding on to the horse-hair sofa -downstairs, and how he had sat down suddenly in the middle and sucked -the patent-leather toes. - -"And then my Daddy tried to get up again," Tommy would say, "but he -was so very, very little that he rolled right over 'n hit his head on -the sofy leg, 'n had brown paper on the big lump, 'n vinegar." - -When Granny had duly corroborated this version of the accident, they -set aside the worn old slippers and passed on to another toy. - -At eleven o'clock quite punctually Aunt Keziah Kate brought up a glass -of hot milk for Granny. This was the signal for Tommy to go downstairs -and help with the pastry. Quickly he ran down the twists and turns of -the quaint old-fashioned stairway, so that he might be the first to -get to the kitchen and hide behind the roller-towel before Aunt Keziah -Kate saw him. - -Like the ostrich Tommy was perfectly contented in his hiding-place, -utterly oblivious of the fact that the towel, hanging from the kitchen -door, only covered the upper part of him; from his knees downwards he -was exposed to the full view of the public. - -The public, in the guise of Aunt Keziah Kate, walked briskly into the -kitchen, "Now then, ma man," she was saying, "you shall have the -rolling-pin and a bit o'----" - -Then there was a start and an exclamation. "Why, my blessed faather, -and where _is_ the boy? Surely 'n to goodness, I must have left 'e -upstairs." - -While Aunt Keziah Kate returned to Granny's room to look for the -missing nephew, a wriggling Tommy, some inches of runnerin' in his -mouth, gave rise to distracting undulations in the roller-towel. - -Back once more in the kitchen his Aunt instituted a thorough search; -behind the rocking-chair covered with the big woolwork antimacassar; -under the horse-hair sofa round which Daddy had walked in the new -patent-leather shoes; in the kitchen cupboard; even in the coal-box -and other probable and improbable places. - -There was one breathless moment when Aunt Keziah Kate rinsed her -fingers under the tap, and actually came to the roller-towel to dry -them. Even then she did not find the missing boy. - -By this time she was overcome with grief and sitting down on the sofa, -in an attitude of despair, gave way to tears; leastways she produced a -large handkerchief of granfaather's from her overall pocket, covered -her face with it, and rocked to and fro. - -"How shall a tell his mother?" she wailed; "oh, ma lamb, ma blessed -little lamb! His mother'll have to get a new little boy as none of us -knows, 'n poor little Tommy gone no one knows where." - -But this was the breaking strain. The roller-towel heaved and pulled, -and with clenched fists out rushed Tommy. - -"Hush, hush, hush!" he screamed. "I'm here, Aunt Keziah Kate, I'm -right here." Then in reply to her incredulous stare, "I was hidin'," -he explained, "hidin' behind the runnerin'-towel," and he jerked his -thumb in the direction of the kitchen door. - -"Found," said his Aunt, gasping for breath, "found!" She clasped her -hands tightly and closed her eyes, repeating, "Ma lamb is found." - -Then with a sudden descent to the things of everyday, "Now then, Tommy -Tregennis, here's the rollin' pin, 'n put your lame leg first and -press forwards, 'n get your bit o' pastry made, or we'll be all behind -with the cleanin' up when your granfaather comes home." - -Tommy's jam turn-over took up more time in the making than all the -rest of the pasties and tarts put together. First of all the paste had -to be rolled very heavily and very often; rolled so heavily and so -often in fact that it wore too thin in the middle. It was then pulled -and scraped from the board to which it stuck, and was all pinched up -by grubby fingers into a lump again. When it had been rubbed once more -into the shape of a ball, the rolling-pin was again used. By the time -the size, shape and thickness of the pastry satisfied Tommy's -requirements, it was of a uniform grey colour relieved, here and -there, by darker shades. Tommy then spread on the jam, doubled it over -and pinched it well to keep the open sides together. Tough from much -handling and hot from the oven the turn-over was eaten by Tommy -himself at the end of dinner. - -"Can't think," Granfaather Tregennis had said one Saturday, "can't -think why you let the boy eat that muck, Keziah Kate!" - -"Must have a peck o' dust in his lifetime, faather." - -"Yes, 'n so he must, but surely 'n to goodness he needn't have it all -to wanst." - -Tommy, entirely unmoved, ate on. - -When dinner was over Tommy grew restless. He had not been home since -breakfast; that was a very long time ago and in his absence much might -have happened. - -He slipped from his chair and thrust his hands into his -trouser-pockets. "I'd best be goin' now, Granny," he said, and when -the old woman put her arms round him and kissed him he wriggled away, -and addressed his Granfaather, for another man would understand. - -"Granfaather," he said, "ma Mammy'll be missin' me." - -"To be sure she will, Thomas, to be sure she will." - -Granfaather removed his pipe from his mouth and with unerring aim spat -into the heart of the glowing coals; "you'd best be runnin' home now, -ma man; your Mammy'll mebbe be missin' you." - -After this there was no detaining Tommy. He snatched his cap and ran -all the way home. The door was shut, and he hammered on it with his -fists, and kicked with his toes in nervous dread. - -Mammy came to the door singing; how happy she sounded. "Be you all -alone, Mammy?" he demanded. - -"'N who should be with me, ma lovely?" - -"Daddy, or----" - -"Your Daddy's up to the station helpin' Uncle Sam." - -He ran into the kitchen. Everything seemed all right there, but what -about upstairs in his little cot? "'N there's no other little boy -here, is there?" he asked hesitatingly. - -Mammy's arms were round him in an instant. "'N what other little boy -should I be wantin', Tommy Tregennis?" she managed to say between his -hugs. "Why, you're just the best little boy as ever I had!" - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -As Christmas drew near Tommy was full of expectancy. In the windows of -the village shops pictures of Santa Claus were now displayed. Santa -Claus was a tall old gentleman with flowing beard and long, white -hair; he wore a bright red cloak, and on his back was a sack almost -bursting with the pressure of the toys it held. - -Like the other children of Draeth, Tommy flattened his turned-up nose -against the shop windows and looked at the treasures within; looked -until he could see no longer because of his breath upon the glass. A -vigorous rubbing with his coat sleeve set matters right once more, and -again his roving fancy pitched first on one then on another of the -toys beyond his reach. - -It was about a week before Christmas, and Mrs. Tregennis was preparing -Tommy for his nightly wash in the zinc bath in front of the kitchen -fire. - -"Mammy," he said, thoughtfully surveying his toes when the -home-knitted stockings had been pulled off inside out. "I be growin' -so that they stockin's be rather small for I, same as my vestises." - -"Your vestises, Tommy Tregennis, do be run up in the wash, but I see -nothin' at all wrong with they stockin's; they'm good stockin's, 'n -'ll do you my son for a month o' Sundays." - -Tommy's diplomacy had failed. His lip trembled slightly. "Mammy, when -Santy Claus do come down the bedroom chimbley 'n finds this tiddely -stockin' hangin' on the rail, he'll not be able to slip in even 'n -orange, let 'lone a drum." - -"That's so, ma handsome." Mrs. Tregennis knitted her brow in perplexed -thought. - -"'ll tell you what, ma lovely," she said after a few moments' pause. -"We'll hang a big stocking of your Daddy's on the rail instead." - -This suggestion brought no comfort to Tommy. - -"Then he'll go 'n think as how 'tis Daddy's stockin'," he objected; -"'n he'll be puttin' in pipes, 'n baccy, 'n things; 'n I don't want -they--leastways, not yet," he added as an afterthought. "I wants a -drum." - -Mammy understood the difficulty. "Well," she said, after another and a -longer pause, "we'll hang up your Daddy's stockin', but we'll write on -a bit of paper '_Little_ Tommy Tregennis', 'n pin it on the leg, 'n -the old gentleman'll never know no better." - -Tommy was pleased with this plan. Before going to sleep, however, he -stipulated that Daddy's stocking should be well darned before it was -hung up, so that no little gift could escape either by way of the heel -or the toe. - -Three days before Christmas the children were discussing Santa Claus -at school. - -Jonathan Hex, who was bigger than the rest, scoffed openly: "There -warn't no Santy Claus," he said, "it was just fathers and mothers it -was, as came in when you were asleep 'n rammed the things in the -stockin' 'n crep' out again on tippety toes." - -The other children were indignant at such unbelief, and Jonathan was -obliged to retract, otherwise he would have been excluded from the -circle gathered round the fire. - -Jimmy Prynne had a grievance against the size of chimneys in Draeth. -Jimmy was six, and easily remembered previous Christmases. Last year, -for instance, he found only a tiny box of chocolates in his stocking, -and his mother had read him a letter that came along with it; in fact -he had the letter at home now: - - "DEAR JIMMY PRYNNE (it ran) - - "This is only a littel preasant because there ant no room in - your chimeney if you want something biger you must have your - chimeney widenered before next year. - - "From - "SANTY CLAUS." - -David Williams was also six. He was Jimmy Prynne's cousin and he, too, -remembered last Christmas. He had a note from Santy in his stockin', -too, and nothin' else. Santy had wrote as he couldn't possibly get -down the chimberley because it was such a tight squeeze. He cried, he -remembered, and he was cold because they had no fire. His Mammy had -said she expected Santy would be thinner next time, and slip down -right enough. However they'd gone into a new house now, and the hole -was wider for he'd poked up to see. - -Tommy went home that evening greatly disturbed. There were so many -things he wanted, and he felt very doubtful indeed about their chimney -for the bedroom grate was small. - -That night when Mrs. Tregennis kissed him and said "Good-night and -bless ee" to her surprise Tommy asked for the candle to be left "jus' -a minute or two, Mammy!" The voice was so pleading that she gave way. - -Tommy listened to her footstep on the stair and for once was quite -glad when he heard her reach the bottom, pass into the kitchen and -close the door. - -Very softly he then crept out of bed and tiptoed across the room. - -Round the fireplace was a high old-fashioned fender. Tommy stretched -over this and tried to thrust one arm up the chimney. It seemed to be -rather wide but his arm was short, and did not reach very far. - -In the corner was Mammy's best umbrella. Seizing this he returned to -the grate and poked the umbrella upwards. Almost at once it came in -contact with something soft. Tommy was distinctly alarmed. Could it be -some robber-man waiting there quietly, oh, so quietly, until he was -asleep; waiting to slip down the chimney quite noiselessly and carry -him silently off? He nearly screamed for Mammy in his fright. - -After Christmas Tommy would be six, and at six a boy must be brave -like David 'n the giant. So Tommy summoned all his courage and again -thrust the umbrella upwards. The contact this time partially displaced -the obstruction in the chimney, and a piece of sacking slipped into -view. Then, indeed, Tommy's heart stood still. He realized at once -what had happened. Santy's rounds this year were evidently unusually -heavy, so he was secretly putting sacks of toys in chimneys -beforehand, so that when Christmas Eve came his work would be partly -done. - -Tommy took hold of the free end of the sacking and pulled gently, but -the bag was wedged too firmly to move. He then stepped inside the -fender, and this time using both hands he really put his back into the -work. The third tug released the sack which burst open as it fell and -bits of screwed-up paper were littered in all directions. - -"The packin' of the presents," Tommy had time to think before fate -overtook him. - -Sitting there inside the fender he was pelted with bits of mortar and -loose stones, tickled with feathers and old starlings' nests, -suffocated with falling soot, as the accumulation of years, set free -by the fall of the stuffed sack, fell upon him with terrifying speed. - -Then he lifted up his voice and wept, crying loudly for Mammy; a -frightened little boy upon whose face soot mingled with tears as he -sat there, utterly cowed, inside the high old-fashioned fender. At the -cry Mrs. Tregennis rushed upstairs and burst into the room, prepared -indeed for the worst, but not prepared for anything quite so bad as -that which she actually found. - -"'Tis just mad I be with ee, Tommy Tregennis," and she spoke through -tight lips. "There's a horrid little sight you be and the room not fit -for a Christian to sleep in, what call had you to go pokin' up -chimneys, 'n where 'm I to put you now?" - -Tommy's sobs were becoming more subdued. "Wanted to see how wide the -chimberly was," he spluttered, "'n I found Santy's sack here for me." - -"Santy's sack, indeed," said an angry Mammy; "I'll Santy's sack you my -son if you go playin' they monkey tricks. That's a sack to keep my -grate clean, so as bits shan't fall down, and it's stuck there for -years before we came here to live; 'n you must go pryin' and meddlin', -you shammock, you!" Mrs. Tregennis shook Tommy as she lifted him out -of the grate and over the fender. "Here's a fine set to for your tired -Mammy. Downstairs you go! Clear!" - -A clean night-shirt was aired for Tommy while he had his second bath. -He was then wrapped up in Daddy's winter coat and plumped into the -rocking-chair in the corner by the fire. - -It took Mrs. Tregennis a good half-hour to make the bedroom fit for -use and when she came downstairs again Tommy was fast asleep. Tenderly -she raised him to carry him back to bed. As her arms enfolded him a -long, sobbing sigh escaped from quivering lips, while a tear rolled -slowly down his cheek. - -"My lamb," she murmured, "my own precious lamb! This Christmas is -goin' to be a better time 'n last, 'n you'll have things in your -stockin', ma handsome, drum an' all!" Having well tucked in the -bed clothes Mrs. Tregennis took up the candle, and left her son to the -healing of the night. - - [Illustration: "MY LAMB," SHE MURMURED, "MY OWN PRECIOUS - LAMB"!] - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - -The three days before Christmas passed more slowly than any other days -in Tommy's life. As usual the hands of his cuckoo clock remained -stationary in spite of the steady movement of the pendulum; but to -Tommy's unspeakable annoyance, although the chimney-piece clock seemed -to tick louder than ever, he could scarcely see its hands move at all. - -To make matters worse school had broken up and it was too wet and too -cold for the children to play much out-of-doors. So all day long Tommy -was in the kitchen trying to find something to do to fill up the time. -When Ruthie was with him they quarrelled, and when she left him he was -more miserable still. - -Then Aunt Keziah Kate gave him some balls of coloured wool and Granny -taught him to crochet. This was most engrossing for a time. He used a -stubby forefinger as hook, pulling the loose loops as tight as -possible, and slowly and laboriously made lengths of uneven chain. -Later he taught Ruthie to make chains too, but was angry when he found -that her chains were not only better done than his, the loops being -much more even, but that she did quite six inches while he did only -three. - -At last, in spite of the slowly moving hands of the clock, it was -Christmas Eve. - -The whole day was one long excitement. At breakfast-time Tregennis, -Mrs. Tregennis and Tommy were all in a state of high tension. The -evening before, when Tommy was in bed and asleep, Tregennis had -brought home a goose, which he handed with pride to his wife. - -"Well," she exclaimed, "an' where did ee get that bird?" - -"A drawin'," answered Tregennis, laconically. He was always a man of -few words. - -"A drawin'! My blessed faather! an' how much did ee pay?" - -"Only sixpence, Ellen, an' he weighs twelve pound." - -"Sixpence!" breathlessly. "I don't know how ee dare take such risks. -You might easily 'a' lost, and 'twould just 'a' been a good -sixpenny-bit wasted." - -"But I didn't lose, I won, an' here do be the bird; an' as plump a one -as'll be eaten by any o' the best in Draeth." - -"Well, well," said Mrs. Tregennis, and resumed her knitting, -momentarily neglected; "an' what a Christmas dinner we shall have--as -good as the gintry! Go round now to wanst, an' ask Granfaather, an' -Granny an' Keziah Kate. We'll mebbe never have another goose." - -After breakfast, therefore, on Christmas Eve the goose had to be -plucked. Work for Tregeagle Mrs. Tregennis said this was, with Tommy -playin' round all the time, and all the feathers all a-blowin' no one -knew where every time the kitchen door was opened. - -Tommy stuck the biggest feathers in his hair, and was a wild red -Indian; some of the smaller, fluffier ones he put by in his box of -treasures; all the rest Mammy tried to save to help to make a cushion -for the upstairs sitting-room. - -When Mrs. Tregennis was in the middle of cleaning the goose she was -interrupted by a loud knock. - -"See who's there, Tommy," she said, "an' shut the kitchen door so as -the feathers won't fly." - -Tommy obeyed and opened the outer door a few inches only, with the -instinctive caution of childhood, and peeped through the gap. - -"Fer your Mammy, Tommy," said the station carman, indicating an -enormous package at his feet. - -In his excitement Tommy forgot all about being careful and flung open -the kitchen door. A gust of wind seized the feathers and whirled them -round the room. Mrs. Tregennis's anger was checked by the entrance of -the carman, swaying with a square, solid-looking package done up in -sacking. When he dumped it down on the kitchen floor more feather -flew, but by this time Mrs. Tregennis was past thinking of flying -feathers. - -"'N what is this, Sam?" she demanded, "a joke?" - -"'Tis a pretty heavy joke," said the carman, first straightening his -shoulders, then with a large, red handkerchief wiping condensation -drops from his moustache, "'n a joke as has cost some folks good money -to send from London." - -"Then there do be some mistake, Sam Trimble, for I know no one to -London, an' this'll not be mine." - -But the address on the label showed plainly that the package was -indeed for Mrs. T. Tregennis, of Chapel Garth. - -Even the goose was forgotten when Sam Trimble had closed the door -behind him. Mrs. Tregennis washed her fingers so hurriedly under the -tap that she left red streaks on the runnerin' towel when she dried -her hands there. - -"Have you had the scissors, Tommy? Find Mammy's scissors, quick, ma -handsome." - -After a search, they remembered at the same time that the scissors had -been used before the goose could be cleaned, and they were found lying -under the neck of the bird just where Mrs. Tregennis had put them -before Sam Trimble knocked. - -The sacking was sewn with stout cord and the scissors were blunt, -therefore it was some little time before the opening made was wide -enough for Mrs. Tregennis to pull out the padding of straw. Under the -straw something hard revealed itself to the touch, but there were more -stitches to be cut through before the contents could be withdrawn. -Then Tommy held on as firmly as he could at one end of the sacking -while Mammy tried to pull out whatever it was that was so carefully -packed within. Something rolled to the floor as she pulled, and after -a glance at it she snatched it up and furtively hid it underneath her -apron. - -"What's that, Mammy?" said Tommy, all alert. - -"That," pointing disdainfully to the pile of straw, "'n do we pay for -your schoolin', Tommy Tregennis, an' you not so much as to know as -that's called straw!" - -"But there was somethin' as fell, an' you----" - -"You'm but a noosance an' in the way, Tommy. Run an' see if your -Daddy's on the quay, and if he be tell him to come an' help clear up." - -When Tommy had gone Mrs. Tregennis took from underneath her apron a -brown paper parcel, on which was written: "From Tommy's Ladies, for -his Christmas stocking." She put it among the potatoes and fire-wood -in the dark kitchen cupboard, and had only just time to kneel down and -pull out more straw when Tommy bounded into the kitchen and again made -the feathers fly. - -"Can't see Daddy nowheres, Mammy!" - -"And much trouble you've taken to find he, my son. However, never -mind, I've done it." With a final push and one last pull a simple but -well-made fumed-oak book-case came into view. - -Mrs. Tregennis lifted it from the ground. "Come on, Tommy," she said. - -"Where be we a goin', Mammy?" - -"Why, to show it, of course, to your Granfaather and Granny and Aunt -Keziah Kate; an' Aunt Martha, an' Auntie Jessie an' Ruthie an' all." - -The partly dressed goose was forgotten and left with its head dangling -dejectedly over the edge of the kitchen table. Thus, half an hour -later, Tregennis found it in the midst of a litter of feathers and -blood and straw. - -He had just finished clearing up when Mrs. Tregennis and Tommy -returned, and excitedly called him into the sitting-room on the -left-hand side of the door. In front of the book-case he stood in -silence. - -"'Tis from the ladies," Mrs. Tregennis said, in answer to his unspoken -question. - -"The ladies, not----" - -"Yes, from Tommy's Ladies." - -"Ellen," said Tregennis, passing a toil-worn hand over the smooth, -polished wood, "'tis a'most like bein' in church; 'tis like they -hymn-boards, an' pulpits an' such. 'Tis a'most like bein' in church." - -"An' not a penny under fifteen shillin' Martha says it must have cost. -An' to think as they just knocked at the door; no bikes nor nothin'; -not so much as a paper parcel in their hands, well, well!" With a last -look at the book-case Mrs. Tregennis returned to the kitchen and -finished her work on the neglected goose. - -That very afternoon the fumed-oak book-case was nailed up in the best -sitting-room. Until now many books belonging to Nelson's sevenpenny -library, left behind by visitors, had been piled up on the top of the -grandfather clock. These were all taken down, dusted and arranged in -red and gold rows along the two lower shelves, while the top shelf -Mrs. Tregennis reserved for some of her choicest ornaments. - -"Tom," she said, when this was done, "to-morrow after dinner we'll -have a fire, and sit here. 'Tis unusual, I'll admit, but, after all, -'tis Christmas time, and 'tis no good _bein'_ small an' _lookin'_ -small both; and here we'll sit; so there!" - -As soon as tea was over Tommy wished to go to bed. He was anxious to -intercept Santa Claus in his descent of the chimney, and, if possible, -exercise a certain selective power in the matter of toys. In his -inmost heart he was exceedingly glad that he had dislodged the sack of -paper. Had it still been in the chimney it would have been quite -impossible for Santy to slip through with his burden, and what would -have been the good of Daddy's labelled stocking then? - -As soon as Tommy was in bed Mrs. Tregennis withdrew from the potatoes -the parcel she had hidden there early in the day. It contained a brown -jersey suit and a good big box of chocolates of many kinds. - -When Tommy wakened on the morning of Christmas Day and sleepily -demanded that the candle should be lit, Daddy's stocking, with the -label pinned on the leg, held nuts and two oranges and two apples, -while a trumpet stuck out at the top. On the floor below lay a drum, -and a brown jersey suit and a box of chocolates. These Santy had -clearly meant for some other boy, but had dropped them by mistake in -his haste to be gone. - -Tommy was naturally delighted at receiving more than his share, but he -could not help being afraid that Santy might discover his loss and -soon return. By way of preventing this he suggested that the stuffed -sack should at once be replaced in the chimney and kept there for the -whole of the day. - -The lids with their long lashes drooped heavily over the sleepy blue -eyes, and Mammy lifted Tommy presents and all, into the big bed. Soon -he was breathing regularly through parted lips, and did not waken -until Daddy was ready to carry him pick-a-back down the stairs, to be -washed and dressed in front of the kitchen fire. