1921-12-10 — Page 8

" THE CHIMES."

(Continued from Page 7)

"It's burning hot!", cried Meg "Ha, ha, ha! It's scalding hot !".

Ha, ha, ha roared Toby, with a sort of kick. "It's scalding hot."

But what is it, father?" said Meg. "Come! You haven't guessède I am as strong as a lion, and all men what it is. And you must guess ain't--but supposing it should really what it is. I can't think of taking it be that we have no right to a new out, till you guess what it is. Don't year-supposing we really are intrudbe in such a hurry! What a minute!

A little bit more of the cover. guess!"

ing

"Why, father, father!" said the pleasant voice again.

Toby heard it this time; started; stopped and shortening his sight, which had been directed a long way off as seeking for enlightenment in the very heart of the approaching year, found himself face to face with his own child, and looking close into her eyes.

Bright eyes they were. Eyes that would bear a world of looking in, before their depth was fathomed. Dark eyes, that reflected back the eyes which searched them; not flash ingly, or at the owner's will, but with a clear, calm, honest, patient radiance, claiming kindred with that light which Heaven called into being. Eyes that were beautiful and true, and beaming with hope. With hope so young and fresh; with hope so buoyant, vigorous, and bright, despite the twenty years of work and poverty on which they had looked; that they became a voice to Trotty Veck, and

said, "I think we have some business here a little!"

Trotty kissed the lips belonging to the eyes, and squeezed the blooming face between bis hands.

"Why, pet," said Trotty. "What's to do? I didn't expect you to-day, Meg."

But

"Neither did I expect to come, father," cried the girl, nodding her head and smiling as she spoke. here I am! And not alone!"*

"Why, you don't mean to say," observed Trotty, looking curiously at a covered basket which she carried in her hand, "that you"

"Smell it, father dear," said Mcg. "Only smell it!"

Trotty was going to lift up the cover at once, in a great hurry, when

slie gaily interposed her hand.

14

No, no, no," said Meg, with the gle of a child. "Lengthen it out a little. Let me just lift up the corner: just the lit-le, tiny corner, you know," said Meg, suiting the action to the word with the utmost gentle ness, and speaking very softly, as if she wer, afraid of being overheard by som thing inside the basket; "There. Now. What's that?”

Toby took the shortest possible sniff at the edge of the basket, and cried out in a rapture- Why, it's hot!"

I

THE CHINA MAIL.

"And according to what I was reading you in the paper the other day, father; what the judge said, you know; wa poor people are supposed to know them all. Ha, ha! What a mistake! My goodness me, how clever they think us!"

"Yes, my dear,” cried Trotty, "and they'd be very fond of any one of us that did know 'em all. He'd grow fat Now.upon the work he'd get, that man, and be popular with the gentlefolks in his neighbourhood. Very much Bo!"

Meg was in a perfect fright lest he should guess right too soon; shrink ing away, as she held the basket to- wards him! curling up her pretty shoulders; stopping her ear with her hand, as if by sa doing she could keep the right word out of Toby's ps; and laughing softly the whole Meanwhile Toby, putting a hand on each knee, bent down his nose to the basket, and took a long inspira: tion at the lid; the grin upon his withered face expanding in the as if he were inhaling

time.

process,

laughing gas.

Ah! It's very nice," said Toby. "It aint-I suppose it ain't polonies?" "No, no, no!" cried Meg, delighted. "Nothing like polonies!"

"No." said Toby, after another sniff "It's-it's mellower than polonies. Its very nice. It improves every moment. It's too decided for

trotters. Ain't it?"

Meg was in an ecstasy. He could not have gone wider of the mark than trotters-except polonies,

"He'd eat his dinner with asap.

petite, whoever He was, if it smelled ike this," said Meg cheerfully "Make haste, for there's a hot potato besides, and half a pint of fresh-drawn beer in a bottle. Where will you dine, father? On the post, or on the steps? Dear, dear, how grand we are Two places to choose from!"

"The steps to-day, my pet," said Trotty. "Steps in dry weather. Post in wet. There's a greater conveni ency in the steps at all times, because of the sitting down; but they're rheumatic in the damp."

fluence of dinner," how often have I heard them bells say, Toby Veck, Toby Veck, keep a good heart, Toby Toby Veck, Toby Veck, keep a good heart, Toby! A million times? More!"

"Well, I never!" cried Meg. She had, though avec and over again. For it was Toby's constant toples

When things is very bad," said Trotty; "very bad indeed, I mean; almost at the worst; then it's 'Toby Veck, Toby Veck, job coming soon, Toby! Toby Veck, Toby Veck, 'job

SATURDAY, DECEMBER - 10, 1921.

"Yes, sir," said Trotty, leaving it behind him in a corner.

slowly than before, and shaking his or my wedding dresses to be made, "There! That'll dol" said the head, as he were not at all pleased like the great Indies, father, have. 17 gentleman. "Hollo, there! Porter 1" with himself.