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - -TOMMY TREGENNIS, - Chapel Garth, - East Draeth. - -This was the address on a cheap, white envelope that the postman -brought on Boxing Day and pushed through the gap below the door. Mrs. -Tregennis picked up the letter and turned it over more than once -before passing it on to her husband. - -"Well, it beats me, Ellen," said he; "'tis a female hand for certain. -Who can be makin' up to our Tommy?" - -Mrs. Tregennis went to the door and espied Jimmy Prynne. "Seen our -Tommy?" she asked him. - -Jimmy jerked his thumb over his right shoulder, and Mrs. Tregennis -walked in the direction indicated. - -"Tommy," she called. - -But Tommy, conscious of grimy hands and sticky mouth, thought this was -a summons to wash, and affected not to hear. Something on the horizon -claimed his attention and he gazed fixedly out to sea. - -Mrs. Tregennis, therefore, waved the white envelope in vain. "Tommy, -postman's brought a letter for ee, for your very own." - -This was arrestive. Very few letters came to the house when there were -no visitors, and never before had there been one for Tommy. Often, -certainly, he had picked up old envelopes, and by licking the torn -flaps had made them stick down for a time so that he could pretend -that they were letters that had come for him. But now there was a real -letter all for his very own, and it was held in Mammy's hand only a -few yards off. He ran hastily, tripped over a stone, picked himself up -and ran on again. Then he actually held his own real letter in his -grimy hand. - -He could read the two capital T's without any difficulty, and of -course he knew that they stood for his name. This knowledge gave him -much satisfaction; it was a fine thing to be educated. He was all for -opening the envelope then and there, but, persuaded by Mammy, they -returned to the house together, and in Daddy's presence the flap was -torn. - -Inside the envelope was a gilt-edged card. At the top left-hand corner -of this a gaily-dressed boy with powdered hair was bowing to a Watteau -shepherdess who curtsied before him. The picture absorbed them until -Mammy discovered that there was interest, too, in the old-fashioned, -pointed handwriting below: - -"Miss Lavinia invites Tommy Tregennis to a party on New Year's Day, -from four o'clock until seven." - -There was no R.S.V.P. in the bottom, right-hand corner. The invited -guests would not have known what it meant; but when New Year's Day -came of course all who were bidden to the party would go. - -"My dear life," ejaculated Mammy. "I was never at a Christmas party in -all my born days. You'm a lucky boy, Tommy Tregennis!" - -Tommy nodded. - -After dinner on New Year's Day there was no rest for Mrs. Tregennis -until Tommy was dressed in the new brown jersey suit. He was ready -before half-past two and wished to set off for the party at once. When -Mammy, however, pictured to him how very disappointed Granny and Aunt -Keziah Kate would be if he did not go and show himself in his new -clothes, he decided to run in to see them first. He was gratified when -they unstintingly praised his personal appearance, although it was -only what he had expected. - -With one little thing or another it was half-past three before Tommy -was able to leave for Miss Lavinia's house. On such an occasion as -this no-one would have thought of referring to it as school. Following -his usual custom Tommy called for his cousin. He was much taken aback -when Auntie Jessie told him that Ruthie was upstairs and was not quite -ready, but would be brought to the party later. - -Ruthie's absence took some of the brightness out of the afternoon, and -as he drew nearer and nearer to Miss Lavinia's house Tommy became -unaccountably shy. To add to his embarrassment when he reached the -familiar door he found it shut, instead of standing invitingly open as -on ordinary school days. At the sight of the closed door the last -particle of courage left him, and he wished to run home fast and have -tea quietly with Mammy. Yet something urged him to be brave, and he -screwed up his hand tight, ready to hammer on the door. It was just at -this point that a gentleman walking down the street, seeing a small -boy and a high knocker, crossed over to Tommy and gave a loud rat-tat -to help him. Smiling he passed on, leaving Tommy more deeply -embarrassed than before. - -When Miss Lavinia, wearing her best black silk dress and a gold -locket, herself answered the knock Tommy stood still, not quite -knowing what to do next. When she stooped and kissed him he flushed -deeply, then, with a broad smile of anticipation, stood flat against -the wall in the narrow passage while she closed the door. - -Miss Lavinia, who was really just as shy and nervous as her guests, -led the way into the schoolroom, and here the sense of unfamiliarity -deepened. The desks and maps had gone and the room was hung with -evergreens. Round the fire stood children whom Tommy saw every single -day and never before had he been at a loss in entering upon a -conversation with any one of them. This afternoon, however, he found -nothing to say, and they all looked at one-another in silence. - -Miss Lavinia felt that the party was a failure and grew more and more -nervous as the silent moments were ticked out by the school-room -clock. She went away presently to speak to Mrs. Harris about the tea. -Mrs Harris was the woman who came in for an hour now and again to -help with the rough work, and she had volunteered to be there this -evening just to see Miss Lavinia through. - -A very genteel knock at the door put an end to Miss Lavinia's -superfluous directions. There was hushed expectancy among the groups -of children gathered round the fire when she ushered into the -schoolroom Ruthie's mother leading Ruthie by the hand. - -Ruthie was the only child who had been brought. - -In the very middle of the room she stood while her mother freed her -from the folds of a big Paisley shawl. Then she was revealed to -nineteen pairs of admiring eyes--a little girl in a white silk frock; -the only white silk frock in the room. - -"It is to save her Sunday dress," Ruthie's mother explained to Miss -Lavinia. "You see this will wash." - -She then lifted her daughter on to a table at the far end of the room, -and with a whispered injunction that she must on no account mess up -her clothes she left. - -The spell that until now had held the children was broken. Half -envious, half admiring they gathered round the table and looked at -Ruthie in a real party frock. Her hair had been in so many plaits for -so many hours that it stood out crisply all round her head. But the -greatest wonder of all was her gloves. Ruthie was actually wearing -gloves! White cotton gloves they were, held up at the top by a band of -black elastic; a band so tight that it had already made a groove in -each little arm between the elbow and the wrist. - -Tommy was the only one brave enough to speak about them. "You've -forgotten to take off your gloves, Ruthie." - -"Mammy said to keep 'em on." - -"Whafor?" - -"I don't know." - -"Take 'em off," said Tommy, and Ruthie, as usual, obeyed. - -The gloves and elastic bands were laid on the table, and from there -they fell to the floor. A kick from Tommy sent them into a corner -where Mrs. Harris found them the next morning when she came to tidy -up. - -The summons to tea broke up the group. Ten very shy little girls and -ten boys trying hard to look at ease, walked along the narrow passage -to Miss Lavinia's kitchen. Here table and chairs had been replaced by -trestle-boards and forms. - -It was a tight squeeze but a place was found for all the guests who, -in deep embarrassment, looked at the well-piled plates in front of -them. - -Miss Lavinia and Mrs. Harris walked round filling tea cups and passing -plates. - -In the deep silence Miss Lavinia quite dreaded the sound of her own -voice. She grew more and more nervous. She had given so much thought -to this, her first (and last!) little party. For weeks past she had -exercised numerous economies to make the giving of it possible, and -now that it was actually happening it was all a failure. The children -were not happy and there were still three hours to drag through. Her -mouth was so dry that she had to clear her throat and moisten her lips -before she could ask Ruby Dark to have more tea; and her words came so -jerkily that Ruby was surprised almost to the point of tears. - -Then Mrs. Harris came to the rescue. "Where be they crackers, Miss -Lavinia?" she demanded, and Miss Lavinia, opening the cupboard door, -brought out two gay boxes with twelve beautiful crackers lying closely -and shinily side by side. - -First each girl was given one and pulled it with the boy sitting near -her, and they all screwed up their eyes and there were little cries of -fright when the pop came. By the time the boys were given their -crackers all the children were out of their places, jumping up and -down with excitement, proudly wearing paper bonnets with frills, and -three-cornered caps, and paper aprons whose strings would never meet -round any waist. - -Miss Lavinia's nervousness suddenly passed. "Shoo!" she said as though -they were so many chickens. "Run back to the school-room." - -She clapped her hands and they surged along the passage laughing, -jumping, poking one another; a boisterous band of happy children for -whom tea and the crackers had broken the ice. - -First of all they would play "Hunt the Slipper," and therefore they -must all sit in a ring. - -"Mammy said not to sit on the floor," whispered Ruthie to Tommy. - -"Sit down," said Tommy scornfully. Ruthie sat, and the game began. - -The slipper went round and round and round. It was thrown across, and -up and back again, and Jimmy Prynne, outside the circle, grabbed and -missed and snatched again. There was much confusion, and no one quite -knew what anyone else was doing, or what they themselves were meant to -do, but it was a grand game, and in the merry laughter no-one joined -more heartily than Miss Lavinia herself. - -Next came "Nuts and May," and "Blind Man's Buff." The blind man always -guessed the wrong number of fingers held up, and yet managed to see -just quite a little either above or below the handkerchief that -smelled so sweetly of lavender and had belonged to Miss Lavinia's -father years and years ago. - -After this they were all so hot that they played "Postman's Knock" for -coolness. Jimmy Prynne went out first. He rapped sharply on the closed -door and Miss Lavinia opened it just a small crack and peered out into -the passage where Jimmy stood. Then followed the old-time dialogue, -dear to so many generations of children. - -"Who's there?" said Miss Lavinia. Memories laid away in lavender these -many years were awakened by the foolish old game. - -"Postman," replied a gruff, stern voice. - -The children sitting in a row, waiting--waiting, laughed their -appreciation of Jimmy's dramatic power. - -Then the dialogue continued. "What with?" - -"A letter." - -"How many stamps?" The air was tense. - -"Fifteen stamps." - -Then the most important question of all. "Who for?" - -There was a pause on the part of the postman. - -"Jimmy, Jimmy Prynne, choose me, Jimmy," and Ruby Dark stood up in her -excitement. - -Jimmy hesitated. - -Miss Lavinia, the doorkeeper, bent down, and in a very gentle whisper, -said: "Choose Ruby, Jimmy." And Ruby, shining eyes and chin uplifted -passed out into the dim light of the narrow passage, and there fifteen -kisses, each one carefully counted by the bearer of the letter, were -solemnly exchanged. - -Every one had a letter. Miss Lavinia saw that nobody was forgotten. -She was childishly glad when Tommy chose her and the letter bore one -hundred stamps; although, as she explained when they were together in -the passage, there really was not time for all the hundred then, they -must be content with two and the rest could be delivered some other -day. - -After this Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and the little dog, and the cushions, -and the whip, and the reins and all the other parts of the Old Family -Coach grew dizzier and dizzier with the restless whirling and turning -resulting from the many adventures and accidents that befell the coach -on its perilous summer morning's journey. - -Christmas parties come all too quickly to an end. It was nearly time -to go home, but first of all would Miss Lavinia tell them a story? So -the lamp was turned out, and in the firelight Miss Lavinia began. - -"Once upon a time" (every child looked straight into Miss Lavinia's -eyes). "Once upon a time, in the heart of a deep, green wood, a very -beautiful princess lived all alone. She had no father and no mother, -but all the creatures that flew, or crawled, or ran were her friends. - -"It was always summer in the wood. So the princess wore beautiful -garments made of silken gossamer, and the spiders wove a new robe for -her every morning, just when the sun was up. When the new gossamer -robe was ready the birds flew to the boughs of the beech tree under -which the princess slept, and sang sweet songs until the princess sat -up and rubbed her eyes, and said: 'Why, it is day!' - -"Then the birds flew away to look after their own families, and the -squirrels brought nuts and cracked them, and laid them at the feet of -the beautiful princess. - -"She was never hungry, this beautiful princess, for such wonderful -fruits grew in the wood. She was never cold, for the sun shone all day -long. When night came, and the moon and the stars took the place of -the sun, she lay down under the beech tree that had stood there for -hundreds of years, and covered herself with bracken, and slept. - -"She was perfectly happy, was the princess, until one night she had a -dream. It was the very first dream that she had ever had, and she -dreamed that she was alone. In the morning she sat up and rubbed her -eyes just at the dawn, long before the birds came. She looked down -through the long shadows of the trees. She was afraid, for 'I am -alone,' she said. It seemed a dreadful thing to be a beautiful -princess all alone in the heart of a deep, green wood." - -A glowing coal fell from the fire. Miss Lavinia paused for a moment, -and for the first time the children stirred. - -"When I'm growed up," said Ruthie, "I shall get married." - -"You must wait until some one asks you, Ruthie," Miss Lavinia gently -reproved her. - -"Didn't no-one never ask you, Miss Lavinia?" said Tommy, pushing a -hot, moist hand into hers. "'N so couldn't you never be married?" - -"What happened to the Princess in the wood?" asked Jimmy Prynne -impatiently. - -"Well, a butterfly that had also wakened very early flew round and -round the Princess, and then away from her, towards the shadows of the -trees. The Princess stood up and followed, one hand stretched out as -if to touch the coloured wings. The butterfly led her quite to the -edge of the wood. There, beyond the bracken that she gathered for her -bed under the beech tree, stood the most wonderful Prince in the -whole, wide world. - -"And the Princess knew that she was no longer alone. - -"'Come!' she said to the Prince. - -"'There is magic,' he replied, 'and I cannot cross the bracken unless -you lead me by the hand.' - -"So the Princess stepped through the high fern-fronds, and when she -held the hand of the Prince he kissed her. At his kiss a wind arose -and the branches of the trees waved to and fro. The birds twittered -uneasily, and there was a sound like thunder and falling rain. Then, -as hurrying shadows, the trees vanished. The Prince and the Princess -could no longer see the birds, but they heard the fluttering of their -wings overhead. - -"There was a sudden lightning flash that made the Prince and Princess -close their eyes. - -"When they opened them again they were no longer in the wood, but in a -room with a cheerful fire and a lighted lamp. The Princess had lost -her gossamer robe; she wore a blue serge frock and a white apron. The -Prince had on a blue jersey with a name on the front. They stood in -the little room hand in hand. - -"'I am no longer alone,' said the Princess, and smiled. - -"'Let us unlock the door,' said the Prince, 'then perhaps a little -child will come in.' - -"So they drew back the bolt and waited!" - -Tommy wriggled his hot hand from the clasp of Miss Lavinia's thin -fingers. "My Mammy'll be missin' me," he said, and struggled to his -feet. Then the clock struck seven. - -Five minutes later twenty little people, in coats and mufflers, kissed -Miss Lavinia and ran out laughing into the winter night. - -Miss Lavinia closed the door behind them and returned to the -firelight alone. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - -Of course Tommy was much too excited to sleep. When a girl called -Annabel is coming to live in your house for ever and ever it naturally -absorbs all your thoughts. - -Annabel's father was a naval officer who was sailing away from -Plymouth for two years, and Annabel and Annabel's mother were to live -in Tommy's house until he came home again. - -All Tommy's particular friends, with the single exception of Ruthie, -were looking forward to the coming of Annabel, but Tommy had made it -quite clear to them that only now and again would she be able to give -them much attention, as most of the time she would be helping him to -carry out the most wonderful of wonderful games. - -A late train this very February night was to bring Annabel and her -mother to Draeth. Tommy reduced the bed clothes to indescribable -confusion while he waited for their coming. - -"Mammy, has Annabel come yet? Mammy, what's Annabel like?" - -Mrs. Tregennis came upstairs and for the twentieth time that day -described the little girl. - -She had seen neither Annabel nor Annabel's mother. It was with the -naval officer himself that she had made all arrangements, and as he -had crisp, curly hair, and very blue eyes she decided that his little -daughter possessed these qualities too. Tommy, therefore, pictured -Annabel with golden curls, rosy cheeks, blue eyes and a merry smile. - -"'N will she play with me, Mammy?" - -"If you'm a brave good boy, she will. But no sliding down Skiddery -Rock, mind." - -"'N shall I show her the Smuggler's Cave, 'n let her ride on Dobbin? -Oh, Mammy, I _wish_ as Annabel would come. You'll bring her straight -in to see me, Mammy, won't you, before her goes to bed?" - -Mrs. Tregennis promised. "But you'll have to be very good, ma -handsome," she warned him, "or your Mammy'll be properly ashamed of ee -'longside Annabel." - -For the first time Tommy felt the improvement of his moral character -to be a real need. - -Mrs. Tregennis went downstairs to make final preparation for supper, -while Tommy left to himself passed into the realms of play-acting. The -_dramatis personae_ were Tommy Tregennis, enacted by himself, and -blue-eyed, curly-haired Annabel, represented for the moment by the -pillow. There were others, too, scattered dimly in the shadows of the -room. - -In the first act Tommy sat up in bed, clutched the pillow tightly, and -"I _love_ you," he said. - -Then, in reply to an interruption from the shadows: "No, her _don't_ -love ee, Jimmy Prynne!" - -The setting of the second act was slightly different, as, by this -time, the sheets and blankets were lying in a disorderly heap upon the -floor. Tommy was kneeling in the middle of the cot digging a -wonderful castle in the sand, while the pillow (that is, Annabel), -looked on with admiring wonder. Those others, in the shadows, tried -hard to make fine castles too, but Annabel gave them never a look. - -Before the curtain rose on the third act the real Annabel, accompanied -by her mother, entered the house. Ungraciously Tommy thumped the -pillow and flung it aside. - -In vain he listened for ascending footsteps. Why didn't Mammy at once -tell Annabel that he was waiting for her, he wondered. At last, after -what seemed to him hours and hours, he heard them come upstairs. - -There was a stumble, and a strange voice said: "Be careful, darling," -then they came on again. - -Oddly the footsteps did not stop at his door, and a moment later he -knew by the sounds overhead that Annabel and her mother were in their -own bedroom. - -"Mammy!" he called. - -At once she stood by his bed and, stooping, kissed him, with some new -quality in her kiss. - -"Wants to see Annabel, Mammy," he said plaintively, rubbing tired -eyes. "Bring her to see me, Mammy." - -Mrs. Tregennis hesitated, then stood in the doorway and spoke to the -visitors as they came downstairs. "My little Tommy's in bed, ma'am, -and can't go to sleep, he's so excited about seein' Annabel." - -Mrs. Tregennis held out her hand to draw the child into the room. - -"Oh," interposed Annabel's mother, scarcely pausing on the stairs, -"_Miss_ Annabel will speak to your boy in the morning, it is too late -to-night." - -"I wants to see her now, Mammy. I wants to see her to wanst," wailed -Tommy, losing his shyness when confronted with the dread possibility -of having to wait all through the hours until morning. "I wants to see -her _now_, Mammy," and his voice rose higher. - -The naval officer's wife held her daughter's hand and tightened her -lips. "He seems to be an undisciplined child," she said, and went down -to the sitting-room where supper was spread. - -While Tommy sobbed in his pillow Mrs. Tregennis spoke out her mind to -her husband. "A blessin' she may be, I'm not for sayin' that she isn't -when I think of good money for two whole years. But she be a blessin' -in a thick disguise, Tom, so there 'tis, an' can't be no tizzer. -_Miss_ Annabel! _Miss_, mind you, Thomas Tregennis. I reckon she be -just like her mother though she be but a maid of five years old. Well, -I be main sorry for _'e_. 'Tis proper glad he'll be to be away these -two years, I'm thinkin'. Real glad he be, I guess." - -When Tommy returned from school the following morning a sallow, -lank-haired girl stood in the doorway of the downstairs sitting-room. - -"Come here, boy," she demanded imperiously. - -Tommy looked at the unattractive stranger a full minute without -speaking; then--"Go out of my house," he said. - -Two mothers rushed hurriedly forward. - -"Tommy, Tommy," cried Mrs. Tregennis, "that do be Miss Annabel." - -"What a _rude_ boy!" said the naval officer's wife. - -Tommy took no notice of her. "'Tisn't Annabel," he said, shaking off -his mother's restraining hand. "Annabel has curls, an' is pretty, an' -smiles. That do be 'n ugly girl, that be." - -Annabel ran forward and smacked him. "I hate you, boy," she cried. - -Tommy was quite ready to fight, but his mother's grip prevented him; -all he could do was to make a hideous grimace as he was pushed -ignominously into the kitchen where the door was shut upon him. - -Later in the morning the naval officer's wife summoned Mrs. Tregennis -to her sitting-room (the room on the ground floor on the left-hand -side of the door), and expressed her wishes and views. "I must live -quite economically," she explained. "I do not wish to spend much money -on food. I should like you to do all the shopping, but there must be -no extravagance and no waste. We shall eat very little meat, but -plenty of vegetables. I do not like to think of cows and sheep, -animals that lend charm and poetry to country life, being sacrificed -to the material needs of my babe and myself. Vegetarian dishes form -the only Christian menu. To-day we will have haricot beans made up -into some little delicacy, and for the second course a small rice -pudding. Please take a half-pennyworth of milk for me each day, and -skim off the cream that rises to the top for my afternoon tea." - -"Oh, my blessed faather; I've never met her like," confided Mrs. -Tregennis later to Aunt Keziah Kate who had just dropped in for a bit -of newsin'. "Two years of she'll about finish me, I reckon. Cream on -the top of a ha'porth of milk; my dear soul!" - -Four weeks of the downstairs visitors had made Mrs. Tregennis quite -irritable and short-tempered, and when, towards the end of March, the -postman brought an unstamped letter she quite crossly refused to take -it in. It came by the afternoon delivery, and Tregennis went to the -door as his wife was upstairs. - -"Ellen," he called, "here's a letter for ee, an' tuppence to pay." - -"An' what'll I be payin' tuppence for?" - -"It can't be left without; there's no stamp on 'e." - -"Then it must be taken back. I don't want 'e." To emphasize her words -Mrs. Tregennis retreated from the head of the stairs and closed her -bedroom door. - -Tregennis held the letter delicately between finger and thumb and -looked perplexedly at the postman, who tilted his official cap and -scratched his head. - -At this moment the Naval Officer's wife came out of her room. "Are -there any communications for me?" she asked. - -"No 'm, nothing at all," and Tregennis held up the unstamped letter to -the light, and tried in vain to penetrate the thickness of the -envelope. - -"Ah, I see there is two-pence to pay," said Annabel's mother, who -still stood in the doorway. "Perhaps you have not the money; pray use -this." She thrust forward two pennies as she spoke. - -Tregennis was a man by no means given to prejudices, but for this -woman he had conceived a violent dislike. "In no way thank ee, ma'am. -I have plenty of money here," and he slowly and carefully extracted -from the depth of his trouser pocket one penny and one halfpenny. -Shamefacedly he fumbled for a second halfpenny which could not be -found. First in one pocket, then in the other he felt, until the -postman showed some signs of impatience. The Naval Officer's wife -looked supercilious and returned to her room. - -Tregennis, hot and uncomfortable and feeling like a thief, went to the -kitchen cupboard. From the right hand corner of the second shelf he -took a yellow china pig with a longways slit in its back. This rattled -as he moved it, for it was Tommy's moneybox. The only way in which the -capital invested in the pig could be recovered was to turn the animal -upside down and shake it in rapid jerks. Not infrequently it happened -that the coins lodged right across the slit instead of slipping -through. So it was to-day. At last one penny fell on the table and -rolled to the floor. Stooping, Tregennis secured the penny and handing -it to the now openly impatient postman received in exchange his own -halfpenny and the unstamped letter addressed to his wife. - -He put the letter in a prominent place on the chimney-piece, propping -it up against one of the china dogs. Here Mrs. Tregennis found it a -little later. "Why, my blessed faather," she exclaimed, when it caught -her eye, "we might be made of money. We might be the quality -themselves the way you do go flingin' away tuppences right and left. -Whatever made ee give tuppence for that?" - -Tregennis jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "_She_ wanted to pay!" - -"Well, that was proper sensible of ee, too, Tom," admitted his wife as -she took down the unstamped letter from the chimney-piece, turned it -over, and pushed her thumb under the flap. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - -It was the Thursday before Good Friday, and in the Tregennis household -there was great excitement and joyous expectancy. Mrs. Tregennis had -sung softly to herself all the while she was dressing, greatly to the -annoyance of the Naval Officer's wife, who was invariably irritated -when people hummed. She was irritated, too, by Mrs. Tregennis's happy -manner when she carried in the downstairs sitting-room breakfast; and -again when breakfast was over and was being cleared away. - -Then, however, curiosity got the better of hurt dignity. "What time do -the ladies come?" she asked. - -"At ten minutes after six, ma'am." - -"Ah, then perhaps I had better defer my call until to-morrow. They -will have many little matters to occupy them this evening." - -"How do you mean 'call,' Ma'am?" asked Mrs. Tregennis anxiously, -feeling that there was probably trouble ahead. - -"I mean that I shall, of course, visit them at once," replied -Annabel's mother in her most affected manner. "If I approve of them, -and find that they belong to my own social grade, I shall most -certainly take them up and show them every civility." - -"I don't think the young ladies will want to trouble about visitors -and such," retorted Mrs. Tregennis hotly. "They be all for bein' out -and sittin' on the rocks, be our ladies, and they've got each other, -an' they don't want nothin' more. And they'm just of the very best, -ma'am, our ladies; truly lovely people they be." - -"They did not scruple to send you an unstamped letter, these people, -who are of the very best; but perhaps you think the stamp rubbed off -in the post?" - -"No'm, I _don't_ think that, there was never no stamp on at all, there -was no gummy corner, nor nothin'. 'Tis lucky that my husband had more -sense than me an' took it in. The ladies gave it to some one to post, -I guess, with a penny for a stamp, and the stamp was never put on. -Save a penny like that! Them!" Mrs. Tregennis hurried from the room -with her heavily loaded tray. - -To Mrs. Tregennis the hours of that Thursday passed very slowly. The -rooms for the ladies had been cleaned and prepared the day before, but -more than once she went into the upstairs sitting-room, and tried to -improve the hang of the curtains and the arrangement of the flowers -that looked so many more than they really were because of their -reflection in the overmantel glass. Once she ran hurriedly upstairs -and again inspected her drawer of bedroom towels to make quite sure -that she had put out the biggest and the best. Once, too, she walked -into the ladies' bedroom and rather anxiously inspected the cake of -pink soap that fitted so neatly into the perforated tray of the -soap-dish, and wondered if it was just exactly what they would really -like the best of all. In the middle of the morning two trunks arrived -as luggage in advance. When these had been carried upstairs and placed -at the foot of the bed the carman's foot-marks were removed with a -duster, and nothing further remained to be done. - -When Tommy burst in from school soon after four o'clock, his first -breathless words were, "Have my ladies come yet, Mammy?" and so -restless and excited was he that he could scarcely be induced to have -tea. - -When he was released from the table he ran out into the alley, and, -refusing all invitations to dig on the sands, he played round his own -doorway so that he might catch the first glimpse of his ladies when -they actually did arrive. Just before half-past six, however, when he -peeped round the corner and saw them coming, he was seized with -shyness and ran hastily into the kitchen, and hid in the cupboard -among the coals. - -Before they could shake hands Mrs. Tregennis must give hers a last -wipe on the oven cloth, while Tregennis rubbed both of his slowly up -and down the legs of his trousers. Then there was much talking, but as -they all talked together no one heard distinctly anything that anyone -else said. - -When finally one voice arose above the rest it belonged to the Blue -Lady. "Oh, how deliciously those chops are sizzeling; we're just as -hungry as hunters." Then, "Where's Tommy?" she asked. - -Mrs. Tregennis looked around puzzled, then put her head out of the -window. "He was here but a minute since, excited as could be." - -Then she bethought herself of the cupboard and opened the door -revealing her handsome among the coals. In his eagerness to hide he -had fallen, and hands and face were black with coal-dust. - -"Come forth, Tommy," he was commanded, and, grinning shyly, he obeyed. - -"Now, stand perfectly still," and, stooping, the Blue Lady selected a -cleanish spot on his face and there she kissed him. - -Tommy, completely forgetting his orders, flung his arms around her -neck, leaving impressions in coal-dust on her linen collar and on her -face. - -"It isn't of the least consequence," she assured Mrs. Tregennis. -"They'll both wash." - -As they walked upstairs to their own sitting-room the Blue Lady -slipped her hand into the Brown Lady's saying, "Oh, Dorothea, isn't it -good to be here? Just good, good, good!" - -Before they had quite finished tea there was a muffled sound on the -door and some one walked into the room. - -"We've had a beautiful tea, Mrs. Tregennis. We've each eaten a huge -chop, but, as usual, I didn't get my fair share of cream." Then the -Blue Lady stopped abruptly for she read in her friend's face that -something was wrong. Turning she saw that a stranger stood in the -room. - -"I beg your pardon," she said, rising, with a touch of hauteur in her -voice, "I thought it was Mrs. Tregennis who came in when the door -opened." Then she waited. - -The stranger responded with what was meant to be a winning smile. "My -little girl and I are in the downstairs sitting-room," she began to -explain, "and I came in now----" - -"Ah, I understand," interrupted the Blue Lady, more warmth in her -tone. "You have moved down there for us, and came in here now -absentmindedly?" - -"Not at all," exclaimed the Naval Officer's wife, as she sat down -unasked. "I came to welcome you to Draeth." - -Meeting with no answer she continued. "There is no society at all -here, no intellectual companionship, nothing but the commonplace life -of an insignificant fishing-town. Lest you should be dull, Annabel, my -babe, and I will place all our spare hours at your disposal." - -"I am sure you mean very kindly." The Brown Lady, who still dabbed at -jam and cream with her knife, grew hot when she heard the calm even -tones proceeding. "But we have come down here purposely to avoid the -rush of the S----; that is, to be quiet and alone. I am sure you will -understand when I say that we wish for no companionship but that of -each other, during the short time we are here." - -As the Blue Lady spoke she opened the door, and with a slight -inclination bowed the visitor from the room. - -"Oh, Margaret!" The Blue Lady flicked crumbs across the table with -unerring aim. - -"No, Margaret, it's no good being flippant and playing like that, I -_will_ speak. You were very rude to her, and you know you were." - -"Yes, I think I was, but courteously rude. How else _could_ you treat -a woman like that. Let's have Mrs. Tregennis up and find out who in -the name of fortune she is, and after that we'll run down to the sea." - -The Blue Lady rang the bell, then singing, she whirled the little -Brown Lady round and round the room: - - "Oh, for the smell of the salt and the weed, - Oh, for the rush of the waves, - Oh, for the cliffs where the white sea-gulls breed, - And oh, for the murmuring caves! - - Here when the beacon light flashes at night, - Here when the winter winds roar, - Here when----" - -"I'm out of breath," panted the Brown Lady. - -"Do stop this jigging round, and this ridiculous impromptu rhyming. -You were just like this when we were here before, but being nearly a -year older now you ought to know better. Here's Mrs. Tregennis, so you -_must_ stop." - -"Mrs. Tregennis," the Blue Lady burst forth. "Who is she? Where did -she come from? Why is she here? And how long does she mean to stay?" - -"Oh, Miss, 'tis brave an' sorry I be. I told her this morning as how -you wouldn't want to be taken up, but she would come. There she be now -ringin' and ringin' her bell. Always in a fanteague about somethin', -she be." - -"Well, go and see what she wants; all this can wait, for we're going -out." - -Hatless the two friends ran downstairs and out, in the fading light, -to the sea. - -From the very way in which the bell was ringing Mrs. Tregennis knew -that no pleasant moments awaited her in the downstairs sitting-room. - -First of all there was a complaint about supper. It had been ordered -for a quarter past seven; it was now ten minutes past seven, and the -cloth was not even laid. "You must remember that I am most particular -about punctuality, Mrs. Tregennis, nothing displeases me more than to -have meals late. I hope that because two strangers have come here for -a few weeks you will not neglect me and my child." - -Mrs. Tregennis stood, silent, and outwardly patient. "Do you know at -all who they are?" continued her exasperating lodger. "The taller one -said they had come down from London to avoid the rush of the s----. -Then she stopped. What could there be beginning with 's' that they -should wish to escape?" - -"Supper begins with 's,' and it'll be fine an' late ma'am, if I don't -go and see about it." And Mrs. Tregennis escaped from the room. - -When she returned the naval officer's wife spoke with excitement. -"I've found out," she cried. "They're shop girls!" and paused, to give -dramatic emphasis to her words. - -As Mrs. Tregennis appeared quite unmoved she continued. "To escape -from the rush of the s----! Of course there must be sales on in the -London shops now, and they've managed to save up money enough to come -down here to rest until the sales are over, then they will go back -again to work. You had better see that they pay beforehand for all -they have, or you may find yourself in Queer Street when they go -away." - -"Mrs. Radford!" Mrs. Tregennis had never before addressed her lodger -by name, so it was all the more impressive. "Mrs. Radford, I'll not -hear one word against our ladies. They haven't thought fit to tell me -who they be, and 'tis no business of mine. Shop girls or no, I cannot -say, but they'm real ladies, whatever they be, and I'll not hear a -word against them, so there's where 'tis to." - -"You need not become angry, my good woman. Their appearance is -certainly not in their favour, for they are almost shabbily dressed; -plain blue and brown Norfolk suits that are by no means new. When they -arrived I looked through the window most particularly to see their -style of dress, and I may say I was by no means favourably impressed." - -"If you'd like to know, ma'am, they're the very clothes they wore down -here last year, an' they weren't new then. Very sootable to Draeth -they be to my way of thinkin'. But I don't want to talk about them to -you at all, if you don't mind, ma'am. It seems sort of an insult to -our ladies to be discussin' their clothes an' such. And if you'll ring -when you've finished, ma'am, I'll come in again to clear away." - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - -It was perfect Easter weather. It was so hot that when you closed your -eyes you thought it was the middle of summer, until you opened them -and saw, high up on the cliffs, the leafless trees. Still, as always -in Draeth, in spite of the heat, the air had that delightful freshness -which results from the mingling of the sea-breezes with the winds -which blow from the Cornish moorlands. - -In every hedge myriads of primroses opened wide and startled eyes to -the blue of the sky. Purple violets nestled among the green grass -blades. Timidly the hart's tongue fern unrolled the delicate green of -its mitred leaf. The lords and ladies were in flower, and zealously -guarded their secret within the closed, mysterious spathe. Over all -the blackthorn shed snow-white petals, and the whole air was full of -the intoxicating smell of the gorse. - -In and out of the hedges darted the mating birds; chaffinches and -yellow-hammers, thrushes and blackbirds; robins and linnets; and -hedge-sparrows that are not sparrows at all. All together they sang -the song of Love and of Springtime, while, on the house-tops in the -town, the starlings mocked them all. Such faithful mockery, too, that -when you were indoors it was truly bewildering, for you were sure that -blackbirds and thrushes were perching on Mrs. Tregennis's chimney -pots, until the sweet whistle ended with the ridiculous squawk that -always betrays the starling, and lets you know that you have been -befooled. - -As the ladies sat at breakfast on Saturday morning a stumble on the -stairs heralded Tommy's approach. - -He fumbled with the handle of the door, opened it wide, then -remembered to knock and came in. - -After a scarcely perceptible pause of indecision he walked to the -Brown Lady. "A letter," he said, and pushed it very deliberately into -her hand. - -"Oh, Tommy," bemoaned the Blue Lady, "have you no letter for me?" - -"There was three for ee yesterday mornin', so 'tis the turn of she." - -He jerked his thumb at Miss Dorothea who tore open the flap of the -envelope, saying, "That's quite just, Tommy." - -But when she had opened out the folded sheet within, she gave an -embarrassed exclamation and flushed deeply. "I'm very sorry, Margaret, -but it's for you. I didn't look at the address, but just opened it." - -The Blue Lady took the open sheet and envelope, and, in her turn, -reddened slightly. "I thought perhaps there might be a letter," she -remarked. - -"Yes," said the Brown Lady, and silence fell between them. - -Totally misunderstanding this, Tommy tried to put matters right. -"'Taint fair," he said in a loud and angry voice. "There was three for -ee yesterday," and he snatched the letter from Miss Margaret as he -spoke. - -Unfortunately for Tommy, Mammy passed the open door at this moment. - -"Oh, my dear soul," she exclaimed, when the incident had been -explained to her. "I telled ee the letter was for Miss Margaret. Go -right away to wanst." - -"It didn't really matter at all," the Blue Lady interrupted. "And, you -see, according to Tommy's idea of justice it was quite wrong for the -letter to be for me." - -But Mammy was angry, and holding a tearful and ruffled Tommy firmly by -the hand she led him downstairs. - -So the morning began badly. Mammy's lips were tightly closed. Tommy -ate his breakfast in sullen silence, standing instead of sitting to -annoy Mammy, who took no notice of her son's waywardness, and so made -matters worse. - -After breakfast Mrs. Tregennis held out a penny to Tommy, who was -wiping his lips with the back of his hand. "See if you can get a bit -of mint to Bridget's, and be quick back." - -"I ain't a-goin' to fetch no more errands for ee to-day," Tommy replied -to his mother, raising his clear, blue, innocent eyes, and looking -unflinchingly into hers. - -"Oh, very well," said Mammy with a sigh, making a feint of undoing her -apron strings. "Then I must go to wanst myself, busy though I be." - -"Why can't ee send Mabel, or Annie, or Ruthie?" objected Tommy in a -determined voice. - -"What!" said Mrs. Tregennis, "and let all the neighbours know as Tommy -Tregennis isn't to be trusted to fetch an errand for his Mammy? Never. -I've got 'eaps an' 'eaps of work to do, and 'tis very busy I be, but -I'll go for the mint myself." - -Then for the first time Tommy's glance wavered; he held out his hand. -"Give I the money," he said, "I s'pose I must go this wanst. Give I -the money," and away he ran. - -On his return he laid the mint on the kitchen table. - -"There," he said, "but I tell ee I ain't goin' to fetch no more -errands all day." - -"No?" replied Mammy pleasantly, and hummed a little tune as she -stripped off the leaves of the mint before chopping them up for the -sauce. - -Tommy waited a while. Then, "May I go and play on the beach now, -Mammy?" he asked. - -"Go just where you like, my son," was the reply "and I hope you'll -spend a very happy morning wherever you be." - -Tommy left the house with a defiant exterior and a leaden feeling -within. At play on the beach he lost his ball, which was a rather -specially good one, and found, in exchange, two much smaller ones that -would not bounce, and therefore offered little in the way of -compensation. - -At dinner time Mammy was very cheerful, Daddy was silent and Tommy was -sad. - -After dinner he ran off hastily lest more errands should be required -of him, and, for a time, forgot his sorrows in trying to recover by -force his own ball from Jimmy Prynne. Jimmy had found it lying snugly -in the hollow of a rock where Tommy now remembered he had hidden it -for safety. When he had regained possession he removed from the tail -of his Jersey cap the two small balls that had lost their bounce; -these he kicked disgustedly in the direction of Jimmy Prynne, and -turned contemptuously away. - -He made up his mind to enjoy to the full the happiness of being -thoroughly naughty. No other children were on the Skiddery Rock, but -Tommy slid down its steeply polished side again and again, and still -nothing tore. - -Then he decided that he would get his feet just as wet as it was -possible for feet to be. So he threw his ball out to sea and waded in -after it; and threw it again and waded again; and again, and yet -again, until a wetter pair of boots and stockings than those worn by -Tommy Tregennis it would have been impossible to find. This -distinction achieved, a little voice within became unpleasantly -clamorous; not the warning voice of conscience, but the insistent -voice of fear. Tommy waded out of the water and wished with all his -heart that his feet were dry. - -A few moments he spent in deliberation, then turning his back upon the -cold, wet sea he walked slowly in the direction of Granny Tregennis's -house. At each step he took the water squelched unpleasantly inside -his boots, and each squelching step brought him nearer to an angry -mother's justifiable wrath. - -"Granny," he whispered, poking his head through the kitchen window. -"Granny." - -Although it was such a warm day Granny Tregennis sat in the rocking -chair by the kitchen fire. - -"Yes, ma lovely?" she replied. "An' where have ee been all day, ma -handsome? Saturday, too, an' your Granny left all alone." - -"Come home along o' me, Granny," pleaded Tommy. - -"Why, whatever for should I be comin' home along o' ee?" demanded -Granny Tregennis. - -"Come home along o' me," repeated Tommy, "come with me to my Mammy; -_please_, Granny." - -"An' why?" - -"Somehow I've gotten my feet all wet," and Tommy, who by this time was -inside the quaint, low-ceilinged room, looked ruefully down at the -thick, sodden boots. - -"Keziah Kate," called Granny, "take thicky lamb home." - -"Taint the same thing," argued Tommy, "'tisn't a bit the same. Aunt -Keziah Kate do allus be a-comin', she be. Come yourself, Granny, come -home along of I." - -So persistent was the pleading that for the first time in many weeks -Granny put on bonnet and shawl and emerged from her doorway. - -It was very slow progress that the two made along the uneven cobbles. -When they were about half-way home they saw Mrs. Tregennis in the -distance. - -"Sh-sh-sh!" warned Tommy, putting a grimy finger across his lips. - -But all caution was vain; Mammy looked up, saw them, turned and walked -towards them. - -"Why, Granny," she asked, "whatever's brought ee out-o'-doors, and -evenin' time, too?" - -Granny and Tommy felt equally guilty. Granny, as the elder, felt -called upon to explain. "Tommy's gotten his feet wet, Ellen. Don't be -hard on 'e." - -"So, my son, you'm a naughty boy, be you, and goes to hide behind your -Granny's skirts? Bringin' your Granny out like this, Tommy Tregennis, -because you'm afraid to come home alone. I'd take shame, an' I was -you." - -While Granny Tregennis sorrowfully retraced her steps Tommy -accompanied his mother with sinking heart. - -Tregennis was sitting by the kitchen fire. "I've gotten my feet wet, -Daddy," volunteered Tommy. - -"That you have!" he replied, looking down at the tell-tale boots. - -"Take 'em off quickly," ordered Mammy, but Tommy was unequal to the -task of grappling with the wet, knotted laces. - -"Take 'em off quickly!" he in his turn urged his Daddy, who felt like -a conspirator as Tommy confidingly raised first one foot, then the -other, that the offending boots might be unlaced and removed. - -"Now my stockin's, Daddy," he pleaded in a whisper; but here Mrs. -Tregennis interposed. - -"You'm not goin' to have clean stockin's on late Saturday afternoon, -Tommy, so now you know," she asserted decidedly, as she came forward -with a sturdy pair of strap shoes, and lifting Tommy to a chair -proceeded to put them on over the wet stockings. - - [Illustration: IT WAS VERY SLOW PROGRESS THAT THE TWO MADE ALONG - THE UNEVEN COBBLES.] - -"I can't bear it, Mammy; I won't have they," Tommy cried. - -There was no resisting Mammy's strength; the shoes were not only on, -but buttoned. - -"I won't have they, Mammy. Lemme go to bed." - -"You may go to bed the minute you've had your tea, my son; but first -run an' get me two cabbages to Bridget's." - -A downward movement on Tommy's part drew a warning from Mrs. -Tregennis. "Don't ee remove they shoes, my son. Now run off quickly -and get me two cabbages to Bridget's." - -As Mrs. Tregennis spoke she put some coppers into Tommy's hand. -Tommy's fingers remained limp and the pennies rolled over the kitchen -floor. At the same time he kicked off the strap shoes and sent them to -the farthest corner of the room. - -Then Tommy was whipped, and in spite of cries and kicks the strap -shoes were again buttoned on his wet, resisting feet. "Now go and get -me two cabbages to Bridget's," commanded Mrs. Tregennis. - -"Shan't fetch no more errands for ee, ever;" asseverated Tommy, his -fingers clenched. - -"Go an' get me two cabbages to Bridget's," said Mrs. Tregennis, now -punctuating each word with a slap, and Tommy's sobs rose anew. - -At this moment Aunt Keziah Kate entered. Tommy fled to her from the -enemy, and buried his head in her clean white apron. - -"What is ut, ma lovely?" Aunt Keziah Kate asked tenderly, as she -stroked the tousled head. - -By this time the Blue Lady had come downstairs to find out the cause -of Tommy's trouble. - -"Go and get me two cabbages to Bridget's," once more repeated Mrs. -Tregennis, while Daddy walked over to the soap-dish by the kitchen -sink, and having taken from it a square of damp flannel wiped Tommy's -tearful eyes. - -"Come, ma lovely!" said Aunt Keziah Kate, and - -"Go!" ordered Mammy. - -Still Tommy wavered. - -"Go to Bridget's, Tommy Tregennis, an' get me two stockin's." - -"If they're for our dinner," interrupted Miss Margaret, "we'd really -prefer cabbages." - -Tommy looked up with the shadow of a smile, then, holding out his hand -for the pennies, walked to the door. On the threshold, however, he -paused for a moment, then returned to the kitchen, took the flannel -which Daddy still held and vigorously rubbed his eyes. - -"Shan't let no-one see as 'ow I've been a-cryin'," he explained, and -ran off to fetch the errand. - -After tea Tommy sat on Tregennis's knee, while Tregennis took off the -offending stockings, and rubbed the wet feet in front of the kitchen -fire, the while a spirited conversation was carried on between the -two. - -"You shouldn't never disobey your Mammy, Tommy." - -"Shan't fetch no more errands, not never, for she." - -"An' the ladies in the house, too." - -"Annie or Mabel can fetch they errands, I tell ee." - -"Your Mammy's always workin' so hard, too, Tommy. 'Eaps an' 'eaps of -work she do get through in the day." - -"I'll not go never no more! Somebody else can fetch they cabbages and -things." - -"When you haven't got your Mammy an' me you'll be sorry you'm a -naughty boy, Tommy." - -This was a subject of conversation which Tommy always discouraged. - -"When you an' Mammy do be dead," he replied, "I shall get married -quick, I shall. I shall marry Ruthie to wanst, else I shan't have no -one to look after me, I shan't." - -Then the tousled head began to droop wearily, for it had been a day of -sorrow. "Can't talk to ee any more to-night, Daddy. I be too tired to -talk to ee any more to-night. Put I to bed, Daddy." - -Mrs. Tregennis was upstairs laying the cloth for supper, so with -clumsy hands Tregennis undressed the boy and tucked him tightly in his -cot. - -"Say 'good-night' to my Mammy for me, 'n, good-night, Daddy." - -The sleepy head burrowed into the pillow, while the long lashes -drooped over the tired blue eyes. - -Although Tommy still felt defiant he could not go to sleep in such an -unfinished way. He heard a step on the creaking stair, and "Mammy," he -shouted, "good-night, Mammy." - -Mrs. Tregennis came into the room. - -"Haven't said no prayers yet, Mammy." - -"I shouldn't say no prayers to-night," Mrs. Tregennis advised; "not if -I was you. Jesus 'e don't love little boys what's naughty." - -"Oh, yes, 'e do," said Tommy, with conviction. Then, "'E don't like -'em to be naughty, 'e don't," he added, "but 'e loves 'em all the -same." - -Then Tommy said his prayers and the good-night kiss was exchanged. - -Once more Tommy burrowed into the pillow and Mammy left the room. - -But there was still one thing forgotten, and Tommy raised himself in -his cot. "Daddy," he called, "Daddy, you needn't say good-night to my -Mammy for me; I've said it to she myself." - -After this he lay down contentedly. Five minutes later he was asleep -and the day of sorrows was ended. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - -The sun shone in at the open windows so brightly on Easter Day that it -wakened up Miss Margaret some time before Mrs. Tregennis came with the -hot water and the early morning tea. She leaned on her elbow and -looked out down the alley to the sea. - -Under the corner of the next roof two starlings were busily engaged in -nest-building. The father starling was very active, but cautious. He -took quite unnecessary precautions to avoid detection on his foraging -expeditions, precautions that only brought him the more definitely -under notice. - -Miss Margaret watched him with interest. Flying down to the cobbles he -picked up, one by one, three pieces of straw. Returning to the -rain-spout he perched on the prominent corner, holding the three -straws cross-wise in his beak. He turned his head first to the left, -then to the right; then to the left and right again, eagerly alert for -possible dangers. - -His grotesque movements attracted the attention of a milk-boy who was -walking up the alley, a can of milk in either hand. Balancing one can -on the cobbles the boy picked up a piece of sea-weed that was lying -there, and aimed it at the corner of the rain-spout where it caught -and hung. The starling opened his beak, dropped the straws and -hurriedly sought the shelter of the eaves, an indignant, ruffled -bird. After all, the boy had done him a good turn, for, when he had -made quite sure that the enemy had withdrawn, he reappeared, seized -the hanging seaweed and carried it to his waiting wife. - -After this the church door opened; the world was waking up. In -unofficial dress the verger swept out the dust of the week. It annoyed -Miss Margaret to see that he did not take the responsibility of his -own pile of dust. When it was all collected in the porch he swept it -to the lower step, and from there to the cobbles of the alley. A few -vigorous movements of his broom removed it from the immediate -neighbourhood of the church door and scattered it artlessly among the -uneven stones. - -In the bedroom below Tommy also was awake. This Easter morning was an -eventful one for him. He was going to wear a "noo sailor soot." It was -a suit with long trousers, the first long trousers Tommy had ever -had. Uncle Sam, who was in the navy, had given him a real lanyard -with a shrill whistle attached. Mammy had bought a new black silk -handkerchief, too, to go under the white sailor-collar of the blouse. -Naturally Tommy was eager to be dressed, and it was irksome to have to -lie quietly in bed for so long. - -At last Mammy had done all that was required for the ladies and it was -Tommy's turn next. It seemed a great waste of time to be washed and -have your hair done, although, when the preliminaries were at an end -and the new clothes were on, long trousers and all, it proved worth -it. - -"There, ma handsome," said Mammy, admiringly, "you _do_ be in -dandy-go-risset. Dressed to death and put to stand you be, my man!" - -"Would my ladies like to see my noo soot, Mammy?" he asked, and -followed the bacon and eggs into their sitting-room. - -The ladies could not find words to express their admiration, but Mrs. -Tregennis's vocabulary was such that she could cope bravely with the -situation. - -"Ain't he flish, Miss?" she asked, with pride. "Proper titched 'e be." - -The ladies felt that this exactly expressed what they wished to say. - -"Dressed to death, 'e be, and thinks 'tis Sunday," Mrs. Tregennis -continued, and was leading Tommy from the room when he was hastily -summoned by Miss Margaret, while Miss Dorothea handed him a large -plate on which were two Easter eggs full of sweets; a chocolate donkey -harnessed with wire and pink ribbon to a chocolate cart; a chocolate -ship in full sail and three chocolate hares. One hare stood on its -hind legs, one was in the act of running, while the brown body of the -other lay stretched out flat upon the white china plate. - -"Which'll I eat first, and which'll I give to Ruthie?" Tommy asked -excitedly while the plate was being passed to him and before he yet -held it in his hands. - -Discussing these two important points with his mother he walked from -the room. - -Accompanied by Auntie Jessie and Ruthie, Tommy went to church. At -first he was very devout; his new clothes helped to keep him in a -state of spiritual exaltation. When the singing was over he wanted to -go outside into the alley and blow his whistle. In the open window of -Mrs. Ham's cottage her parrot was calling. "Tommy, Tommy, Tommy," it -cried; and again, "Tommy, Tommy, Tommy!" Tommy very much wished he -could obey the summons, although he knew by experience that if he were -there to reply to the persistent bird Polly would merely put her head -on one side, turn slowly round on her perch, and refuse to speak -another word. - -At last the long service ended and he was free. "Where'll I go till -dinner time?" he asked as he ran into the kitchen. - -Daddy suggested his Granny might like to see the long trousers and -hear the whistle blown. Away Tommy sped and did not return until -dinner was on the table. - -After dinner Tommy went upstairs with Mammy to dress, but stayed -behind in the bedroom when she returned to Daddy in the kitchen. - -One Easter egg full of sweets he had given to Ruthie. Half the sweets -in the other he had eaten himself, but all the chocolate animals were -still intact. These he marshalled in a row on the big bed and wondered -what game he should play. - -First of all he loaded the chocolate cart with seaweed that had been -thrown up by the tide on to the shore at the foot of the bed. The -vehicle was not overloaded, for the stranded sea-weed was odd bits of -coloured wool that did not weigh very heavy. These Tommy carefully -carted away to manure his potato-patch on the cliff at the extreme -edge of the pillow. - -In time this game palled and Tommy pondered. Chocolate hares were -stupid, useless animals for a pretending game at sea; so he bit off -first the head and then the tail of the one at full gallop. - -After this he set aside the donkey and cart in favour of the ship in -full sail. It was a fishing-boat; it was, in fact, his Daddy's boat, -"The Light of Home." - -One by one Tommy carried all his possessions but this from the big bed -to the chest of drawers, where he arranged them according to a -definite system of his own. - -This work took some little time, but when it was accomplished he was -able to give his undivided attention to the chocolate lugger. With -care and precision he moulded the blankets and sheets into furrows -across the bed, so that the "Light of Home" might sail with pride on -the crest of the wave. His Daddy was aboard the lugger catchin' 'eaps -an' 'eaps of fish. So he, Tommy, would have a noo mackintosh, real -tarpaulin, too. His Daddy had promised him this the next big catch he -had. - -But Daddy always caught his fish at night-time, and here was the sun -just streaming in at the window. - -This must be remedied at once. By standing on a chair Tommy was able -to reach the blind-cord; when he had pulled down the dark green blind -there was a satisfactory gloom within the room. - -Now a new difficulty arose. If it was real dark the "Light of Home" -might lose her way, or, even worse, she might be wrecked. Then Daddy -an' the 'eaps an' eaps of fish, an' the noo mackintosh would perish -with her too. - -Tommy knew all about the Eddystone. He knew that there were three men -there, and that they had two months out and one month in. He knew, -too, that the lighthouse was built on quite a small platform of rock. -The inverted soap-dish made an excellent pretending rock, and on it -Tommy placed a little paraffin lamp that always stood on the table by -the bed. - -At first when he lighted the lamp he turned the wick up far too high, -and there was so much smoke and so big a flame that he could not -possibly put the chimney in place. He turned it out slowly and was -more successful in his second attempt, although even then he did not -find the glass chimney at all easy to adjust. Proudly the "Light of -Home" sailed round the inverted soap-dish and the smoking lamp. Still -Daddy caught 'eaps an' 'eaps of fish. But, alas! a storm arose, and -the poor "Light of Home" listed in a truly terrifying manner. - -The storm gave rise to a new idea. Daddy was no longer aboard the -lugger. It was Granfaather Tregennis instead. Daddy was just a little -new boy lying in a big fourposter bed. But there must be a light in -Granny's window to help Granfaather to sail safely home. - -Tommy was in luck. As a rule there was no candle in Mammy's bedroom, -only the paraffin lamp. To-day there stood on the chest of drawers the -ladies' china candlestick, fitted with a quite new candle. Tommy -pulled up a chair to the foot of the bed, lighted the candle and put -the candlestick on the chair. Then he tilted it a little so that the -light might shine through the rails at the foot of the bed, for the -foot of the bed was the window of Granny's room. - -While these preparations were afoot the "Light of Home" had been lying -neglected in the trough of a wave. Now she again began to sail over -the furrowed bed clothes. But the storm was telling on her. Slowly but -surely her outer coat was melting away, leaving sticky brown streaks -on Tommy's fingers and on the snowy whiteness of the clean bed-quilt. - -"You hobjeck you! you article you! I'll tell your faather the minute -he comes in." - -The "Light of Home" slipped through Tommy's fingers. The Eddystone -lurched over, fell from its soap-dish rock and was engulfed in the -quilty billows below. Mrs. Tregennis rushed from the position she had -taken up in the doorway, seized the lamp and extinguished the flame. - -Tommy's eyes dilated with fear. "Now I shall get it somethin' awful!" -he thought, and shrank against the erstwhile raging sea. - -For once words failed Mrs. Tregennis. She looked at the big bed, whose -counterpane was brown with chocolate streaks and black with paraffin -smuts. She looked at her son, sticky, smutty and subdued. On the new -white collar of the sailor blouse were the chocolate imprints of his -restless fingers. Down the right leg of the new long trousers were -splashes of grease. The room was thick with the smoke from the lamp -and the smell was vile. - -It was not often that Tommy was really whipped, and when Mammy opened -the top long drawer of the chest of drawers with a sharp little jerk -the tears welled up slowly in his big blue eyes. When she took from -the drawer the supple cane that was so seldom used, and advanced -towards him with grim determination, he broke into piteous sobs. - -A quarter of an hour later a tearful Tommy sat limply on a chair in -the kitchen; he wore his old blue trousers and his old red jersey top. -Sunday though it was Mammy stood at the table and with brown paper and -a hot iron removed the splashes of grease from the right leg of the -new sailor suit. The dandy-go-risset suit of the early morning! - -A painful silence lasted for several moments, then: - -"Do ee love I any more, Mammy?" - -Mrs. Tregennis rested the hot iron on the stand and looked fixedly at -Tommy. "How _can_ I love ee, Tommy Tregennis, when you'm such a -naughty boy." - -"No," Tommy's voice broke. "I don't s'pose ee do love I any more; -but"--and now the voice was very pleading--"I do love ee brave an' -much, Mammy, quite so much as that," and the two restless hands, from -which all chocolate stains had been removed, were held more than half -a yard apart. - -Mrs. Tregennis showed no signs of relenting but gave all her attention -to moving the iron lightly up and down over the stiff, brown paper. - -The kitchen door opened and Miss Margaret walked in. In amazement she -paused; first, because Tommy was in his very everyday clothes; -secondly, because Mrs. Tregennis was ironing on Sunday afternoon. The -ladies had been sitting down by the sea, surrounded by Easter calm, -and were ignorant of the grim tragedy enacted in the Tregennis -household. - -Miss Margaret was horrified when she was put in possession of the -facts. "Oh, Tommy!" her voice was very expressive and her face was -very sad. "How more than dreadful it would have been if you'd been all -burned up to nothing. Burned right up to nothing at all, only the -soles of your new brown boots left lying upon the bedroom floor." - -Tommy shuddered and looked down at his feet. - -"What would your Daddy and Mammy have done then?" Miss Margaret -continued. "They'd have been left all alone just with the soles of -your boots." - -This amused Tommy. He laughed. - -Already the tragedy was being relegated to the background of his mind. -He slipped off the chair, and, advancing to Mammy who was folding up -the trousers, offered her the piece of pink ribbon that had harnessed -the chocolate donkey to the chocolate cart. - -"For keeps!" he explained. - -The fact that Mammy accepted the gift was a sign that the feud was -ended. - -Along the kitchen floor, over the linoleum, was a strip of old carpet, -put there partly to take the tread and partly to give a little extra -comfort and keep the feet warm at meal-times. In jumping across the -floor Tommy pushed this out of place. - -"Mind my best Brussels!" warned Mammy, playfully, and Tommy felt that -he was indeed forgiven. - -His joy thereupon became so exuberant that the strip of carpet was -kicked entirely out of place. - -Then Mrs. Tregennis became firm again. "Put that carpet straight to -wanst," she ordered, and reluctantly Tommy obeyed at one end of the -strip. - -"Now here," said Mammy, pointing to the disarranged part at her feet. - -"That be your end," demurred Tommy, but the stern looks of both Mammy -and Miss Margaret compelled him to adjust that end also. - -Miss Margaret knew instinctively that in putting it to rights Tommy -meant to flick up the whole strip and so plunge headlong into disgrace -once more. With diplomacy and tact, therefore, and apparently -unintentionally, she stood right on the middle of the strip and began -to talk to Mrs. Tregennis. - -Before Miss Margaret left the kitchen Tregennis came in from the -front. Once more the story of Tommy's mishap was repeated. - -Tregennis turned to Miss Margaret. "I shall have to take 'e in hand -myself, Miss," he said slowly, "if so be as he isn't a better boy." - -Miss Margaret left the kitchen and, smiling, told the Brown Lady of -the awesome threat. Tregennis was a loving and entirely lovable man, -but much too gentle, too simple and too kindly to cope with Tommy's -boisterous daring. - -Downstairs in the kitchen gloom had again descended. Tommy stuck his -hands in his pockets and looked up into his mother's face. "Tell-tit," -he said, "oh, tell-tit," and with the full vigour of his sturdy legs -he kicked the carpet strip awry. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - -It was more than a week since Tommy's Ladies had come to Draeth. -Easter was over, and until Whitsuntide no more steamer-loads of -Plymouth trippers would visit the little town. On landing the steamer -passengers invariably followed the same plan. Presumably during the -short voyage they had had enough of the sea, for on leaving the boat -they at once trailed up the main street of Draeth, either in -scattering groups or in twos. The groups included children: little -girls with tightly curled hair and little boys in velvet suits. -Sometimes the twos held each other's hands, spoke little and looked -down at the ground as they walked; sometimes they were parted by the -whole width of the roadway, each seemingly indifferent to the presence -of the other. - -The groups looked in at the shop-windows until they were hungry; then, -carrying bulging paper-bags, they retraced their steps and, sitting in -sheltered corners among the rocks, looking out beyond the island to -the open sea, they ate stolidly until the bags were empty. Later the -tide came up and restored the beach to order, carrying out, even -beyond the breakwater of the island, all the litter of paper bags, -banana skins, orange peel, glass and tin--all mercifully washed -outwards to the horizon until they became waterlogged and sank to the -ocean floor. - -On Easter Monday the ladies walked to a distant and secluded part of -the coast and were happy all the morning in avoiding the rush of -holiday-makers. From afar they watched the approach of the thronged -steamers, and speculated idly as to the probable number of boatloads -that would land. Because it was good for the watermen they were glad -that the steamers came. - -As they were leaving the house after dinner, a weary lady had -approached them. Behind her stood another woman, equally weary, and a -pale-faced, meek-eyed man. "Excuse me," the first weary lady had said, -addressing Miss Dorothea, "but will you be so very kind as to tell me -where we can find the stocks?" she spoke with nervous eagerness. "You -see, we are only here for the day." - -Miss Dorothea had directed her to the stocks just around the corner, -and had followed the Blue Lady down the alley. But she was not to -escape so easily. "Excuse me once more," said the weary stranger, -somewhat out of breath with running after her, "but is there anything -else to be seen in Draeth; you see, we are only here for the day." - -On the following Monday, as they were walking up from the sands at -dinner time, they were laughing over the Easter reminiscences, and -comparing the beauty and stillness around them with the bustle and -throng of the week before. Then they began to speak of Mrs. Radford. -They found it very difficult to avoid her, although they had not -responded to her early advances. Whenever they left the house they -were conscious that her eyes followed them until they were out of -sight; she stood, barely concealed by the curtains of the window, to -mark their return. - -The Blue Lady was growing impatient; the unceasing spying annoyed her. - -The Brown Lady saw not only the humour, but also the pathos, of Mrs. -Radford's actions. "But think, Margaret," she said; "it isn't real -ill-nature that makes her so. It's just a sort of jealousy; we have so -much, and she has so little." - -"I don't agree with you. She has a husband and a child, and money -enough to enable her to live without effort." - -"Yes, she has all that, but she lacks absolutely the joy of living. -You yourself possess this in so high a degree that you scarcely allow -for its absence in others." - -"Ah, well," sighed the Blue Lady, "I really will try to be more -tolerant, but the woman irritates me beyond endurance." - -She ran upstairs to the sitting-room: - -"Oh the wild joys of living," she quoted, "the leaping from rock -to----" - -Her good resolutions were forgotten, for there, curled up on the sofa, -sat Annabel. She was not an attractive child in appearance: she was -too tall for her age, and, in spite of the fact that she was five -years old, she spoke in a babyish manner which sounded unnatural and -was, indeed, the result of affectation. - -She was the first to speak. "Miss Magalet, 'tan I have dinner wiv -'oo?" - -"No, Annabel, you most certainly can _not_. Why don't you speak -plainly--Tommy does. And you must never again come up here when we are -not in." - -"You have much nicer dinners than us," continued the child; "me never -has g'evy and meat, only beans and fings." - -"Poor mite!" said the Brown Lady below her breath. - -Annabel had wriggled off the sofa and was pointing to a gay chocolate -box on the mahogany wash-stand that served as a sideboard. "'S dem for -Tommy?" she asked. - -The Blue Lady lost patience. "They _were_ for Tommy," she said, quite -sharply; "but I don't think they're very good; they don't seem quite -fresh, so you can have them if you like." - -The child, completely satisfied, went downstairs to show her mother -the gift. - -"It's no good," said the Blue Lady, ashamed of her unkindness to a -little child. "She's exactly like her mother and I cannot like her." - -For dinner the ladies had ordered ox-tail soup, lamb and green peas, -gooseberry tart and cream. So much Mrs. Radford learned when she -peeped in at the kitchen door as Mrs. Tregennis was dishing up the -second course. - -"What very extravagant dinners they order." - -Mrs. Tregennis took no notice of the remark, but, stooping, closed the -oven door, and, digging a fork into the joint, lifted it from the tin -to the hot dish waiting on the fender. At that moment the upstairs -bell rang. Mrs. Tregennis answered it and returned with the plates and -the soup-tureen. - -Mrs. Radford raised the lid of the tureen. "What delicious soup!" she -remarked, "and what a lot they have left. They would never miss it, -Mrs. Tregennis, if you would let me have some." - -There was no reply. - -"Won't you give me just a little--just enough for Annabel?" - -Then Mrs. Tregennis spoke. "I shouldn't think of doing such a thing!" -she answered, indignantly. "Why, I wouldn't take not even so much as a -crumb of theirs, not even for my own Tommy, no, not if 'twas ever so!" - -Even then Mrs. Radford was not ashamed. "A few green peas----" she -began again. - -"Not _one_ green pea, ma'am," replied Mrs. Tregennis, firmly, "and -you'll excuse me for sayin' it, ma'am, but I really cannot understand -as how you can ask for any such thing; so there's where 'tis to." - -Mrs. Radford flushed hotly. "Well! _you'll_ see," she said -vindictively, "they're living at too grand a rate, they are. Their -money won't last out, it won't. You can't say that you were not -warned." - -Passing into her own room Mrs. Radford slammed the door, while Mrs. -Tregennis carried the lamb, green peas and baked potatoes upstairs to -the spendthrift ladies. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - -For more than three weeks it had been very fine on land, but at sea it -was rough and stormy, and the water was churned up and thick. For -boulter-fishing in the spring the sea must be clear. Because of the -bad weather-conditions there was much poverty in Draeth. Between the -end of September and the third week in April some of the fishermen had -earned barely three pounds. Since Christmas the boats had not once -been able to put out to sea. This meant that all through Lent, when -the fish fetches record prices, there had not been a single catch. - -The poverty of the fisher-folk pressed heavily on the tradespeople -too. When children were almost starving they could not refuse to -supply the homes with food. Certainly they entered in their credit -ledgers the amounts that were due to them from this family or that, -but they well knew that in many cases the reckoning was so great that -it would take more than a lifetime to pay it off. - -As it so often happens at times like these the most deserving found -the least relief. The Prynnes, the Tregennises, the Williamses, the -Darks and others shunned debt as they would have shunned the plague. -Rather than ask for food to be supplied to them on credit they would -starve. Day by day the hoard saved up against a rainy day grew less; -for you may be prepared to meet a rainy day, but when the rainy day -lengthens into a rainy month then you feel the pinch. For many -families in Draeth this was the time of fear. The ever-present -question was: How much longer was it possible to hold out? - -Then suddenly, when things were at their worst, the weather changed. -The wind slewed round to another quarter, the turbid waters became -clear, and the fisher-folk grew light-hearted, for at last the boats -would put out to sea. - -It was on the Monday of the last week in April that the fleet made -preparations for sailing. Tregennis looked upon it as a lucky omen -that on that very morning he had caught a rat on the "Light of Home." -For some days he had known the plaguey thing was there. Down in the -cuddy-hole he had found an old coat of his bitten through in the -sleeve. Some of the nets, too, had been gnawed in places, and he had -had to be busy mending tackle. It is a grave matter when a rat boards -a lugger, for there is no knowing how many more may follow. The four -men on the "Light of Home" had laid trap after trap, temptingly -baited, but without result. - -Now this morning Tregennis had at last put an end to the plaguey -varmint. As this trouble was overcome it was taken by the men as a -sign that further good luck loomed ahead. - -Miss Margaret went into the kitchen before breakfast and found Mrs. -Tregennis packing the basket of food for Tregennis to take to sea. - -"It do look a lot, don't it, Miss? There isn't much room on the boat, -so you has to get it packed up tight as can be. They did oughter be -back on Wednesday morning, but I puts in for a bit longer than that in -case." - -"If you find your store of food running short, Tregennis," advised -Miss Margaret, "remember that you ought to chew a great number of -times, forty-five chews to each bit of food I think it is, and then -the supplies will last all the longer." - -"My dear life, Miss; 'e do just bolt his food." - -"Can't seem to taste it, somehow, if I do keep it in my mouth," -Tregennis explained. - -"He do eat his food too fast, Miss; I never knoo anyone eat so fast as -'e; I be always a-tellin' 'e." - -"Well, he must practise this morning. Are you going to give him ham -for breakfast, Mrs. Tregennis?" - -"'Am?--no, miss--I'll 'am 'en. He haven't been to sea and caught no -fish. If he don't work neither shall he eat. That's in the Bible, -isn't it, Miss?" - -"Something like it," agreed Miss Margaret. - -"Yes, 'tis there, for sure. If a man will not work neither shall he -eat. It don't say nothin' about a woman in like case." - -"Oh, well," interrupted Tregennis, smiling good-humouredly. "_Will_ -not work; but I _will_ work when there's work to be done--the pity is -so often we _can't_." - -"You're both evading this question of chewing," Miss Margaret -complained. "It's all the fashion now to chew. They say that if you -follow this plan you only need half the usual amount of food. You see -it all nourishes you then; otherwise half is wasted." - -"Sakes! Tom, you remember that!" admonished Mrs. Tregennis. "'An you -too, Tommy, my man. Come here an' listen to your Mammy. If there's -goin' to be any savin' in it every bite as you puts into your mouth -you chews on forty-five times---- If so be as you can count so far," -she added, as an afterthought. - -"One--two--three--four--_five_--six--seven," began Tommy, in a dreary, -sing-song voice, with incatchings of the breath. - -"That'll do," interposed Miss Margaret, hastily. "I am quite sure, -Tommy Tregennis, that you can count up to forty-five very nicely -indeed," and, laughing, she went upstairs. - -After breakfast the ladies came down to see the boats leave the -harbour with the tide. - -"'Taint no good, Miss, after all," Mrs. Tregennis called out gloomily -as they passed the kitchen door. - -"Oh, Mrs. Tregennis, why? I'm so sorry! Has the wind changed again?" - -"Oh, not the _fishin'_, Miss, but the _chewin'_," she hastened to -explain. "Tom and Tommy was both tryin' hard but by the time they'd -chewed less an' twenty chews they didn't 'ave nothin' left." - -"We was just chewin' on nothin'," added Tregennis, who was drying his -face on the runnerin' towel. - -"T'ad all slippen down," volunteered Tommy, looking up from lacing his -boots. - -Miss Margaret looked at them sorrowfully. "There, you see," she -declaimed, "it is just the universal finding. You will not allow -yourselves to be improved! You do not wish to be nourished! You will -not chew! Thus you waste half, nay, more than half, of the food you -eat." - -Then, relapsing into her normal manner, "Perhaps I'm not quite -justified in speaking," she admitted, "for I know quite definitely I -couldn't chew forty-five times myself, and I haven't been as -enterprising as you, for I've never even tried." - -Tregennis picked up the basket of food that had led to the discussion, -and Tommy and the ladies accompanied him to the quay where he boarded -the "Light of Home." - -Sitting in the sunshine on the rocks, Tommy's Ladies watched the -fishing boats tack across to Polderry then veer slowly round and sail -in a south-westerly direction. From Tregennis they knew that the fleet -was making for Mevagissey, where they would shoot their nets and hope -to get a good catch for baiting the boulters. In those waters they -thought that the smaller fish, pollock, pilchards (not fit, at this -time of the year, for food), herring and whiting would be plentiful. - -To those who do not know, boulter-fishing seems a fairly easy -occupation. The boats sail away with something trawling after them on -the floor of the sea, and the fish is caught! - -Actually it is one of the hardest bits of work a man can do. If the -first shoot of the nets is successful the boulter is baited without -delay, and the luggers may sail away at once far beyond the Eddystone -to the fishing-grounds some fifty miles from Draeth. Often, however, -it happens that the nets are shot two, three, or even four times -before the men have fish enough to bait the hooks. - -The boulter is made up of thick, weighted ropes. As each boulter is -fitted with two thousand hooks, and as these hooks are fastened to it -with cotton-line about eight or nine feet apart, it follows that the -whole boulter is from three to four miles long. - -All the two thousand hooks pass four times through the hands of the -men on the lugger. First of all they must be baited, and after this -they must be shot. To the end of the boulter that is shot first from -the boat a cork buoy bearing a flag is fastened. This is called the -dan. At the middle of the boulter is a second dan. "This," as -Tregennis had explained to the ladies, "do give a second chanst, for -when once 'tis gone overboard you can't never even say it do belong to -ee. Anythin' may 'appen to 'e, you can't never tell." - -When the fish is caught on the two thousand deadly hooks these pass -for the third time through the fishermen's hands, for now they must be -hauled. Lastly, when the lugger is back in the harbour, they must all -be cleared, not cleared of the catch only, but of all the mutilated -bits of bait. Then they are thoroughly cleaned, carefully coiled round -and put away in readiness for the next time the boats are afloat. - -Miss Margaret and Miss Dorothea were discussing the heaviness of the -work and the hard lot of the fisher-folk as they watched the luggers -sail away round the curve of the coast towards Mevagissey and the -bait. - -As they spoke a cormorant dived in front of them beneath the water. - -"There!" said Miss Dorothea, indignantly. "Just as if it wasn't enough -for these people to have steam-trawlers, and weather and dog-fish in -array against them! And now the cormorants are coming in flocks and -are eating up all the smaller fish along the coast. It's an arrant -shame!" - -It was just one o'clock. The last lugger had rounded the curve. The -ladies picked up their books and walked slowly home over the polished -rocks and along the firm wide stretch of sand that grew still wider as -the tide flowed slowly out. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - -The day after the fishing boats put out there was a sudden change in -the weather. Little white horses rode in the bay. On land the wind -blew in sharp, fitful gusts. The watermen said that there must be a -fall of snow inland. - -Towards evening Mrs. Tregennis grew restless and uneasy. After -fastening up the house for the night she slipped back the bolt, and, -throwing on a shawl, went down to the front and looked out anxiously -over the angry sea. - -When she carried in the breakfast the following morning there were -deep shadows under her tired eyes. - -"You didn't sleep properly last night, now, did you?" asked Miss -Dorothea; and Mrs. Tregennis admitted that she had been awake for many -hours. - -"I didn't only partly undress," she explained. "I felt somehow so -restless and onsettled inside o' me. But 'tis all right now, Miss," -and Mrs. Tregennis smiled brightly, "for the boats they be sighted I -do hear tell, and they'll be here about eleven o'clock." - -Soon after eleven one by one the boats sailed up the harbour. Most of -the fishing families of Draeth were represented on the quay, for there -was much anxiety to find out at once if the first catch since -Christmas had been good. - - [Illustration: TOWARDS EVENING MRS. TREGENNIS GREW RESTLESS AND - UNEASY, AND WENT DOWN TO THE FRONT AND LOOKED OUT ANXIOUSLY OVER - THE ANGRY SEA.] - -Mrs. Tregennis did not go down. She was too busy to leave home, but -she sang light-heartedly as she went about her work. - -"Where's my Daddy to?" asked Tommy, when he came home from school. - -"Not come home yet, ma handsome." - -"Boats is in," objected Tommy. - -"Yes, my man, but I s'pose your Daddy's busy cleanin' up. Run an' find -'en, ma lovely, an' tell 'en to come in quick an' have dinner afore he -goes to bed." - -Tommy ran off to the quay and walked alongside, trying to pick out his -Daddy's boat. - -"Hallo, Tommy," said Uncle Sam, who was hauling up water in a bucket -over the side of the 'Henrietta.' - -"Hallo," replied Tommy, "I be lookin' for my Daddy; where be the -'Light of Home,' Uncle Sam?" - -"Dear life, I don't know! Up there 'appen," and Uncle Sam jerked his -thumb in the direction of the bridge. - -Tommy sped on. There was Uncle Harry in his boat and Uncle Jim in his. -But no Daddy and no "Light of Home" could Tommy find. - -"Uncle Jim, do tell I, where be the 'Light of Home'?" - -"Sure I don't know, Thomas, my son. Can't ee find she?" - -Tommy shook his head. - -"Try down below," and Uncle Jim waved vaguely towards the mouth of the -harbour. - -"Been there," Tommy demurred, "an' Uncle Sam 'e said come up 'ere, 'e -did." - -Uncle Jim was removing old bait from the boulter; he stopped and -scratched his head. - -Tommy's eyes grew large and puzzled. - -In a few minutes the word passed round that the "Light of Home" was -missing, and with her were Tom and Jack Tregennis, James Prynne and -Billy Dark. - -Tommy walked into the kitchen with a white, strained face. "Mammy," he -said, and again, "Mammy." Then he swallowed hard. "I can't find my -Daddy and the' Light of Home' bain't in." - -Mrs. Tregennis was kneeling in front of the fire, making toast. She -rose and turned fiercely on her son. "I'll about half kill ee, Tommy -Tregennis," she said, "if you come here scarin' with such tales as -they. I don't want none of that sort of yarn here. I'll knock ee -flying!" - -For a moment they looked into each other's eyes. Then Tommy flung -himself on the floor in a passion of weeping, while Mrs. Tregennis -stood staring in front of her, still holding the toasting-fork in her -hand. - -Awkwardly, and as if ashamed, Uncle Sam edged into the kitchen. - -"Don't ee take on now, Ellen," he admonished. "'Twill sure to be all -right; it be just----" - -"Of course 'twill be all right, an' righter than right," she -interrupted, angrily. "'Tis but that fulish child. Get up, Tommy, and -come an' have your dinner, or you'm be late to school." - -Tommy still lay on the floor, his face buried in his arms. - -"Get _up_, I tell ee, or I'll shift ee, my son." - -Then, as there was still no movement: "If you don't get up to wanst, -Tommy Tregennis, I'll tell your faather the minute----" - -The familiar threat ended abruptly, and Mrs. Tregennis turned away, -put down the toasting-fork and filled the kettle at the sink. - -All through that weary Wednesday Draeth waited for the "Light of Home" -and still she did not come. There was a heavy fall of snow inland, the -papers said, and the wind at sea grew more and more boisterous. On -Thursday morning there was snow in Draeth itself, the roofs were -white, and it settled on the fields above the cliffs. - -Still there was no sign of the "Light of Home." Glasses swept the -horizon in vain. No sail was in sight! - -Dozens of people were on the front looking out seaward the whole day -long. Women wept and little children were terrified. - -All this time Mrs. Tregennis never left the house, but went about her -work with tight, colourless lips, and with unseeing eyes. At school -Tommy sat still and frightened, but his Mammy said 'twas better as he -should go. - -Mrs. Radford attempted tactless consolation, but Tommy's Ladies -behaved as far as possible in a normal way. Outside they shunned the -shifting throng on the front, because they dreaded hearing the -muttered conjectures. So they sat some little distance apart on the -rocks, straining--like all the rest of Draeth--straining out to sea. - -"If I were the parson here," said Miss Margaret, "I should open the -church and ask all those people on the front to come in. I'd just have -one strong, simple prayer and sing 'For those in peril on the sea.' I -shouldn't say anything to them because I should only cry if I did." -Miss Margaret groped for her handkerchief and wiped away the tears -that were trickling down her cheek. - -In the whole wide world there seemed to be one thing only that really -mattered, and this was that the "Light of Home" should sail over the -horizon and ride with the tide up the harbour to Draeth. - -The remaining hours of the Thursday dragged with incredible slowness. -It was a relief when night came and there could be no more weary -gazing seaward for a few hours at least. - -When Mrs. Tregennis brought the tea in the morning there was a new -look in her eyes. - -"Well?" asked the ladies, fearfully. - -"They've sighted the boat," she said. Then her unnatural composure -gave way; she leaned up against the wall and sobbed. - -Miss Margaret jumped out of bed, rescued the tray and put her arms -around her. - -"You darling," she said. "You've been just so brave, it's been -wonderful." And she and the Brown Lady cried too, cried until they -laughed, then laughed until they cried again. - -Crowds waited on the Frying Pan and on the quay to see the "Light of -Home" come in. Her bows were knocked out with the lashing of the wind -and the sea. But they had got the fish! The men were heavy with sleep, -stunned with exposure, shaking with cold. But they had got the fish! - -Bit by bit their story was told. When they had anchored on the Tuesday -afternoon they had, of course, thrown out the boulter with the anchor. -About nine o'clock that night when they wanted to sail along a bit -they found the boulter had parted from the anchor. There was nothing -for it but to make their way to the dan, cast anchor there and wait -patiently until daylight. By this time all the other boats were -sailing home. They secured the boulter all right, but they didn't seem -to have much fish. So they thought to wait a time longer, sailed -farther southwards and anchored again. - -Then the wind had come up somethin' awful. As their lugger was not -built for a heavy open sea, they reckoned to make for home. But they -found that the strong spring tide had swept the boulter round so that -it was firmly caught as ever was on some rock or somethin' at the -bottom o' the sea. In workin' another man's gear you'd rather risk -your life than leave the boulter behind! So again there was nothin' -for it but to wait; wait this time until the heavy tide turned and -swept their boulter back again from the obstruction on which it had -caught. - -Hours they had had to wait for this, and even then they couldn't get -off. Ill-luck seemed to dog them, for once more the boulter parted; -this time in the middle. How long they were 'eavin' an' pullin' an' -gropin' they couldn't rightly say. For more than twenty-four hours -they had had neither food nor fire. But they had got the fish and the -owner of the boat had his boulter right enough, and that alone was a -matter of twenty poun' an' more. - -The catch of the "Light of Home" made a record sale. There, on the -quay, the fish was all arranged in heaps--congers, ray, skate, cod, -ling, hake, even a few turbot and halibut lying royally alone. - -"There was certainly 'eaps of fish," the auctioneer remarked, "and -good fish at that." - -"'Uman creatures' lives," Jack Chorley was heard to quote. - -The auctioneer frowned him down, blew his nose and started. - -"Beautiful fish, gentlemen," thus suavely he addressed the buyers. -"Now what offers, gentlemen, for the beautiful 'eaps of skate?" - -Eight--nine--ten--; up went the bidding, until the pile of skate -brought fifteen shillings a dozen, and the ray fetched the same high -figure, too. Congers stuck at twelve shillings a hundredweight, but -the hake reached as much as one-and-ten apiece; the turbot rose to -twelve shillings the fish, and one halibut alone brought forty-two -shillings. - -On droned the voice of the auctioneer. "'Ow much for this lot, -gentlemen? a shame to let it go for ten shillin', sirs. 'Tis too good -a 'eap to be give for nothin'. Come, gentlemen, come! What offers I -say?" - -"'Twarn't on no rock as that boulter parted," said Jim Hex, and -shifted his wad of baccy from the right cheek to the left. - -"No more it warn't, Jim," agreed Joe Cox. "Too good a catch for a -rock." - -"A wreck for sartin'," and Jim spat over the side of the quay. - -"A bit o' what 'peared to be a woman's gound were catched up along wi' -the boulter," corroborated Tregennis, somewhat huskily, from the -shattered bow of the boat. - -"Poor soul!" said a woman on the outskirts, who had overheard. There -was a half-sob in her voice. - -Jack Chorley looked at her angrily. "Damn!" he said, and vindictively -hit at a fly that was trying to settle on his nose. - -As the clock chimed a quarter past four the sale was ending. Slowly -Tommy trailed along the street to his Mammy and his home. Seeing the -crowd on the quay he turned aside to find out its cause. - -"Daddy," he shouted, "oh, Daddy!" - -Heedless of mooring-ropes and slippery bits of fish he ran and -stumbled, stumbled and ran, towards the "Light of Home." - -"Daddy, oh, Daddy!" he sobbed, and reached the edge of the quay. - -Tregennis stretched out his arms, lifted him into the lugger and held -him tight. Again there was a woman's sob and the air was tense. - -"Have a bib for your tea, my son," said Uncle Jack, and laughed rather -uncertainly as he held up to him a little fish, something between a -pollock and a whiting. - -"An' here be two plate-ray to take home to your Mammy," added Billy -Dark, who was young and unmarried, "an' happen you'd best take your -Daddy along too." - -Once more the crowd parted and Tommy and his Daddy passed through. - -Mrs. Tregennis could not trust herself to go down to the quay, so she -had not seen Tregennis yet, for the fish must come first. - -"I expect you'm cold and hungry, Tom," was her greeting when at last -he came holding Tommy by the hand. Her lower lip trembled as she -spoke. "Here be a good meal for ee, an' there be hot bottles in the -bed. So hurry up do ee now, for you do be fair done." - -"I tried Miss Margaret's plan o' chewin'," said Tregennis, smiling a -little wearily as he sat down to a bit of somethin' to eat. "An' upon -my sam I believe there be somethin' in it. But in a while there warn't -nothin' left to chew. Not in my mouth I don't mean this time, but not -in the hamper neither. Brave an' empty 'e was I can tell ee; never a -single crumb left, no, not even for a sparrer to pick." - -Later in the evening Mrs. Tregennis held in her hand eight pounds nine -shillings and sixpence, Tregennis's share of the record sale. - -"What be I to do with this vasty sum?" she asked the ladies, as they -sat by the fire and laughed at nothing at all. "I shall think I be -some size now," she asserted, drawing herself very upright and -tilting her chin. "What'll I do with all this gold?" - -"Why not go up to London?" suggested the Blue Lady, "and stay at the -Hotel Cecil. I believe you can live there quite comfortably for five -pounds a day." - -"Can ee now, Miss, indeed? I hadn't known of that. Well, th' objects -no money to me, so Tommy, shall you an' me an' Daddy go up to London -for to see the King?" - -"Yes," nodded Tommy, his mouth full of bread and butter. - -"Then come along o' me," said Mammy, and she put on her hat and coat, -walked up Main Street to the Post Office, and there with pride she -pushed the eight pounds nine shillings and sixpence across the counter -to be added to her small account. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - -Although May had come Tommy's Ladies had not yet gone. Much to Mrs. -Radford's annoyance their money was still holding out. - -Here and there in the woods of Draeth late primroses lingered; while -purple-tinged anemones still caught the sun that was cut off more and -more each day by the slowly unfolding leafy screen of the oaks. - -Miss Lavinia had read lately that in other schools children were -learning about flowers and birds and even about the things that -crawled. In connexion with this she had read much of Educational -Values that she did not understand in the very least. But it seemed to -her a delightful change that sometimes in the afternoon the little -girls should put aside their hemming and that the little boys should -sponge out their sums, and that they should then talk about the -flowers the children gathered in the woods and in the lanes. - -Miss Lavinia bought a book which helped her to look intelligently at -the flowers and to understand the wonders that were there. Again and -again she was surprised to find that the children, as a result of -their own observations, saw many things that she herself did not know -of until she had read about them in her little book. - -Mr. Toms, the draper, sent his children to Miss Lavinia's school. This -Mr. Toms was the son of the Mr. Toms from whom Tommy's Mammy bought -the cloth for her green coat so many years ago. He was a very -practical, go-ahead man, was the present Mr. Toms; a man whose motto -was "Progress," and by progress he meant "Push," and "Getting on in -the World." - -Mr. Toms felt that afternoons spent in the study of common wild -flowers represented so much waste of time. So keenly did he feel this -that one early closing day he called on Miss Lavinia to talk to her -about the matter. Miss Lavinia received him in the best parlour and -was very nervous, for a visit from the parents of her pupils was a -most unusual event. - -Mr. Toms sat down on the extreme edge of one of Miss Lavinia's -Chippendale chairs, and after clearing his throat loudly explained to -her that what he paid for was a good sound education with no -high-falutin' nonsense. Sums and such had made him the man he was; -sums and such would surely train his boys to follow worthily in their -father's footsteps. - -The flow of words quite paralysed Miss Lavinia; she had no answer to -give. - -Mr. Toms again cleared his throat. "It's in this way, Miss Lavinia," -he continued, "time is given us to be used. An all-merciful Providence -has put us here to do the best we can, and we must make the most of -our talents. They mustn't be wrapped up in a napkin and hid." - -By this time Mr. Toms's thumbs were in his arm-holes and he was in his -best platform vein. - -"There's them as doesn't heed, but _I_ say 'waste not, want not,' -whether it be bread, or money, or time. Let not the talents be abused! -And when my boys come home and talk about primroses and such, well -then I feel annoyed and rightly so." - -Again he cleared his throat, but was arrested in the further -expression of his views by the tears that filled Miss Lavinia's faded -blue eyes. - -In spite of pompous manners and in spite of push, Mr. Toms was a -kindly man at heart, and a little old maid's tears made him feel -ashamed. "Oh, I say, Miss Lavinia ...," he stammered, "oh, I say ...!" - -"I am very foolish," she answered him. "I think I am a little tired. -But about the flowers! I read that it was being done in quite big -schools. I myself know very little about them but I thought that I, -too, would like to try." Then her delicate cheeks flushed as she went -on speaking. "I thought, too, that as God himself has made all these -wonders, it could not possibly be waste of time for us to stop now and -again and look at the beauty that he gives. But ... I do not know. -Perhaps I am wrong...." - -Again Mr. Toms cleared his throat. "Upon my word, Miss Lavinia," he -interrupted; "upon my word, I believe that it's me. Anyhow, go on, go -on; I'll say no more! It can't do no harm anyhow, and who knows but it -may be good." - -When the following week Miss Lavinia took her school to walk, two by -two, through the woods of the West River, Mr. Toms was glad that the -afternoon was fine. In the evening, when his boys showed him little -twigs of oak already bearing the future acorns, he was so much -interested that he took old Mr. Toms's magnifying glass, until now -used in reading the Bible only, and through it saw the flowers on a -larger scale. - -"Well, it caps me, Mother," he remarked to his wife as he replaced the -lens in the drawer of the bureau. "Forty-five years have I lived in -this town and never till to-day did I know as oak trees flowered!" - -It was after this walk in the woods that Tommy discovered that the -Tregennises had a garden. Naturally he was greatly excited by the -discovery and ran into the kitchen volubly explaining the need for -watering at once without a moment's delay. - -"My dear soul, Tommy Tregennis, what's all this?" asked his mother. - -"Oh, Mammy, Mammy, gimme some water in a cup to water my garden; give -it to me to wanst please Mammy, or my garden'll mebbe die." - -Mrs. Tregennis did as she was commanded. Taking from the cupboard an -enamelled mug she filled it with water at the tap above the sink, -handed it to her son and followed him to the door. - -There, sure enough, underneath the window, in three separate places -little blades of grass had pushed their way upwards between the -cobble-stones. - -Tommy pointed to these with pride, then, stooping, he put the mug upon -the ground. But the stones were uneven there and the mug of water -wobbled. In all moments of stress Tommy's tongue curled round the -corner of his mouth. It curled now. Then with care and deliberation he -chose another and a safer place where the cup stood firm. - -After this Tommy himself knelt upon the uneven stones and tenderly -stroked the fresh green blades. "Now, Mammy, look!" he said; and while -Mammy looked he lifted up the enamelled cup, bent slightly forward, -over-balanced, and fell upon his garden-plot. - -There was a moment of deep suspense, but when Tommy found that not one -of his plants was injured he smiled happily. - -"S'more water, please Mammy," and he passed the cup towards the -doorway. - -"But all they plants be just flooded with water, my sweetheart," -objected Mrs. Tregennis. "They'll be drownded quite if you water 'em -any more." - -"_That_," Tommy explained patiently, "was accident; that wasn't -waterin', that wasn't." - -This was an unanswerable argument and without further ado Mammy -refilled the cup. - -After this, in sun or rain, Tommy watered his garden twice a day. It -was to him an unfailing source of joy. - -He told the Blue Lady all about it as they walked up from the sands -together. "'N before I go to bed I must water my garden. There's seven -grasses in the one closest up to the drain; 'spect it gets splashed 'n -likes it. There be on'y five in the one in front, but there be -somethin' thick an' tight in the miggle of he. 'N there's ... I don't -'xactly remember how many grasses there do be under the wall. 'N what -be the thick an' tight thing in the miggle, Miss?" - -"I can guess, Tommy, but I won't tell you. You watch and watch, and -just see for yourself what happens." - -"I'm allus watchin' _an'_ watchin'," replied Tommy, gloomily. "It be -they cats! Goin' round the corner they run right over my garden, they -do. I be allus watchin' an' shooin', 'n Mammy she be allus a-shooin' -of they too." - -By this time they were half-way up the alley and very near the house. -To his horror Tommy saw his Daddy, his own Daddy, walk ruthlessly over -the three small patches of green. - -"Oh, oh, oh ...," he screamed, darting forward in a very passion of -anger. "You be a-killing of my garden, 'n I hates ee, I do, I just -hates ee!" - -His eyes were tightly closed in his rage and with clenched fists he -hit out wildly at his Daddy, only to find his outstretched arms firmly -imprisoned in his mother's grasp. - -Mrs. Tregennis addressed Miss Margaret. "You'll often have been -wondering, Miss, how my Tommy came by such a funny lookin' sort o' -face. 'Tis with cryin' so much that 'e got 'e. 'Tis a brave pity that -he be so plain." - -Tommy choked down a sob. "I do know some boys as is uglier 'n me," he -affirmed. - -"Oh?" Mammy sounded sceptical. - -"Jimmy Prynne's worse ugly 'n me," said Tommy, still shaken with -sobs. - -"I'd think shame if I was ee, Tommy Tregennis, callin' a likely boy -like Jimmy Prynne ugly, that would I." - -Tommy wept more loudly. - -"I shouldn't make a face like that, no, not even if my head was off." -Mammy was scornful. - -Tommy felt that there was a flaw in the argument but sobbed more -noisily still. - -Then Mammy grew stern. "Stop that noise, Tommy," she said, forcefully, -accompanying her words with a shake. - -Tommy screamed all the louder. - -"My blessed faather," Mammy remarked to the empty air. The Blue Lady -and Daddy had discreetly vanished. "Whose boy may this be makin' such -a disgraceful scene. Whoever he be _his_ Mammy an' Daddy won't be -wantin' _'e_ any more. There's no pleasure in lookin' at a boy like -'e." - -Tommy's screams ended quite suddenly and he consigned the whole -incident to oblivion. "Some water for my garden, please Mammy," he -said. - -"No, my son, not to-night. We'll have no waterin' to-night. You'm a -naughty, hasty boy, 'n you'll go right up to bed this minute." - -With a sob in his throat Tommy went. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - -They were all standing outside the kitchen window in the dinner-hour, -the Blue Lady and the Brown Lady, Daddy, Mammy and Tommy. In the -doorway, not of the group, but looking longingly towards it, stood -Annabel. - -"'Tis the tight thick thing in the miggle," Tommy was explaining -volubly. "It's been an' broke this mornin', an' now 'tis all feathery -an' different." - -"That's what you've been watching for, Tommy; that is the flower of -the grass." - -Tommy looked at the Blue Lady in amazement. "Flowers do be blue an' -red," he objected, "an' my miggle thing's green." - -"Tommy," Annabel still in the doorway spoke in a supplicating voice. -"Tommy, let me see the green grass-flower." - -The owner of the garden took not the least notice of her request. - -Mammy, Daddy and the ladies had returned to the dinner they had left -to see the wonder out-of-doors, so the children were alone. - -Annabel drew nearer. "Which is it?" she asked, bending down, her hands -on her knees. - -"Go away," said Tommy, kicking a loose stone in her direction. "I -shan't show ee my garden." - -"Tisn't a garden," retaliated Annabel. "My mother says it isn't no -garden, it's just bits of grass." - -Deep down in Tommy's heart there had sometimes been a suspicion that -his garden was not quite as other people's, but he had resolutely put -the thought from him. Now Annabel's scornful words strengthened his -fears. He hit her quite hard, ran into the house and made his way -upstairs so quickly that his toes hit the front of each step in his -hurry. Into the ladies' room he burst without the preliminary knock -insisted upon by Mammy. - -"Is my garden a garden," he demanded; "or is it just bits o' grass?" - -"Do you love your plants very much, Tommy?" - -Tommy's fingers closed tightly and his lips were compressed as he -vigorously nodded his head. - -"In that case," decided Miss Margaret, as she added more cream to the -strawberries on her plate, "In that case it is most distinctly a -garden." - -"I should like to give ee a bunch...." Tommy paused for a moment. A -bunch of what? - -He decided that just "a bunch" would do, so he began again. - -"I'd like to give ee a bunch out of my garden." - -"Oh, but Tommy, it does seem such a pity to pick...." Miss Margaret -in her turn groped for a word. "The blades," she concluded -satisfactorily. - -"But just on'y _three_ blades," pleaded Tommy. - -"_Two_," decided Miss Margaret, and together they went downstairs to -make the selection. - -When the two blades had been most carefully chosen and most tenderly -picked, something still troubled the gardener. - -"What is it now, Tommy Tregennis?" - -"I wish I could take Miss Lavinia a bunch from my garden, I do." - -Miss Margaret hesitated. She did not know Miss Lavinia, and wondered -if she was a woman of understanding, or if she would only scorn the -gift that meant so much to the little giver. - -"Pick just a tiny bunch," she advised, "I think Miss Lavinia would -like that." - -Tommy selected two blades from each of the three plants, but still he -paused. - -"Will my other grasses have flowers ever?" he asked, confident that -the Blue Lady could always tell him everything he wished to know. - -She stooped now to examine the others. "Yes," she told him; "they will -be in flower quite soon." - -Happily Tommy knelt once more and plucked his "miggle feather" to add -to Miss Lavinia's bunch, then he ran off to school in such excitement -that he quite forgot to call for Ruthie on the way. - -Miss Margaret returned to her room, and taking from the shelf the -_Oxford Book of English Verse_, she opened it at Thomas Edward Brown's -poem "A garden is a lovesome thing, God wot." With a smile she laid -the two blades of grass between the pages. - -When children took flowers to Miss Lavinia they laid them on her desk -unobserved by the rest of the school, if possible. Then when Miss -Lavinia came into the room the giver's heart would beat quickly until -she picked up the offering, smelled it, said "How very beautiful," and -looked all around. Then of course the giver smiled a little conscious -smile and Miss Lavinia would see this, and say, "Oh, is it from you -Ruby, or Jimmy, or David?" as the case might be. - -Tommy had never had this delightful experience, but this afternoon he -glowed with joy for at last it was to be his. He slipped into the -schoolroom when it was empty, placed his "bunch" on the desk, then ran -out of the house again, and unconcernedly kicked dust in the gutter. - -Here Ruthie joined him and kicked too. "Why didn't ee fetch me, -Tommy?" she asked. - -"I've put some of my grasses on the desk." - -This seemed to Ruthie quite a sufficient reason. "Oh, Tommy," she -said, "but hasn't it spoiled your garden?" - -"No; leastways, not much; 'n besides, more'll grow." Tommy spoke as -one who knows. The clock struck two and the children ran in to take -their places at the long, narrow table. - -Tommy's conscious smile began as soon as Miss Lavinia appeared in the -doorway, and gradually it broadened as she walked to her desk. Then -quite suddenly the smile faded and Tommy's mouth drooped ominously at -the corners. - -Miss Lavinia had brushed aside the grass and opened her desk without -comment! - -Large tear-drops began to fall on that part of the table that was -Tommy's place, and Miss Lavinia's attention was arrested by a -strangled sob. - -"Why, what's the matter, Tommy?" she asked, it was so unusual for -Tommy to cry. - -"You haven't said his flowers was beautiful," volunteered Ruthie. - -"His flowers?" echoed Miss Lavinia; she was deeply puzzled. - -Ruthie ran to the desk and gathered together the six blades and the -"miggle feather." - -"They be from Tommy's very own garden," Ruthie further explained. "He -waters they every night an' mornin', Tommy does, outside the kitchen -window, and shoos off they cats, so's they can really grow." - -Some of the older children laughed, but a glance from Miss Lavinia -caused their laughter to be instantly suppressed. - -Miss Lavinia left the desk and holding in her left hand the six blades -and the flower of the grass she went to Tommy's corner of the table. -With her disengaged right arm she drew him to her, and memories of her -own far-away childhood gave her understanding, just as Miss Margaret -had hoped. - -"Tommy," she said, very gently; "Tommy, thank you very much for your -present. It was kind of you to pick these for me from your very own -garden, and they are very beautiful." - -"Beautiful!" that was the word Tommy wanted. - -"To-day I should like to see them in water on my desk, and to-morrow I -shall press them between blotting-paper and mount them on a card; you -shall write your name on the card and hang it on the wall." - -While Miss Lavinia spoke Tommy's tears dried, and when she ended the -broad smile was there once more. - -When afternoon school was over Tommy ran home very quickly, for -hanging over the river was a large, black cloud, and he feared that -rain might fall before he could water his plants. He was eager, too, -to see whether the other miggle things had grown into flowers in his -absence. - -His hands were tucked away in his trouser-pockets, but every now and -then as he ran one or the other was withdrawn; the arm thus freed from -control made wild circles in the air, while in his excitement he blew -through tightly closed lips in a vain attempt to whistle. - -At the last turning he underwent a sudden metamorphosis, and becoming -a ramping lion he plunged madly round the corner in case Mammy should -be standing in the doorway. Then the shrill roar broke off abruptly -and the waving arms fell limply to his side. - -Perfectly still he stood there, while for the second time that day -large tear-drops slowly gathered in his eyes and rolled unheeded down -his cheeks. Deep sobs followed and Tommy groped his way slowly into -the house. - -"Oh, Mammy, Mammy," he moaned; "my garden's all picked and withered; -my garden's all picked and withered." - -Mrs. Tregennis was not in the kitchen; probably she was in a house -near by, but Tommy could not take his sorrow to a crowd. Slowly he -made his way to the upstairs sitting room, and there he found Miss -Margaret writing letters. - -"My Lady," he sobbed, "my Lady, my garden's all picked and withered." - -"Oh, Tommy," she answered softly. Drawing him tenderly to her she -dried away the tears as they came. - -After a little pause, "Shall I come down with you to see it?" she -asked. - -Tommy sorrowfully shook his head. "I don't like to see 'e lyin' there -all dead," he explained. So Miss Margaret went down alone. - -There, scattered among the cobble-stones were the treasured blades of -grass. They had been ruthlessly torn from their roots, and lay all -curled up and shrivelled in the sun. Of all Tommy's garden not one -green blade remained. Carefully Miss Margaret picked up the limp and -faded leaves; none must be left for Tommy to see again lying there all -dead. Just as she had taken up the last dead blade, big drops splashed -upon the door-step, and the shower that Tommy had outrun came heavily -down. - -As Miss Margaret was closing the door Mrs. Tregennis ran hurriedly -across the alley; over her shoulders as protection from the rain she -had thrown a thick woollen antimacassar snatched from the back of -Auntie Jessie's rocking-chair. - -On the door-step she rested, panting, flushed and smiling. "Oh, Miss," -she gasped, "what a shower, and Miss Dorothea somewheres along the -beach! I must find Tom and send him with a cloak to the caves, may be -she'll be shelterin' there." - -"Yes," responded Miss Margaret in a way that plainly showed she -scarcely heard what Mrs. Tregennis was saying. - -Opening her hand she disclosed the dead grass blades lying there. -"It's Tommy's garden," she explained. - -Mrs. Tregennis opened the door again, stepped out into the drenching -rain, looked down between the stones and understood. - -"My poor lamb; where is he, Miss?" - -"Upstairs in our room crying." - -"Bless his little heart! I'm afraid Annabel did it, Miss Margaret, and -in a way our Tommy did justly deserve it, for he's been very naughty -to she, time an' again he has." - -"Yes, I know, Mrs. Tregennis, but ..." Miss Margaret hesitated a -moment. "You know it's largely my fault, too, for I haven't been a bit -nice to that child ever once." - -"Oh, Miss!" expostulated Mrs. Tregennis. - -"No, you know I haven't," and turning Miss Margaret knocked at the -door of Mrs. Radford's sitting-room. - -An affected voice bade her "Come in." Mrs. Radford was reading, while -Annabel learned to sew with a hot needle and sticky cotton on a long -calico strip. - -"Oh," said Mrs. Radford, languidly, in her best society manner, not -rising to receive her visitor. "It is you!" - -"Yes, may Annabel come upstairs with me for a little while?" - -Annabel looked frightened, and closed her lips in a firm straight -line. - -Although Mrs. Radford constantly reminded herself that the upstairs -visitors were quite common people, yet she felt gratified now, and -motioned to Annabel to put her sewing away. - -Miss Margaret took hold of Annabel's hand, and together they went from -the room. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - -Downstairs in the kitchen Tommy was being comforted by his mother. In -the upstairs sitting room Annabel and Miss Margaret sat together and -Miss Margaret was wondering how she should begin what she had to say. - -Annabel's expression was one of sullen obstinacy, her lips were still -set in a hard, straight line, and her eyes followed the intricacies of -the pattern of the Brussels carpet. Miss Margaret hesitated to ask the -child if it was she who had torn up the blades of grass, for she -feared to prepare the way for a lie. - -"I am so sorry you spoiled Tommy's garden this afternoon, Annabel," -she ventured. - -Annabel's eyes were still on the carpet, and with her toe she outlined -a full-blown rose. "It wasn't a garden; it was just bits of grass," -she asserted. - -"It was only bits of grass to you," Miss Margaret agreed, "but Tommy -had watched it and watered it for weeks, and to him it was a real -garden. Now you have spoiled it all, and made Tommy very unhappy." - -"_I hate him_," said Annabel, defiantly, between closed teeth. - -"Yes, I know, of course you do," and for the first time Annabel looked -up. - -Then Miss Margaret drew her to her. "I say, Annabel, don't you think -you and Tommy and I might be real good friends now, and all just be -very nice to each other?" - -Then Annabel's lips trembled; but no tears fell. - -"Does Tommy know?" she asked, and when she was told that he did not -she went out of the room and stood at the top of the stairs. Bending -forward, her hands resting on her knees, she peered down the steep -staircase. - -"Tommy," she called, "Tommy Tregennis," but there was no response. - -"Tommy Tregennis, come here!" The call was louder this time. - -"Tommy, Miss Margaret and me wants you." - -At this Tommy's head was poked round the kitchen door. - -All Annabel's usual diffidence in Tommy's company had vanished. - -"Come here, Tommy!" she insisted, and Tommy, impelled by some new -quality in her, walked slowly up the stairs. - -"Tommy," said Annabel, rather hesitatingly, but looking straight into -his eyes; "Tommy, I rooted up your garden." - -For the second time that day Tommy hit her quite hard. - -"Tommy!" called Miss Margaret, in a stern voice, and Tommy, followed -by Annabel, obeyed the summons. - -Then Miss Margaret explained to Tommy that he had often been very rude -and unkind to Annabel, and that in the future they must all be -friends. Whereupon Annabel held out her hand to Tommy, and Tommy -promptly pushed it away. - -Miss Margaret was wisely blind to this by-play, and began to unfold a -plan she had formed. - -"I'm thinking about the garden," she said, meditatively, and the -children forgot each other and gave their attention to her. - -"I think it will grow again; but it will be very slow. Wouldn't it be -rather nice to plant some other flowers, and take care of them until -the grasses come again?" - -"How?" demanded Tommy. - -"I thought we might have boxes made to stand on the ground under the -window, and----" - -"Not on my garden," interrupted Tommy. - -"No, most certainly not. Not right on your garden, but quite close up -to the windows. One will be an unusual shape, because under the -kitchen window there's the drain to think of, too." Miss Margaret -looked out. "It isn't raining now; shall we go and measure the lengths -of our boxes?" - -Downstairs they ran, borrowed Mrs. Tregennis's inch-tape, and outside -under the windows they all three measured. - -Here Miss Dorothea, returning from the shelter of the caves, found -them and went with them up Main Street to the carpenter's, where they -gave the order for the boxes to be made, painted green, and delivered -on Monday without fail. - -At the green-grocer's they ordered good soil for the new garden and -sturdy little wall-flower plants full of tightly closed buds. Here, -too, Miss Margaret bought Californian oranges, and paid for -rosy-cheeked apples to be sent with the soil and plants on Monday. - -"Now then, home and tea," she ordered; but at the cobbler's window she -stopped. - -"He lodges with my Aunt Martha," volunteered Tommy. - -But the Blue Lady was not thinking of the cobbler, whose form could be -dimly descried through the screen of hanging laces, patches of leather -and cards of boot-protectors with which the window was dressed. - -"It's Friday to-day," she said, impressively. - -"Why shouldn't we have it to-morrow?" - -"Have what?" asked Miss Dorothea. "What are you talking about?" - -"Why, the pony and trap, of course," and Miss Margaret pointed to a -little card in a corner pane, on which was unevenly printed: - -PONY AND GINGLE ON HIRE - -"For us," said Annabel. "I never!" and the children seized each -other's hands in their excitement; but whose hand was put out first -this time it was impossible to say. - -There was scarcely room for them all in the shop of the cobbler who -lodged with Aunt Martha. Miss Margaret bought from him numbers of -pairs of cheap boot-laces, for which she had no possible use, because -she was a little ashamed of their invasion of the tiny shop, when she -learned that the pony and trap did not belong to him, but was -advertised by him for a friend who lived at West Draeth, just to do 'e -a turn. In the name of his friend, the cobbler promised that if the -sun shone the following morning "the gingle 'e should be at the door -of Tommy's house at ten o'clock without fail!" - -In spite of his repeated assurance that there should be no mistake, -Tommy was seized with a sudden misgiving on the way home and ran back -to remind him not to forget. - -"I've spoken to 'e," he panted, when he was in line again, "an' 'e -says it'll be there." Then "I'm goin' to tell my Mammy," he shouted, -and was off once more. - -When the others reached the house Tommy was in the middle of a voluble -and wholly unintelligible explanation, from which Mrs. Tregennis tried -vainly to extract some meaning. - -"Will you have an orange, Annabel?" asked Miss Margaret at the door. - -All Annabel's affectation had dropped from her this evening: she was -just a normal child. As such she nodded, smiling broadly. - -"Catch then," and Annabel made a careful cup of her hands, and caught. - -As the ladies went upstairs they were followed by Mrs. Tregennis with -the tea. - -"Mrs. Tregennis, will you have an orange?" - - [Illustration: AT THE COBBLER'S WINDOW SHE STOPPED.] - -"No, thank you, Miss, an' that I won't. Mrs. Radford's just been -sayin' as how they must have cost you fourpence apiece, so really, -Miss, I couldn't eat one of they, no, not if it was ever so." - -"Does Mrs. Radford still think we are rapidly coming to the end of our -money?" asked Miss Dorothea. - -"Yes, Miss, indeed she does; she says 'tis like Oldham wakes, whatever -they be, an' that it can't last out." - -"Are you afraid, too?" - -"Me afraid? an' that I'm not, an' you as always pays over an' above -for what you have." - -Mrs. Tregennis still stood in the doorway, holding the teapot in her -right hand, and here Tommy joined her. - -"Well, then," Miss Margaret's voice was quite pleading, "won't you -have an orange?" - -Mrs. Tregennis put the teapot down on the brown tile that served as a -stand. "I simply couldn't, Miss," she stated emphatically; "it would -choke me, that it would." - -"Do you think it would be safe to experiment on Tommy? Tommy, would -you choke if you were to eat one of the oranges we bought this -afternoon?" - -In reply Tommy stretched out both hands for the fruit, and his teeth -had met in the thick rind before Mammy could improve his manners. - -"An' what do you say, my son? I'd be ashamed!" - -"Thank you," said Tommy, removing a large piece of orange peel from -between his teeth. - -"I should say 'Miss,' ma lovely," still corrected Mammy, but by this -time a little fountain of sweet, yellow juice spurted upwards from the -orange, and Tommy, sucking vigorously, walked away. - -Later in the evening, as the ladies were going out once more Mrs. -Radford opened her door and beckoned them into the room. - -"It was kind of you to ask my babe to drive with you to-morrow," she -said, in her most mincing tones, "but I have always most carefully -protected her from the society of common children, and I would rather -keep her by my side." - -So the ladies went round to see Auntie Jessie, with the result that in -all Draeth no child went to bed that night more happily than Ruthie -Tregennis, Tommy's cousin and future wife. - -But Annabel's pillow was wet! - - - - -CHAPTER XX - - -"I haven't forgotten Blue Lady; I haven't forgotten, please, Miss -Margaret, Miss," and Tommy turned over sleepily in bed, then wakened, -yawned, rubbed his eyes and sat upright. - -"What sort o' weather, Daddy?" he demanded. "Is't sun an' fine?" - -It was. - -Tommy then called down to Mammy in the kitchen, pleading to be dressed -at once, so as to be ready when the gingle came. Mammy got out his -brown jersey suit. - -"Miss Margaret said old clothes, Mammy, so I shan't wear 'e." - -"You'll do they no harm, and you'll just wear 'em." - -"I wants my old clothes, Mammy, where be 'em. Miss Margaret said old -clothes; she said old clothes, Mammy, she did." - -It was not until Miss Margaret approved of the brown jersey suit that -Tommy submitted and was dressed. - -When he was ready he stood in the doorway, and to every one who passed -he shouted the news. "I be goin' a-drivin' in a gingle to Polderry." -And to the question, "Who with?" he gave the invariable answer, "With -Miss Margaret and Miss Dorothea and Ruthie and me." - -After breakfast the sun was hidden behind a cloud of mist. Tommy and -the ladies consulted the glass on the front. It was very high, and all -the watermen thought there was no fear of rain. Then Mrs. Tregennis -packed the luncheon basket, and Tommy wished it was ten o'clock. - -Miss Margaret had a happy thought, and suggested that they should go -across to West Draeth and themselves bring round the gingle for Miss -Dorothea and Ruthie. This was a grand idea. Hurriedly Mrs. Tregennis -put on Tommy's boots and ran upstairs for his warm coat and his cap. - -Miss Margaret and Tommy crossed the river by the ferry for quickness. -"If you like, Tommy, you shall help me to hold the reins and to -drive," promised Miss Margaret. - -"If it be all the same to ee I'd rather have the whip," was the reply. - -"But why?" - -"For to hit 'en." - -"But he won't want hitting," objected Miss Margaret. "I expect he'll -trot along awfully well and won't want any hitting at all." - -Tommy looked unconvinced, and as they left the boat at the slip he -turned the conversation into other channels. "Lugger a-buildin' over -there," he pointed with his thumb. "Must be for West Draeth as 'tis on -that side. I seen one lanch one evenin' an' one lanch the next." - -By the time Tommy had imparted all he knew of boatbuilding and -launches they had reached Mr. Chard's door. The gingle was already -outside, and while the pony was being brought round a small crowd of -boys collected and watched with interest. - -"Hallo, Tommy Tregennis." - -"Hallo!" - -"What be a-doin' over here, Tommy; ain't there room for ee to East -Draeth?" - -"Goin' to Polderry," said Tommy, proudly, and fell into the gingle as -he spoke. - -"Do these boys go to school with you, Tommy?" and Tommy told Miss -Margaret that they did. - -"They West Drayers do play their own side evenin's," he explained, -"when they comes over to we they comes with their mothers an' just -sits on our sands, an' that do be just so good as nothin', that be." - -From every doorway people came out to see the start of the gingle for -Polderry. Everybody waved and everybody shouted, and it was for all -the world like a Sunday-school treat. Near the Post Office a louder -cry than ever came from Tommy and was at once echoed by Ruthie, and -both children rose up and waved their long white mufflers. - -"We'm goin' to Polderry; we'm goin' to Polderry." - -Miss Margaret's whole attention was taken up with the astonished pony, -but, far away in the distance, standing on the quay, Miss Dorothea -descried the figure of Uncle Harry and Uncle Harry was waving and -shouting too. - -Polderry was only five miles off along the cliff, but in driving you -cover nearly twice that distance in order to have a better road. Miss -Margaret had been directed to go past the station, up by the -golf-links, through St Peter's and along the main road to Esselton, -then they were to turn off to the right down the beautiful Brenton -Valley and so to Polderry. - -In the gingle Tommy sat up near the horse on the right-hand side with -Miss Margaret next to him. Opposite Tommy was Miss Dorothea, so that -Ruthie was near the door facing Miss Margaret. The reins, therefore, -passed in front of Tommy, and suddenly he clutched them very tight -while they were driving through the town, with the result that Jimmy, -the pony, swerved to the left and almost ran into the corner of the -bridge. Miss Margaret told him that he should help to drive when they -were up on the wide country road, and very reluctantly Tommy let go. -It was both surprising and disappointing when immediately afterwards -Tommy again seized the reins, this time so tightly that it was with -difficulty that his fingers were unclasped. - -"You must be quite obedient," Miss Margaret reminded him. - -So little, however, did Tommy realize what was meant by obedience that -scarcely had she finished speaking than he again seized the reins with -both hands, while a naughty look of defiance appeared on his face. - -After this there was distinct depression in the gingle until Ruthie's -shrill, bright voice pierced the gloom. - -"There do be a nest on that wall under the ivy," she said, very -confidentially. "'Tis a brave, big secret, an' no-one knows of it at -all except only me an' Tommy, an' my daddy an' mammy, an' his daddy -an' mammy, 'n Aunt Keziah Kate an' Granfaather Tregennis." - -"Just a family secret," interposed Miss Margaret. "And what sort of a -nest is it?" - -"I don't know what sort o' nest it be. It do be a very nice little -tight nest, an' 'tis quite empty this little nest, but I don't know -what kind of nest 'e do be; just little an' tight." - -Tommy disliked being ignored. "It hasn't got no eggs in it, 'tis -empty; ef there was eggs in 'e _I_ should know what 'twas." - -"My daddy, he knows of a nest up here wanst," Ruthie continued, "that -had twelve eggs in it, twelve speckly eggs." - -"Oh, Ruthie, as many as twelve?" - -"Yes, just so many as twelve." - -"But what a very improvident mother-bird!" Miss Margaret objected. -"How would she ever manage to feed twelve babies? And think of the -very hard work it would be for the father to teach twelve -children-birds to sing." - -All this time Jimmy was pulling his load uphill, trotting every now -and again, as though he were thoroughly enjoying the morning's work. - -When the top of the hill was in sight, "Which way do we turn, to the -right or to the left, Tommy?" asked Miss Dorothea. - -"To the left," replied Tommy, without hesitation. - -"How do you know which is your right hand and which is your left?" - -Tommy became most communicative. "Why, I writes with my right hand -over to school. There be two girls an' one boy in the second class as -writes with their left hand, so they can't never tell. I wrote my name -wanst six times on one side of my slate and six times on the other, -an' it was so lovely I had to bring it home to show Mammy, Miss -Lavinia said. 'Twas brave an' handsome, it was!" - -"What be they white flowers?" interrupted Ruthie. - -"Stitchwort," the ladies answered. - -"'Tisn't, 'tis cat's eyes!" contradicted Tommy. - -"Hush, Tommy," said Ruthie, "you'm a naughty boy. My mammy always -calls they 'rattle-baskets' because it do rattle so when 'tis dry." - -Ruthie's last words came spasmodically, for Tommy had unexpectedly -leaned forward over the splashboard and hit Jimmy on the back with his -white muffler. It had been a great disappointment to Tommy to find, -when they started, that there was no whip in the gingle, and that the -pleasure of hittin' 'en was not to be his. Realizing that the muffler -would make a fairly good substitute, he used it with such effect that -the startled pony broke into a quick gallop, and the ladies and Ruthie -were jerked backwards in their seats. - -When Miss Margaret had quietened the pony she spoke very seriously to -Tommy. - -Jimmy proved an unusually good pony for steep hills, taking them at a -brisk trot. Going downhill, however, he was cautious and picked his -way most carefully. Half-way down a steep, rough road Tommy again -used his muffler as a whip. Then Miss Margaret was quite angry. As she -felt that more words were useless, she merely loosened the muffler -from his tight grasp and put it in the corner near the lunchbasket, -where Ruthie sat. - -It was most perplexing and embarrassing to have one's principal guest -in constant need of correction. - -Tommy was evidently quite surprised at Miss Margaret's decided action -in the matter of the muffler, and for some moments afterwards sat -silent and subdued. Then slowly, very slowly, his left hand stole -towards her disengaged right resting upon the cushion. This seemed a -sign of repentance on Tommy's part, and Miss Margaret's fingers closed -tightly over his as she smiled across at Miss Dorothea. - -Her happiness in Tommy's regeneration was short-lived. Snatching his -hand away, "Get me some o' that stuff, Miss Margaret," he shouted, -"get me some o' that stuff for a whistle." - -"What stuff?" - -"Suckymores, suckymores for a whistle." - -They were still driving down the steep, rugged road, so Miss Margaret -turned Jimmy to the grass of the hedge-bank and Miss Dorothea, Ruthie -and Tommy got out. Miss Dorothea was able to break off some grand -sycamore twigs for whistles, enough for all the boys in Miss Lavinia's -school. - -"Whoa, Jimmy; steady, Jimmy!" and Miss Margaret pulled hard at the -right rein, only just saving Tommy from being knocked down by the -wheel and run over. - -Tommy tried to look natural and unconcerned, but Miss Dorothea had -seen the cause of Jimmy's start. Tommy had picked up a hazel switch -and, thinking himself unobserved, had hit the pony sharply on the -flank. - -It seemed quite useless to reprove him any more, so Miss Margaret -sternly ordered him to return to the gingle. This he obstinately -refused to do. He was goin' to walk for a bit, he was goin' to run on -behind, he was. When Miss Dorothea walked towards him he ran away. He -was literally lifted into the gingle, and then sat in Miss Dorothea's -place, refusing to move, as he wished to be next to Ruthie. Ruthie -herself explained to him that in that way the balance would be all -wrong, but he still remained obdurate. Once more he was lifted up and -put into his proper place. - -Then, although Miss Margaret took the reins, she did not drive on. -Instead, "Miss Dorothea," she said, "shall we go on to Polderry, or -shall we drive straight back home?" - -"Oh, Miss Margaret," pleaded Ruthie, "please, please, go on! don't ee -go home. Tommy _will_ be a good boy, won't ee now, Tommy?" - -Tommy shook his head affirmatively. - -"Well," said Miss Margaret, "you must quite understand that if we go -on you are to be good. If you are naughty again I shall turn Jimmy -round and drive home at once." - -Unfortunately Tommy was used to threats that were seldom carried out. -The policeman would come for him, Mammy said, when he was naughty, -and, although he had often been really quite naughty, still the -policeman had not come. At other times he was told that he would be -sent to London to live with the monkeys in the Zoo. At first this -possibility had filled him with dread, but now familiarity had blunted -the sharp edge of fear. - -Something in Miss Margaret's manner, however, warned him that hers was -not an idle speech, and he decided that he must be really careful for -the rest of the drive. - -A little farther on, down the same hilly part of the main road, a lady -approached them. "Have you just come through a village?" she asked, as -they were passing by. - -They had noticed on the right, down a side road, a few scattered -houses, but scarcely thought it could be called a village. - -"Had it any shops or a garage?" she asked again, and seemed -disheartened when they told her that there were no shops nearer than -Draeth, five miles away. - -Afterwards they understood her anxiety, for right in the middle of the -roadway stood a big, immovable motor. Two men were crawling under its -body, and Miss Margaret had to call out sharply to one of them to -withdraw his feet before she could drive Jimmy and the gingle past. - -At Polderry it was decided that the very first thing to do was to eat -the lunch that Mrs. Tregennis had packed in the big round basket. - -When Tommy and Ruthie found that the yellow part of their eggs was -green outside they were much surprised. - -"Be they raw?" asked Tommy. - -"Hard-boiled," answered Miss Dorothea, and Tommy ate his egg quickly, -all by itself. - -After this he gave back his slice of bread and butter. "Don't want 'e -now, I wants a piece of cake." - -"You must eat the bread and butter first," he was told. - -"No, shan't," he said, and passed it on to Ruthie, who could not take -it from him because Miss Margaret shook her head. - -"Shan't _eat_ 'en," Tommy stated, emphatically. - -But this was a case in which Miss Margaret undoubtedly held the upper -hand. She made no reply to Tommy's assertion, and when he tried to -extract a piece of cake from the basket it was placed beyond his -reach. - -"_Shan't_ eat 'en," he said again, but again no notice was taken of -his words. Defiantly he picked up the bucket and spade and began to -dig in the sand. - -A tempting row of Cornish splits, halved and spread with jam and -cream, was prepared by Miss Dorothea. - -Tommy soon returned. "Can I have a split, please?" he asked, in quite -a different voice. - -"Yes," he was promised, "as soon as ever the bread and butter's -eaten." - -He shook his head, and almost at once asked again, "_Please_ can I -have a split, 'n jam 'n cream?" - -"Tommy," said Miss Margaret, very definitely, "don't be such a foolish -boy. Until you have eaten the bread and butter you can have nothing -else. Try to understand that I mean that." - -Tommy's hands hung limply at his sides. He gazed in open-mouthed -amazement at Miss Margaret. She did really and truly mean it, he -supposed. It was very odd and very surprising, and he picked up the -rejected bread and butter and slowly began to eat. - -"Oh, my cake," exclaimed Ruthie, as half a slice of saffron-cake broke -in her hand and fell into the sand. - -"You can't eat that now, Ruthie," laughed Miss Margaret, as she was -about to pick it up. "It will be much too gritty." - -Then Miss Margaret realized that she had made a grave tactical error, -for at once Tommy's bread and butter fell at his feet. - -"That must be eaten," said Miss Margaret quickly, and Tommy put his -heel upon it and ground it deep down in the sand. Out of the corners -of his eyes he glanced at Miss Margaret, but apparently she was quite -unaware of his action, so he sidled up to her and once more pleaded -for a split. - -At this point, with disconcerting suddenness, the rain began to fall. -Hastily the luncheon basket was repacked and Miss Margaret, Miss -Dorothea and Ruthie ran to the shelter of a coach-house near by, where -they were given permission to stay. Tommy remained behind and resumed -his digging in the sand. When no notice was taken of his absence, he -decided that making castles in the rain was poor sport. Accordingly he -rejoined his party and found them merrily continuing the interrupted -lunch. - -Confidently he approached Miss Margaret, asking for "a split an' -cream, please." - -"But I can't give you a split," she said, "you were to have it when -you'd eaten the bread and butter, and not until then." - -"I did eat the bread and butter in my hand." - -"What about the piece in the sand?" - -Then Miss Margaret _had_ seen him tread on it: this was unexpected. - -"Couldn't help droppin' 'e," he said, now almost tearfully. - -"But why did you bury it deep down in the sand?" - -"I thought somebody might come along an' not know, an' pick 'e up an' -eat 'e, an' it wouldn't be nice for they." - -"Very well," said Miss Margaret, "I'll give you another piece exactly -the same size, and when you've eaten that you can have splits and -cream and just whatever you like." - -But Tommy refused and kicked a ball savagely round and round the -coach-house to soothe his outraged feelings. Violent exercise, -however, did not allay his hunger. - -"_Please_ can I have a split," he asked once more. - -Without speaking, Miss Margaret offered him a piece of bread and -butter exactly the size of that which he had hidden in the sand, and -Tommy ate it without remonstrance. - -After lunch the picnic-party played ball-games in the roomy -coach-house, but when at the end of an hour the rain showed no sign of -abating, the ladies, in spite of Ruthie's earnest pleading, decided -that it would be wiser to go home. - -Somewhat dejectedly they walked to the inn for the gingle and Jimmy. -Tommy brought up the rear, trailing his long spade after him and -rattling his bucket against his knees each step he took. "Well," Miss -Dorothea overheard him say, "Well, Ruthie; now this day do be bravely -spoiled." - -On the homeward drive Miss Dorothea told the children the history of -Little Black Sambo. Then Ruthie told a story in which full-stops -occurred in the middle of sentences whenever it was absolutely -necessary that she should pause for breath. - -"There was wanst a little boy an' he had a rabbit and it lived in a -house in the garden an' he went up to feed it with green stuff one -night an' he. Left the door open an' he met a man an' he said to the -man what have you got in your pocket an' the man said a little rabbit -an' the boy took this little baby rabbit an' took it to his home -because he'd lost his own rabbit. Through leavin' the door open an' he -met a man an' he said to the man what've you got in your pocket an' he -said a very little bird so he took it to his home and put it in a -house in his garden." - -At some length the story went on. Always the boy met a man, and always -the man had in his pocket some strange and unexpected animal which the -boy took to his home and put in a house in the garden. - -But finally, "An' the boy went out again an' he met a lady wheelin' a -pram an' there was a baby in the pram an' the boy said what've _you_ -got in your pocket an' the lady said I haven't got nothin' in my -pocket an' neither she hadn't got nothin' in her pocket for she only -had a little baby an' the little baby was in the pram." - -Then Ruthie looked round the gingle, smiling, and the wet audience of -three, realizing that in this unfinished and unsatisfactory way the -story ended, thanked her politely, and wondered whether the boy kept -all his new pets safely or whether, like the original rabbit, they too -escaped. - -Going up the hill from Esselton they again passed the big, immovable -car; it was still standing right in the middle of the road. All the -passengers sat very closely together under the hood, evidently -awaiting relief. Fired by Ruthie's example, Tommy decided that he, -too, would tell a story. - -"There was wanst a rabbit--. An' it went down to the beach--. An' -there was another rabbit, too--. An' a great, big giant came down--. -An' he took away one of the rabbits, did the giant--. An' the giant -ate it all up." - -They were passing St Peter's by this time. Draeth and home and Mammy -were very near and Tommy felt unhappy inside. "I do be feelin' brave -an' bad," he said, lifting tearful eyes to Miss Margaret. But Miss -Margaret was busily occupied with the pony and the reins, and had no -sympathy to extend to a conscience-stricken boy. - -In pelting rain the gingle drew up in front of Mr. Chard's door. "Been -a-sailin', Tommy Tregennis?" asked some of the West Drayers, but Tommy -felt too bad to reply. - -"Been a good boy, my lovely?" asked Mammy, as she drew off his boots. - -"I dunno!" - -"But you must know," said Mammy, as she buttoned the strap shoes. -"Been a good boy?" - -There was no answer. - -"Well, have you been naughty?" Mammy persisted. - -Tommy wriggled down from the chair. "I dunno, and don't ee bother I no -more, Mammy, ask Miss Margaret what I been," and he ran from the -house, unmindful of the rain, to seek the soothing presence of his -never-failing admirer, Aunt Keziah Kate. - -After tea Mammy had a long and serious talk with the ladies. "'Underds -of times," she admitted, she threatened Tommy, and nothing happened. -"When there's visitors here I feel I must go the easiest way," she -explained. - -"He's too good to be spoiled," urged Miss Margaret. - -"We don't want to spoil him, Miss, his daddy an' me, and we must try -and be firmer with him, for he do indeed be gettin' out of hand." - -At six o'clock Miss Margaret heard Tommy go into the bedroom, and soon -afterwards there was Mrs. Tregennis's heavier step on the stairs. -There was a rustle of bed clothes and a creaking of springs, and by -these signs Miss Margaret knew that Tommy was in bed. - -"Tommy," said Mrs. Tregennis, "do you know why your Mammy do be -feelin' very sad?" - -"No Mammy," was the reply, "but shall us talk a bit about you, when ee -was just a very little girl." - -"No, my son," said Mrs. Tregennis, with great firmness; "we'm not -goin' to talk about me when I was small; we be goin' to talk about -you, instead, my son." - -Then the door was closed and Miss Margaret heard no more. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - - -After the Polderry picnic the relations between Tommy and his ladies -were distinctly strained. In many little ways they worked for his -regeneration and tried to bring home to him the enormity of his -offences. - -On the following day, which was Sunday, he himself showed tact in -avoiding the upstairs sitting-room. Mammy brought up the letters and -whenever the ladies approached the kitchen they found Tommy fully and -unobtrusively occupied with urgent affairs in the corner farthest from -the door. - -On Monday morning when he was running along the quay from school, his -quick eye saw a halfpenny lying in the dust near some drying tackle. -This was unprecedented good fortune. It was the first money that Tommy -had ever found. After picking it up he looked round for possible -claimants, but as none appeared he put it in his pocket and pursued -his homeward way. - -He found only Mammy indoors. She was very busy just then, and although -she was moderately enthusiastic over his find, he felt the need of -wider sympathy and ran out into the alley on the off-chance of meeting -with Jimmy Prynne. - -Jimmy Prynne was not in sight, but coming up from the sea were his -ladies. They carried travelling-rugs and books, and were laughing -together as they walked. Tommy had always taken them into his -confidence at once no matter whether it was in joy or sorrow. To-day -he felt an unaccountable diffidence in approaching them. - -Somewhat hesitatingly he drew near and their laughter at once ceased. -"Found this!" and he held his dusty halfpenny up to view. - -Miss Dorothea said nothing, Miss Margaret merely remarked "Oh," and -passed on. - -Quite obviously they had not seen his treasure. "'Tis a 'a'penny," he -insisted. "I found 'e on the quay all in a 'eap o' dust." - -Miss Dorothea passed into the house. Miss Margaret smiled politely, -and "Oh," she said once more. - -Tommy was sick at heart. It was as though the very foundations of his -world were giving way. - -In the matter of finds he seemed to have struck a run of luck, for on -Tuesday he came home with a knife picked up on the shingle near the -Frying Pan steps. It was an ivory-handled knife and had four blades of -different sizes; they were all rusty and all broken. - -"I'll give ee my knife, Daddy," said Tommy, at tea-time, pushing it -across the table. - -"Mustn't do that, must never give nothin' as cuts." - -"Why?" asked Tommy. - -"'Twill cut love. If so be as I took that knife I shouldn't love ee -any more. 'Tis all right if 'e do be bought, so here be a 'a'penny for -ee." - -Daddy thrust the knife into his deep, trouser pocket, and Tommy put -the halfpenny into his. - -Tommy felt that his ladies would surely be interested in this day's -event. There was not only the thrilling incident of the finding of the -knife, but there was the subsequent financial transaction with Daddy, -and a second halfpenny in his trouser pocket to-day. He poured out his -story to them as they were mounting the stairs. To his amazement it -left them cold. - -When next they passed the kitchen door he entreated his Daddy to show -the knife to them, and Tregennis displayed the four broken blades from -which he had removed the rust with bits of cinder. - -"You will find that most useful, Tregennis," said Miss Margaret. To -Tommy she spoke not at all. - -In the doorway she relaxed just a little. "You have really been quite -lucky, Tommy," she remarked, and went with Miss Dorothea down to the -sea. - -Later the ladies had occasion to buy stamps. Coming from the -post-office they saw Tommy sitting on the quay-wall, knocking off bits -of mortar with his heels. - -"Our one-time friend!" laughed Miss Dorothea, but Miss Margaret looked -straight ahead. - -When Tommy saw them he slipped from the wall and ran behind them -whistling and singing to attract attention. As this proved a dull and -ineffectual game he dodged in front kicking an old salmon tin before -him as he ran. By the Three Jolly Tars Teddy Falconer was playing. -When he saw Tommy he hastily picked up his ball and shrank into the -doorway of the inn. Now Tommy would have been distinctly glad for this -incident to pass unobserved, but it was at this moment, unluckily, -that Miss Margaret became aware of him. - -"Why does Teddy look so frightened?" she asked. - -"'Tother day I did kick his ball for 'e, and ..." with a dramatic -gesture towards the shrinking Teddy, "'e did run into his house to -tell his Mammy." - -The look that Miss Margaret gave Tommy showed him that his position -was in no wise strengthened. He fell behind and walked home dejectedly -to tea. - -At half-past six that evening, when the water was high, there was to -be a launch, Tregennis said. Miss Dorothea was tired, so Miss Margaret -went alone to see the new lugger take the water. She missed the launch -because it was all over half-an-hour before she got there, but she -found instead, playing on the quay, Mary Sarah and Katie, and the -whole Stevenson family. - -Of course the Stevensons were there, Mary Sarah explained, for they -were the O'Grady's cousins. Mary Sarah was as much as five, and in -virtue of her age she took the lead. Mary Sarah enlightened the others -as to the identity of the Lady, and vouched for her respectability, so -to speak. The Lady had often spoken to her, she told them with an air -of superiority, and she had often spoken to the Lady when the Lady was -sittin' writin' up on the top o' the cliffs. - -When the conversation dragged a reference was made to sweets, and the -whole party repaired to Mrs. Tregennis's house. - -"Mrs. Tregennis," called out Miss Margaret, "here's Mary Sarah -O'Grady, and Katie O'Grady, and their cousins the Stevensons and me. -We've all come here for sweets. Have you any to give away?" - -There was a blank moment when Mrs. Tregennis announced that she hadn't -got no not one. - -Tommy, who was in the kitchen at the time, was delighted to think that -sweets were not forthcoming for Mary Sarah and Katie, and the whole -family of Stevensons. - -Then Miss Margaret brightened up. "I remember!" she said, and ran -upstairs two steps at a time. - -When she returned she had in her hand a good-sized paper bag which she -gave to Mary Sarah. - -"Now Mary Sarah," she admonished; "you share them out, turn and turn -about. Be quite fair. They're such pretty children," she remarked to -Mrs. Tregennis. - -"They did oughter be," was the reply, "for they be Irish to the very -finger-tips." - -Miss Margaret again turned to the group of children. "What have you -got, Katie?" and Katie withdrew from her mouth a big bull's-eye. - -With bulging cheek, and somewhat inarticulately, Mary Sarah spoke. -"Her do have a shocking bad cold," she said with the wisdom of three -times five; "they mints will be brave an' good for she." - -This incident made a deep impression upon Tommy. So far the ladies had -been his own special property; he had shared them quite occasionally -with Ruthie, but with her alone. That Mary Sarah and Katie and the -Stevensons should adopt them was by no means in accordance with his -wishes. Something must be done, and that something clearly must be -the strengthening of his own moral character. - -Weeks before Miss Margaret had initiated Tommy into the mysteries of -an early morning rite. You first of all clasped hands (right hands it -had to be, Tommy's left was always rejected), and then you said "Good -morning," and smiled, and after that you shook the hands up and down -and jumped once to each shake. Both shaking and jumping got quicker -and quicker, and at last ended with an abrupt stop, and your arms fell -stiffly to your sides. - -To Tommy this ceremony had become an integral part of the morning. It -was strange, too, how only Miss Margaret knew the proper way. When -Miss Dorothea tried to shake hands with him once he found that she had -absolutely no knowledge of the right method of procedure and he had -been obliged to tell her so. - -For three mornings now the ceremony had been neglected. On the -Wednesday Tommy determined that it must no longer be omitted, and when -he saw Miss Margaret he held out his hand and smiled. Miss Margaret -smiled too, took his hand in hers, shook it just once, said "Good -morning," then turned to Mrs. Tregennis and gave orders for the day. - -"Why wouldn't Miss Margaret shake hands with me proper?" he asked -afterwards. - -"Don't ee know?" Mammy replied, "I guess _I_ know. You think, my son." - -So Tommy thought. - -There was great excitement in Draeth the next day, for a big -Conservative tea-meeting had been arranged for the afternoon, and The -Member was to be present. - -At one end of the tea-table Mrs. Tregennis presided. She was -accompanied by Tommy in the dandy-go-risset sailor suit, and by -Tregennis. Tregennis felt very stiff and uncomfortable, for as this -was such an important occasion Mrs. Tregennis had decided that he must -discard the fisherman's jersey in favour of his wedding suit. In all -the eight years he had been married this suit had not been worn above -a dozen times, for, as he declared to Miss Margaret, "It has to be -some fine weather, Miss, when I puts on they." - -This afternoon the wedding suit was worn, and Tregennis, Mrs. -Tregennis and Tommy sat down to tea with their fellow-Conservatives -and with all the quality of Draeth. An excellent tea was provided at -sixpence a head; The Member made a few remarks on the political -outlook which were well received, and the meeting broke up amid -general congratulations. As Mrs. Tregennis explained afterwards to the -ladies she herself was not a Conservative, in fact, her father was a -Liberal, so if it came to a question of family she was a Liberal too. -She knew naught of it, but always hoped that the best man would get -in, politics or no politics. Tommy, she supposed, would be brought up -as a Conservative and follow in his father's steps. - -"But that is too dreadful to contemplate," exclaimed Miss Margaret. -"Tommy, come here." - -This was a tone of voice Tommy had not heard for five days. He came -with alacrity. - -Miss Margaret held out a bottle of boiled sweets that were just the -very best kind he liked; hard and scrunchy they were on the outside, -soft and sticky within. - -"These," said Miss Margaret, "are Liberal sweets. Each time you eat -one you must say, 'I'm a good Liberal.'" - -Tommy grinned. - -"That do be bribery and corruption," objected Tregennis. - -"Never mind," Miss Margaret replied. "Now, Tommy, what are you to -say?" - -Tommy had taken two sweets at the same time and there was a bulge in -each cheek. In reply to Miss Margaret's question he bit first on the -right side of his mouth, and "I be a brave good Liberal," he asserted. -Then he bit on the left side and the formula was repeated. - -Afterwards, "I don't care which I be, 'servative or Liberal," he -affirmed, "but I do like they sweets better'n either." - -The next morning Miss Margaret shook hands with him in quite the -proper manner. They jumped quite thirteen times and the ending was -exceptionally sudden and abrupt. While Miss Margaret stood stiffly in -front of him Tommy made a little dash forward and threw his arms -around her. She stooped and kissed him and Tommy went off happily to -school. - -So big was the bottle of Liberal sweets that even on Saturday there -were still some left. Just before tea Tommy asked many times that -Mammy would get these from the cupboard and let him eat them then. - -"Not before tea, ma handsome; not till ee do go to bed." - -"Wants they now to wanst, _please_ Mammy," Tommy stated. - -"Not till ee do go to bed, I tell ee." - -"Gimme one of they Liberal sweets _now_." - -"Tommy," it was Miss Margaret's voice. "Tommy, I want to give you a -box of chocolates to-morrow, but if you ask once more to-day for the -bottle of sweets, I shall keep the chocolates for myself." - -"There, you hear," said Mammy, "an' you do know now, Tommy, that what -Miss Margaret says that she do mean." - -Tommy nodded a little shamefacedly. "Yes, I know," he assented; "I -remember." - -When Tommy came in from play two hours later he walked up to the -kitchen cupboard. - -"Mammy," he demanded eagerly, holding up his hands to the shelf out of -reach, "Mammy, I tell ee, do give I one o' they Lib...." - -Then came recollection. "Oh," he said, "I had a'most forgot." - -His outstretched hands dropped to his sides, he clutched the stuff of -his trousers to keep the restless fingers still, and with very tightly -closed lips turned his back on the cupboard and the kitchen, and -walked upstairs to bed. - -Thus it was that Tommy took the first conscious and determined step -towards the improvement of his moral character. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - - -In the upper windows of the double-fronted house near the church plain -short blinds had replaced the long Madras muslin curtains. Again the -gay Brussels carpet in the best sitting-room was covered with -newspaper and the ornaments were put away. All visitors had left -Draeth, for the Summer was over, and with the summer Tommy's sixth -birthday had come and gone. - -Being six did not bring with it the rare delight that Tommy had -expected. For one thing he missed his ladies; for another he was -troubled by the growing sadness of his Mammy's face. Twice when he -came in unexpectedly he had found her in tears, and yet she had -assured him that she had no headache anywhere. - -It was most unfortunate, too, that just when things were a little -dreary Granny Tregennis should be so very tired. Whenever Tommy ran in -to see her now, he found that she was still in bed, and although she -wanted him to play with her on Saturday mornings yet, when he went -upstairs, she seemed to have but little pleasure in the play-toys that -were kept in the fireplace cupboard. - -"My Granny did ought to have a brave long sleep," he asserted with -puckered brow. - -"She do be goin' to have a brave long sleep, ma handsome," Mammy's -eyes filled with tears as she spoke and this seemed to Tommy -inconsistent. - -On the front, looking for occupation, he fell in with Old John. Old -John was a life-long friend, but of late there had been so many other -interests to attract him that Old John had been neglected. - -Now Tommy hailed him. "Gotten a noo pair o' trousers," he shouted, and -almost overbalanced in his effort to stand on one leg with the other -stretched out at right angles in front of him. - -"Hm!" said Old John. - -Taking his pipe from his mouth he examined the trousers critically. -"Hm!" he said again. - -"My Mammy's blue skirt," Tommy explained, proudly, while he reversed -his position. He now stood on the left leg and thrust forward the -right. - -"Hallo!" he cried, for Mammy was approaching to bring him in to bed. - -"Tommy 'e do tell me 'e've gotten noo trousers." - -Mammy nodded. - -"Made out o' your blue skirt, Ellen Tregennis?" - -Mammy nodded and smiled. - -"You'm gotten as good a little woman as ever is in the world for your -Mammy, Tommy." Old John looked at Mrs. Tregennis, who laughed in -acknowledgement of the compliment. - -"We'm forced to do as careful as we can," she said. "When Tom can't go -neither boulter-fishin' nor whiffin' we be livin' on our means like -the gintry; then I make clothes for Tommy, so's he'll be respectable. -'Taint no mortal use, Old John, for we to _look_ small and _be_ small -both, so there's where 'tis to." - -"Makes 'en out of hers!" This was a fact that Tommy was very proud of. - -Again Mammy laughed. "Well, 'tis so," she admitted. "Tom an' me we -wears the clothes, then Tommy wears 'en, then they do be made into -mats an' we treads on 'en. Blouses bain't no good though, for 'e," she -added ruefully; "very wastely things they be to tear up for 'e, the -sleeves do come s'awkward!" - -"An' Tom now, 'e do be a brave good husband?" queried Old John. - -"That he be. I wouldn't stand no nonsense, I wouldn't be 'umbugged -about with 'e, me at my size." - -Mammy smiled and led Tommy off to bed. - -At the top of the alley Tommy stopped. "I'll be back in a minute," he -said as he turned towards Main Street. - -"Where be a-goin'?" asked Mammy. - -"Where be I a-goin'?" Tommy echoed in surprise. "Why I be a-goin' to -say good-night to my Gran." - -"I shouldn't go to-night, ma handsome; Granny's tired." - -Tommy turned and looked at his mother in amazement. Every night ever -since he could remember he had run along to say "good-night" to -Granny. - -"She'll want me, an' I must go," he demurred. - -"She do be too tired for ee to-night, my lamb." - -"Do ee mean, Mammy, that 'er do be too tired for me to say good-night -to she?" Tommy was frankly incredulous. - -Mammy nodded and again the tears came. "She can't do with ee, not -to-night," she said very softly. - -Much puzzled Tommy was led into the house and undressed; still puzzled -he went upstairs to bed. Half-an-hour later he fell asleep, wondering. - -The next day, Saturday, a reluctant Tommy was sent to spend the -morning on the beach, while Mammy went along to be with Aunt Keziah -Kate, for Granny's tiredness was nearly over. - -In the old-fashioned bedroom there was little to do but wait. - -"She do be slippin' away fast," said Aunt Keziah Kate. - -Gently she stroked the frail old hands that lay on the coarse -coverlet. There were no tears in her eyes. There would be plenty of -time for weeping afterwards, now they must just wait. - -"It do be just like Gran." Mammy hastily brushed away a tear. "Never -wasn't no trouble to no-one, wasn't Gran. All her life she've spent in -considerin' others. As long as visitors was here she've keppen up; now -that the summer's over she do be quietly slippin' away." - -The old woman, lying so quietly on the bed, opened her eyes and her -lips moved slowly. Aunt Keziah Kate bent to catch the whispered words. - -"Saturday?" - -Aunt Keziah Kate nodded. - -"What be the time?" - -Aunt Keziah Kate told her. - -"Then where be Tommy?" - -"You don't want 'e mother this mornin', do ee?" - -An almost imperceptible movement of Granny's head was the reply, and -Tommy was hastily found and brought up from the sunshine of the beach -to the dim light of Granny's room. - -"Go very quietly, my lamb," warned Mrs. Tregennis. - -"But I allus do," answered Tommy, rather indignantly. "She don't never -hear me come; it do be a surprise for she." - -Then he creaked across the room on tip-toe, stepped first of all on to -the hassock and from this to the chair. When he raised the curtain the -sight of the lined face lying so still, so very still, upon the pillow -stopped the "Bo" before it left his lips. - -Instead, "Granny, Granny," he whispered. "I do be come to play with -ee, my Granny." - -The tired old eyes opened very slowly, and for a moment it almost -seemed as though she smiled. "Ma lovely," she whispered. - -But there were no play-toys to-day, for in the same room where a new -life had begun so many years ago an old one was soon to end. There was -no storm now. Outside the sun shone brightly, and a little breeze -gently moved the old chintz window curtains made so many years ago by -Granny's busy hands. - -Granfaather Tregennis had come into the room and large tears were -rolling down his cheeks. Tommy thought that grown men never cried. His -wonder deepened when Granfaather, who was quite grown up, knelt down -on the other side of the bed and covered his face with his hands. - -Mammy and Aunt Keziah Kate were crying too. - -Tommy's heart tightened with despair. Granny had forgotten him, for -again her eyes were closed. - -Then he remembered something that would surely arouse her interest, -and from his trouser pocket he pulled out yards of tangled, woollen -chain; the very chain that Granny had taught him to make in the -far-away Christmas holidays. - -"I made this for ee, Granny," he said, putting into her hands a motley -string of pink, and green, and blue and red. "I did make 'e for ee all -myself, no-one else did never do none of 'e at all." - -Once more Granny opened her eyes. "Thank ee ma lovely," she whispered, -and a little sigh fluttered between her parted lips. - -Then Tommy was led away. - -When Aunt Keziah Kate would have removed the tangled chain the feeble -fingers closed and held it more firmly. - -Afterwards, when Granny was at rest, Granfaather Tregennis took it -from the cold hands and put it away in a drawer with his few -treasures--a dry, withered rose given him by Granny many, many years -ago, and an artificial spray of orange-blossom worn by Granny on their -wedding-day. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - - -On the day of Granny's funeral Old John took care of Tommy. - -Old John lived up towards the Barbican, in as neat a cottage as you -could find in Draeth. No woman ever did a hand's turn in his little, -two-roomed crib; the old sailor washed and mended, cleaned and -scrubbed, and kept his home so well that, as Mrs. Tregennis remarked, -'twould be possible to eat anything as 'e'd made, an' eat it off his -floor at that, an' she for one would gladly do it. - -It was not until Old John was getting on in years that he had married -and set up a cabin of his own. He had given up sailorin' then and -turned fisherman, because he wouldn't leave his bonny little maid so -much alone. - -Only to himself, never to any other, did Old John confess that the -bonny little maid had proved a misfit. God, how he had loved her! Nigh -on eighty was Old John now, and still he dreamed of her at night. Too -much given to newsin' she had been and that was all the trouble. - -"'Ousin' and tea-drinkin' don't hold in our line o' life," Old John -had told her, but she had only laughed and followed her own bent. -Under her care, or lack of care, the trim cottage by the Barbican had -become a dirty hovel. - - [Illustration: ON THE DAY OF GRANNY'S FUNERAL, OLD JOHN TOOK - CARE OF TOMMY.] - -Before his love could wane she died. Thirty-five years had gone by -since the night that Old John held her for the last time in his arms. -In her place she left a son, and the son was more of a misfit than the -mother who bore him. - -"One o' they creeperses!" was the judgement of Draeth, and Old John -knew that the judgement was just. But not only was his John sly, he -was idle and lazy as well. - -"If I could only have had a son like Tommy, an' a wife like ...," then -Old John checked himself sharply; there was disloyalty in the thought -and he gave undivided attention to his guest. - -"What be we a-goin' to have for dinner?" Tommy was asking. - -"Fish," replied Old John. - -"What did ee eat for breakfast?" - -"Fish as I catched at sunrise." - -"An' what'll ee have for supper?" - -"Fish again." - -"Seems a lot o' fish in one day," Tommy stated. - -"Why, yes; of course. 'Twouldn't be so cheap to live else, Tommy. -Don't ee know thicky tiddley verse: - - Fish for breakfast that we 'ad, - An' for dinner 'ad a chad, - An' for tea we 'ad some ray, - So we 'ad fish three times that day!" - -The young voice and the old one said the lines over and over in a -monotonous sing-song until Tommy knew them off by heart. - -Movements overhead showed that John was getting up. Although it was -nearly half-past nine he had not yet left the bedroom. When he came -downstairs he looked sulky and unwashed and ate his breakfast in -sullen silence. - -"Fish to sell?" he muttered. - -Old John pointed to his early morning catch. - -As well as being sly and lazy John was also a bit soft, and never -acted on his own responsibility. - -"How much be I to get for they?" he asked. - -It was only a small catch and Old John lifted the fish from the basket -to estimate their value. - -"Should fetch tenpence," he decided, "but make what ee can. If ee -can't get tenpence, take eightpence; an' if 'ee can't get eightpence, -take sixpence; but make what ee can. Should fetch tenpence, though," -he said again as he replaced the fish and passed the basket to his -son. - -John always followed the line of least resistance. Half-way to the -quay he met a man who handled his fish with a view to buying. - -"What do you want for they?" he was asked. - -"My faather said get tenpence if ee can, or eightpence if ee can; or -sixpence if ee can; just make what ee can. So what'll ee give for -they?" - -Long before his return was expected John slouched into the cottage -kitchen and threw four pennies on the table. "For they fish," he said, -and walked away to join a knot of idlers on the front. - -Old John sighed as he gathered up the coins. He felt very old these -days: he wasn't by no means the man he used to be, and it was very -difficult to live. - -"Goin' a-whiffin' again to-day?" Tommy asked him, and he brought his -mind to bear upon the needs of the moment. - -"Not whiffin', but afore tea I must see to my lobster pots," he -replied. "Did ought to get a good catch, too. What be a-goin' to do, -Tommy, when art a grown man? Fishin'?" - -Tommy shook his head. "No," he stated, emphatically. "My Mammy says it -do be starvation to put a lad to fishin' now. I'll be a p'liceman an' -scare they children bravely, that I will." Tommy drew himself up in -proud anticipation of his authority-to-be. - -"Bit lonely, bain't ee sometimes, Tommy?" was Old John's next essay. - -Tommy did not understand, so Old John tried to make his meaning clear. - -"'Twould be nice for ee to have a baby sister to play with an' look -after," he said. Then he knew that he had blundered. - -Tommy clenched his fingers, set his teeth together and breathed hard. -"Ef a baby sister do come to _my_ house," he declared, "I shall -upstairs with she, an' out through the toppest window 'er'll go." - -"Well, well, well!" Old John was at a loss. When you are close on -eighty it is not easy to sustain a conversation with a boy of six. - -"Where be my granny?" Tommy asked, unexpectedly. - -Old John was confused. It did not come easy to him to talk o' things -as 'ad to do wi' religion. - -"In heaven," he answered, hesitatingly. - -Tommy went to the door and looked earnestly upwards at the clouds, - - ".....white as flocks new shorn - And fresh from the clear brook." - -His eyes filled with tears, but he blinked them bravely back. Mammy -had said not to cry, and he tried hard to be a man. - -"I wonder if God wanted she as much as us," he said. Then a feeling of -unutterable loneliness came upon him. His bravery fell from him, and -he ran sobbing to Old John. - -"I be frightened," he sobbed. "I want Mammy; will Mammy have gotten -home?" - -Clumsily Old John held him in his arms, and, six years old though he -was, Tommy fell asleep just like a little boy. Since Saturday -everything had been so sad and so unusual; he had not been to school -and the days had dragged. He had gone to bed late and got up early, -and now he was quite tired out. Old John carried him upstairs and laid -him gently upon the unmade bed. There Tommy slept until he was -awakened for the dinner of fish. - -Before tea Tommy left Old John's cottage, and Old John went to see to -his lobster pots. - -In her unaccustomed black Mammy's pale face looked still paler. Daddy -was wearing his wedding-suit and a broad black tie. It was all so -unusual that Tommy felt almost a stranger in his own house. Auntie -Martha came in early in the evening and brought with her a coat of -Mabel's which she thought would do for Tommy to wear to school in the -coming winter months. - -"It do be a bit small for Mabel, anyhow," she explained, "an' now as -her do be a-wearin' black it ain't but little good to she." - -It was a fawn coat with brown velvet collar and cuffs--a beautiful -coat, Tommy thought. This present was a gleam of brightness in a -dreary day, and he wished the winter would come quickly that he might -wear it at once. - -"Come along to bed, Tommy," said Mammy, "and bring the noo coat with -ee." - -"All right, Mammy," he replied, "won't be but a minute," and he walked -to the door. - -"Where be a-goin'?" Mammy spoke very gently. - -"To say good-night to my Gran." - -Then realization came. "She isn't there," he whispered, and, turning, -went silently upstairs. - -In his prayers that night he stumbled. "Bless granfaather----" he -prayed, and stopped. Then, "an' please God kiss my Granny good-night -for me," he asked, "an' make me a brave, good boy." - -As Mrs. Tregennis went downstairs Tregennis came in from the sea. -"Ellen," he said, in an awestruck voice, "Ellen, Old John 'e be -drownded." - -"Can't be," said Mrs. Tregennis. "Why, he was here but an hour agone. -You see'd 'e yourself, Tom." - -Tregennis nodded. "He was lobster-catchin', Crudely way. The men were -seine-fishin' an' up on the cliffs the 'ooers was a-'ooin of 'em on. -Old John he looked up at the 'ooers an' somehow missed atween the -rocks and his boat and slippen down. Seiners they came up quick, but -they haven't found 'e yet. I wanted just to come in an' tell ee, -Ellen, didn't want ee to hear accident-like. I must go back now and -help," and Tregennis returned to do what he could. - -But not until late the next day did they find Old John's body. John, -his son, put on his father's best clothes, and idled on the front -while the fishermen of Draeth dragged the water near the Crudely -rocks. When he found anyone willing to listen to him he spoke. "Funny -thing," he muttered, "very funny thing. Faather's been to sea all -these years, an' never got drownded afore. Very funny thing it do be -for sure, an' what be I a-goin' to do now?" - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - - -Mrs. Tregennis sat at the kitchen table. With a short and rather blunt -pencil she was making calculations on a half-sheet of note-paper. -Never before in the month of April had they stood so well and known so -little fear. Mrs. Radford had been so very difficult and had tried -Mrs. Tregennis so sorely that early in January she had been asked to -leave; still during all the months she had lived there her money had -come in safely week after week and had been a great help. Then -Tregennis had been at work more or less regularly since the beginning -of January, not fishin', 'tis true, but diggin' and cartin', which he -found very hard, but to which he stuck doggedly all the same. - -The digging and carting had been in connexion with the building of the -new Council Schools, which stood rather high up above the West River, -just opposite the station. Some weeks Tregennis had earned as much as -eighteen shillings, and as a result of this the little sum in the -bank, which represented summer visitors and summer fishing, had -remained untouched. - -So Mrs. Tregennis was adding up. There was over eight pound from that -catch on the wreck when the boulter parted, and two weeks afterwards -there was nigh on three pound, and then there had been two pound five, -an' fifteen shillin', an'---- - -At this point Mrs. Tregennis lost count. Her little sums were all -upset by Tommy's return from school. - -Tommy was evidently very angry. He half-kicked the door open, then -banged it behind him and stamped into the kitchen. When Mrs. Tregennis -looked up she saw that his fingers were tightly clenched and that he -was gritting his teeth. Without speaking, she put the lead pencil to -her lips and slowly made more figures on the piece of paper. - -Tommy took off the coat he was wearing, threw it on the floor and -kicked it into the fender. - -Then Mammy arose. - -"Well, Tommy Tregennis," she said, "'an' shall I bring some more of -your clothes for ee to kick about the place? Will ee have the brown -jersey suit, my son, and the long sailor trousers?" - -Tommy stood rigid and defiant. His eyes flashed as he answered his -mother. "I shan't wear 'e never no more." He pointed dramatically with -his right hand in the direction of the fireplace. "Never, no more, I -tell ee, no, _never_!" - -"Pick you that coat out o' the ashes," Mrs. Tregennis ordered. - -For a moment Tommy hesitated, then reluctantly he obeyed. - -Mrs. Tregennis took it from him and put it on a chair. It was the coat -that had once been Mabel's--the coat that was trimmed with brown -velvet and that had been given to Tommy on the night of Granny's -funeral. - -There was a brief silence, then Tommy spoke again. "I shan't wear 'e, -never no more," he repeated. If it had not been for the fact that he -was going on seven and had not cried for more than a month, Tommy -would certainly have cried now. - -Mrs. Tregennis realized this. "Why not?" she asked sympathetically. - -Then two tears came, but Tommy blinked them bravely back. Even to -Mammy he hesitated to give his reason, for shame had overwhelmed him, -and the mockery had hurt. - -He clenched his fingers as he lived through the whole scene once more, -then he swallowed hard and explained. "The boys they do be a-sayin' as -Tommy Tregennis 'e do wear an old maid's coat." Then, "Mammy, Mammy, I -_can't_ wear 'e never no more! I needn't, Mammy, say it, oh, _say_ -it!" he implored. - -"Well, ma lovely," replied Mrs. Tregennis, "your Mammy would much like -to wear a beautiful silk gownd like the queen wears in London, but -she've gotten to wear just this." As Mrs. Tregennis sat down she drew -aside the apron that covered her plain serge skirt. - -Instantly Tommy's arms were around her neck. "Mammy, Mammy," he -relented, "I'll wear 'e, sure I will; I'll wear 'e an' never heed they -boys, then ee can have a brave silk gownd, Mammy, just like the queen -do wear to London." - -"Oh, never mind," said Mrs. Tregennis, "I'm not so set on a silken -gownd if it comes to that, wool'll do me in my line of life, an' I'll -give your coat to some little boy as is smaller 'an you, an' that'll -be fine all round." As she and Tregennis agreed afterwards Tommy'd -really wore that coat a lot, an' so they didn't ought to grumble, an' -he was really very good about his clothes, pore lamb; an' if he was -cold he could wear his best blue coat to school, 'twouldn't do it no -harm, not with care, and summer would be upon them very soon and no -coats needed then. - -This happened to be the last day of Tregennis's work at the new school -buildings, and the following morning, with something of relief, he -went out shrimping. He came home with two quarts and more of very fine -shrimps, which Mrs. Tregennis boiled and took round for sale in the -afternoon. When she returned, having disposed of all the plates of -shrimps, she found that Tommy was home from school and was in a state -of great excitement. - -For the first time he had been allowed to write in ink! He had made -only one quite little blot and one very small smudge! - -"Miss Lavinia said 'twas brave an' handsome, Mammy," he told her. "She -said to take it home, Mammy, 'cos 'twas so fine an' lovely, so here 't -be for ee to see." - -"Tom and Sam dig in the sand. The ant can run on the sand. The sand is -wet but the ant runs fast on the wet sand." - -Mrs. Tregennis and Tommy together read out the written words, and -looked with pride at the "good" in red ink at the bottom of the page. - -"This do be some fine, ma lovely," said Mammy, appreciatively, and, -going to the cupboard, she took her purse from the second shelf and -gave Tommy a penny. - -"There's a penny and a saucer; run an' get some cream for your tea, ma -handsome, because your ink-writin' do be that beautiful." - -Off Tommy ran to the one dairy in Draeth where cream can be bought by -the penn'orth. - -It was all so thrilling and exciting that Tommy quite forgot his -manners, and on his return, rounding a corner, he ran up against -Auntie Jessie, and Auntie Jessie had seen him lick his finger after -sticking it well into the cream. - -"My!" gasped Tommy. - -"_Well!_" said Auntie Jessie, and walked on. - -Tommy felt dreadful. "Now I shall get it somethin' awful," he -muttered. "Now I shall just be 'bout half killed." Then, holding the -saucer well in front of him, he ran quickly home. - -"Mammy," he explained, somewhat breathlessly, "I didn't know as I was -a goin' to do it. 'Twent in quite of itself, it did. They be all -a-comin' to tell ee, Mammy, but don't ee hit I for I've telled ee of -it first. I didn't know as I was a-goin' to do it, but there 'twas, -an' Auntie Jessie she saw an' 'll tell ee, but 'twent in of itself, it -did, sure as sure it did, Mammy." - -"What be all this about, Tommy Tregennis?" Mammy inquired. "Try to -talk a bit of sense, do ee now." And then she heard the story of -Tommy's lapse from decency. - -Like Auntie Jessie, Mammy merely said, "_Well!_" - -"I've never done no such thing afore, Mammy," argued Tommy, "'an' I've -seen other boys an' girls a-puttin' their fingers in pennorths of jam -one, two, three _an'_ four times." - -"Oh, _they_ children!" replied Mammy, and Tommy knew that somehow his -line of defence was weak. - -"Mammy," he said, very pleadingly, "Mammy, it did just slippen in, it -did," and he held the guilty finger up in front of him and looked at -it sadly as he slowly shook his head. - -"Don't ee do it never no more, then," admonished Mrs. Tregennis, "an' -here's your Daddy so we'll have some tea." - -"Cream on a week-day!" exclaimed Tregennis, in surprise. - -"Yes," assented Mammy, "our Tommy's done some brave good ink-writin', -so we be all havin' a treat." "We'm properly livin' high," she -continued, "just like the gintry we be," and as she spoke she took a -small teaspoonful of cream from the saucer into which Tommy's finger -had slipped by mistake and emptied it carefully on to the side of her -plate. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - - "There's no dew left on the daisies and clover, - There's no rain left in heaven; - I've said my seven times over and over: - Seven times one are seven." - - -Tommy was standing at the table before breakfast, reciting in a -breathless, sing-song voice. Before school closed for the summer -holidays Miss Lavinia had taught him the poem so that he could say it -as a surprise to Daddy and Mammy this morning. For this morning was -the 29th of August, and Tommy's birthday, and he was just exactly -"seven times one." - -His parents listened to him with pride, but Mammy could not help -feeling a little sad, for she realized how very quickly Tommy was -growing up. Because she was always busy the months simply sped along. -This spring had passed unusually quickly, and now here was the summer -almost over and Tommy was actually seven years old! - -Mrs. Tregennis had been very successful in letting her rooms this -season; since the first week in May the house had been full. She and -Daddy and Tommy were all greatly disappointed that Tommy's Ladies were -not coming to Draeth this year. They had sent some of their friends, -certainly, and they proved to be very nice people and paid Mrs. -Tregennis well. But, of course, it was not the same. From these -friends, too, Mrs. Tregennis had heard disquieting rumours, and she -was much afraid that it would be a long, long time before the Blue -Lady and the Brown Lady would come again to Draeth to stay. - - "And show me your nest with the young ones in it, - I will not steal them away; - I am old, you can trust me, linnet, linnet; - I am seven times one to-day." - -Tommy ended the surprise poem with pride, for not one stumble had he -made all the way through from beginning to end. Daddy showed his -appreciation by giving him a sixpenny bit, as he wished him "Many -'appy returns o' the day." - -This awakened memories of the past, and Tommy became reflective. - -"My poor Granny used to give me a half-a-crown on my birthday," he -remarked, reminiscently. "She didn't never have ought to 'a done it," -he continued, shaking his head, "for she couldn't rightly afford 'e. -Still, she did allus give me a half-a-crown did my poor Gran!" - -Further reflections were interrupted by the postman. - -"Well, I be glad an' yet I'm not glad," Mrs. Tregennis said, when she -had come to the end of her letter and passed it over to Daddy. - -"He did ought to be shot!" was Tregennis's fierce comment when he had -read to the end of the first page. - -"Who did ought to be shot, Daddy?" Tommy's efforts to balance the -sixpenny-bit on the extreme tip of his nose were interrupted while he -put the question. - -"Miss Margaret's been gettin' married, ma lovely," Mrs. Tregennis told -him. - -This seemed no explanation to Tommy, and he persisted in his question. -"Who did ought to be shot, Daddy?" he repeated. - -Tregennis looked across at his wife. "There ain't no man in this world -good enough for Miss Margaret," he asserted. "He did ought to be shot -even for so much as lookin' at her, but as for wantin' to marry -her--well----." Here words failed him. - -Meanwhile Mrs. Tregennis had taken off the wrapper from an illustrated -paper that the postman had brought, too. Turning over the pages, she -came to one down which a thick, red line was drawn, and there was Miss -Margaret's likeness just staring her in the face! - -Silently Tommy and Tregennis looked as Mrs. Tregennis pointed. - -"'Elliott and Fry,'" read Mrs. Tregennis, meaninglessly. - -Tregennis nodded. "Them's the chaps as took it." - -"Then this is _him_!" said Mammy, and put her finger on the portrait -next to Miss Margaret's own. - -Then she drew in her breath sharply. "Why, she be marryin' a _Sir_!" -she exclaimed. "They'll never come here no more." - -She looked sadly round the tiny kitchen. There was the line on which -Miss Margaret's wet skirts had hung, time and time again. That was the -rocking-chair Miss Margaret had sat in many a day when the evenings -were turning cold. Under the table was the Dobbin that the Blue Lady -and the Brown Lady had given to Tommy at the very first of all. - -"An' now she be married to a Sir," she murmured, "an' she'll never -come here no more!" - -It was Tommy's seventh birthday, yet gloom was upon them all! - -The handle of the outside door was turned and Granfaather Tregennis -stood on the threshold. - -"Mornin'," he said, nodding all round comprehensively. - -Then he gave his whole attention to Tommy. - -"'Appy returns to ee, my man!" - -Awkwardly he stood there for a moment, fumbling with something he held -in his hand. - -"This do be the half-a-crown as your Granny always gived ee when your -birthday comed nigh." - -As he put the money on the table there were tears in his eyes, and he -turned abruptly and left. - -"Granfaather do be breakin' up," sighed Mrs. Tregennis. "Never been -the same he haven't since Gran died. He do miss her somethin' awful, -and we shan't have him long. Ah, well," she sighed again, as she -rolled up her sleeves to the elbow in readiness for the washing-up; -"there do be a sight of weariness in the world as well as joy. We've -no cause to grumble much, 'tis true; but somehow this mornin' I be -altogether down, and there's where 'tis to!" - -Just before tea that day, when Tommy was playing on the sands, Mrs. -Tregennis introduced a subject that was much on her mind. - -"School begins Monday, Tom," she reminded him. - -"Both?" he asked, laconically. - -Mrs. Tregennis nodded affirmatively. - -"Seems on'y right to tell Miss Lavinia," she went on to say. Then, -after a rather long pause, "I suppose she'm well enough off; I suppose -she've enough to live?" - -"Should think th' old doctor 'e left she a bit," answered Tregennis, -reflectively. "Her've enough to live I should reckon." - -"Seems hard like to take the children away; she be such a kindly dear -soul is Miss Lavinia," and as Mrs. Tregennis cut the bread and butter -she pondered as to what was the best thing to do. - -On Monday the new Council Schools would open. The buildings were very -grand and modern, and the head master was coming down from a college -in London. There was no school-money to pay, it seemed, although the -education was to be of the best. Mrs. Tregennis knew that nearly all -the children were leaving Miss Lavinia's for the new school, and she -and Tregennis had decided that Tommy should go too. - -For years past there had been so many parents anxious to send their -children to Miss Lavinia that she had made no rule about giving -notice. If, on the morning that school reopened, she found that one -or two of her scholars had left, she sent round a message at once to -some of the addresses she kept written down in a note-book in her -desk, and in the afternoon the vacant places were always filled. - -This time Mrs. Tregennis knew that there would be many vacant places, -and she felt somehow that Miss Lavinia was not prepared for the change -the new school must inevitably mean to her. So she talked the matter -over with Tregennis, and they decided that after tea she should go on -and just tell Miss Lavinia that Tommy was leaving, it would seem more -polite like. So after tea Mrs. Tregennis and Tommy went on. - -They found Miss Lavinia standing on her door-step; she was dressed for -walking and was locking the door behind her when they approached. At -once she unlocked the door, re-entered the house, and showed her -visitors into the best parlour. Here she left them for a few moments -while, with old-fashioned courtesy, she went upstairs to remove her -bonnet and mantle so that Mrs. Tregennis should not feel that she must -hurry away. - -Tommy had never before been in Miss Lavinia's parlour, and he stood by -the highly polished round table in the centre of the room, lost in -admiration of the stuffed birds and wax flowers that were placed under -glass shades on mats of gaily coloured wool. There were piles of -books, too, on the polished table. These were arranged corner-wise -with regard to each other. They all had leather bindings, and there -were three or four in each pile. - -When Miss Lavinia came into the room she walked across to the window -and drew up the dark green blind half-way, so that a stream of evening -sunshine darted across the parlour and myriads of tiny dust-particles -danced in the shaft of light. - -Miss Lavinia bade Mrs. Tregennis be seated, but Tommy still leaned up -against the polished table. - -There was a moment's awkward pause, then "Is Tommy tired of holiday -and ready for school?" Miss Lavinia asked, smiling. - -Mrs. Tregennis found difficulty in answering. "'Tis just about that -I've come, please, Miss," she said, after some hesitation. "You see, -Miss, all the others is goin', too, and there's nothin' at all to pay, -an' we'm only poor, an' they say the learnin's to be of the best, and -all the other boys be goin', so I suppose our Tommy did ought to go, -too." - -"Go? Where?" But even as Miss Lavinia's lips framed the question she -knew what the answer would be. - -"To the new Council School, Miss Lavinia," faltered Mrs. Tregennis. - -Then the two women looked at each other without speaking. Both were -troubled, and there seemed nothing more to say. - -It was Mrs. Tregennis who broke the silence. "We know what we owe you, -Miss Lavinia, his Daddy an' me. You've done a lot for our Tommy, Miss. -He've come on well and learnt a lot. Not only schoolin' I'm thinkin' -of, Miss Lavinia, but in his manners an' all, an' in doin' right and -tryin' to be brave. He'll not get that at the new school, I'm -thinkin'." - -"Thank you, Mrs. Tregennis," Miss Lavinia was smiling bravely. "Tommy -has always been one of my best little boys, and, for myself, I am very -sorry that he must go." - -Again there was a pause. Miss Lavinia seemed to pass through a little -struggle with herself. Then, "And did you say there were others?" she -asked. - -Mrs. Tregennis flushed deeply. "Yes, Miss Lavinia, Ma'am, and didn't -you know, Miss? All they boys be goin': Jimmy Prynne, and David -Williams and the Tomses, an' all of they." - -Mrs. Tregennis rose from her seat. "I be so sorry, please, Miss -Lavinia," she said, impulsively, holding out her hands to the little -figure, sitting perfectly upright on the Chippendale chair. "Oh, Miss -Lavinia, I do be that sorry!" Then, hesitatingly, "If I may make so -bold, does it _matter_, Miss Lavinia?" - -It was now Miss Lavinia's turn to flush. Her eyes were very bright and -her chin was uplifted. - -"Thank you, Mrs. Tregennis," she said, and lied bravely; "I am very -sorry to lose the children, more sorry than I can tell you, but of -course it does not matter in that sense." - -Mrs. Tregennis was relieved. "That's just what Tom said; he said -'twould be all right in that way, did Tom. Still, I do be very sorry -for Tommy to go." - -Mrs. Tregennis moved slowly to the door, then turned again. "Tommy -said his piece beautiful this mornin', Miss Lavinia. Thank you for -teachin' him. It was lovely." - -At first Miss Lavinia was puzzled, then she remembered. - -"Why, of course, it's Tommy's birthday," she said, and walked across -the room to the polished mahogany table. - -From the top of a pile of books she took one that was much smaller -than the rest, and had a padded binding of crimson leather. After -turning over the pages she put it down in front of Tommy, dipped a pen -into the ink, and bade him write his name upon the dotted line, to -which she pointed. - -"This is my birthday book, Tommy," she explained, "and when you have -written your name there I shall always know when your birthday comes -round each year." - -Slowly and carefully Tommy wrote, his tongue curling round the corner -of his mouth the while. The one dotted line was not long enough, so he -finished on the line below. His name looked very beautiful when it was -written there, and Miss Lavinia blotted it carefully before replacing -the little crimson book on its own pile on the shining table. - -When her visitors had left Miss Lavinia sat alone in the best parlour, -looking out across the river with tired, unseeing eyes. - -Tommy and Mrs. Tregennis walked slowly home. Tommy was very silent, -for his thoughts were fully occupied with Miss Lavinia's crimson -Birthday Book in which he had written his name so lovely. - -At first he was perplexed and wondered why Miss Lavinia had wanted to -have his name written there, but after a little thought it became -quite plain to him. Every year, when the twenty-ninth of August came -round, Miss Lavinia would remember him, Tommy. Every year, on the -evening of that day, she would enter the best parlour, and, after -closing the door behind her, she would walk across to the window and -raise the dark green blind a little way. When the blind was drawn a -broad shaft of light would cross the room and hundreds of little bits -of dust would come in with the light and dance gaily all together in -the golden beam. - -Then Miss Lavinia would push to one side the piles of books, and, -kneeling, facing the stuffed birds and the gay wax flowers, she would -rest her elbows on the brightly polished table and pray for him, -Tommy, that he might be a good boy and grow up to be a brave, true -man. - -Tommy had no doubt at all that this was just exactly what Miss Lavinia -would do. He could see it all quite clearly as he walked slowly home -with Mammy. - -On Monday morning, at a quarter to nine, an unaccustomed sound broke -over Draeth. It was the ringing of the big bell in the tower of the -new Council Schools. - -Against her better judgement, Miss Lavinia was drawn by the sound to -the window of the best parlour. Here she saw the boys and girls who -had once been hers trooping, laughing, and heedless of her pain, to -the big new school. - -Tommy and Ruthie were the last to pass beneath Miss Lavinia's window. - -At Miss Lavinia's open door Tommy paused. - -Ruthie laughed. "Come on, Tommy," Miss Lavinia heard her say as she -pulled him towards her, and hand in hand, the two children ran along -the street and over the bridge. - -Miss Lavinia saw them enter the big iron gates, and saw their -hesitation when they were parted. For Tommy had to turn to the right -and pass through the doorway, over which "Boys" was moulded in the -stonework, while Ruthie walked across the playground to the entrance -for the girls. - -Miss Lavinia clasped her hands together for a moment. Then, as the -clock was striking nine, with firm lips and head erect, she turned -from the window and walked slowly to the schoolroom, where Annie -Geach, Ruby Dark, Lizzie Wraggles and one little new girl were waiting -for her to read the morning prayer. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOMMY TREGENNIS*** - - -******* This file should be named 42835.txt or 42835.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/2/8/3/42835 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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