And he said so much, and said it Inbeckoning with his hend to Trotty: "I had my dinner, father," said his way; so strong and earnest, and Veck."Come here. What's that? Mog, after a little hesitation, with all the time so kind and gentle; that Your dinner?" -with Richard. Mia dinner time I said I'd come and talk to you, was early; and as he brought his father. And as they pald the money dinner with him when he came to see for that work of mine this morning me, we we had it together, father." (unexpectedly, I am sure!), and as Trotty took a little beer, and you have fared very poorly for a smacked his lips. Then he said, whole week, and as I couldn't help

"Off"-because she waited.

wishing there should be something to And Richard says, father--" make this day a sort of holiday to Meg resumed, then stopped.

you as well as a dear and happy day to me, father, I made a little treat and brought it to surprise you?"

What does Richard say, Meg?' asked Toby, stoppage.

"Richard says, father-" Another

Richard's a long time saying it, said Toby.

Don't leave it there," exclaimed the gentleman. Bring it here, bring it here. Sol This is your dinner, is it 222

"Yes, sir, repeated Trutty, look. ing, with a fixed eye and a watery mouth, at the piece of tripe he had reserved for a last delicious tit-blt; which the gentleman was now turn- ing over and over on the end of the fork...

coming soon, Toby 'That way said Meg, with a touch of sadness "And it comes at last, father,"

And see how he leaves it cooling: in her pleasant voice.

on the step 1" said another voice.

It was the voice of this same Two other. gentlemen had come "Always," answered the unconsc!

Richard, who had come upon them out with him." One was a low- ous Toby. "Never fails."

"He says then, father," Meg unobserved, and stood before the spirited gentleman of middle age, pf While this discourse was holding, continued, lifting up her father and daughter, looking down a meagre habit, and a disconsolate Trotty made no pause in his attack eyes at last, and speaking, upon them with a face as glowing as face; who kept his hands continually upon the savoury meat before him, in a tremble, but quite plainly: the iron on which, his stout sledge in the pockets of his scanty pepper. but cut and ate, and cut and drank," another year is nearly gone, and hammer daily rang. A handsome, and salt trousers, very large and and cut and chewed, and dodged where is the use of waiting on from well-made, powerful youngster he dog's-eared from that custom; and about, from tripe to hot potato, and year to year, when it is so unlikely was; with eyes that sparkled like the was not particularly well brushed or from hot potato back again to tripe, we shall ever be better off than we red-hot droppings from a furnace fire; washed. The other, a full-sized, with an unctuous and unflagging are now?" He says we are poor black hair that cured about his sleek, well-conditioned gentleman, relish. But happening now to look now, father, and we shall be poor swarthy temples rarely; and a smile in a blue coat with bright buttons, all round the street-in case anybody then, but we are young now, and a smile that tore out Meg's and a white cravat. This gentleman should be beckoning from any door years will make us old before we ealogium on his style of conversation, had a very red face, as if an undue or window, for a porter-his eyes, in know it. He says that if we wait; "See how he leaves it cooling on proportion of the blood in his body coming back again, encountered Meg people in our condition: until we see the step!" said Richard. "Meg don't were squeezed up into his head; sitting opposite to him, with her nur way quite clearly, the way will know what he likes. Not she!" which perhaps Accounted for his having also the appearance of being arms folded, and only busy in watch be a narrow one indeed--the common

rather cold about the heart. 0g his progress with a smile of way--the grave, father."" happiness.

Then here," said Meg, clapping her hands, after a moment's bustle; "here it is, all ready! And beautiful it looks! Come, father. Come !"

Since his discovery of the contents of the basket, Trotty had been stand ing looking at her and had been speaking too in an abstracted man- ner, which showed that though she was the object of his thoughts and eyes, to the exclusion even of tripe,me what a beast I was?" abe neither saw nor thought about

"Liver?" said Toby, communing with himself. "No. There's mildness about it that don't answer her as she was at that moment, but to liver. Pettitoes? No. It ain't had before him some imaginary faint enough for pettitoes. It wants rough sketch or drama of her future the stringiness of cocks' heads. And life. Roused, now, by her cheerful know it ain't sausages. T'll tell you summons, he shook off a melancholy what it is. It's chitterlings!" shake of the head which was just "No it ain't!" cried Meg, in a coming upon him, and trotted to her burst of delight. "No, it ain't!" side. As he was stooping to sit down

the chimes rang.

Why, what am I a-thinking of!" said Toby, suddenly recovering a position as near the perpendicular as it was possible for him to assume. "I shall forget my own name next. It's tripe!"

Tripe it was, and Meg, in high joy protested he should say, in half a minute, more, it was the best tripe ever stewed,

And so," said Meg, busying herself exultingly with the basket, "I'll lay the cloth at once, father; for I have brought the tripe in a basin, and tied the basin up in a pocket. handkerchief; and if I like to be proud for once, and spread that for a cloth, and call it a cloth, there's no law to prevent me; is there, father?" "Not that I know of, my dear," said Toby, But they're always a- bringing up some new law or other."

"Amen!" said Trotty, pulling, off his hat and looking up towards them, Amen to the bells, father?" cried

參宿

Meg.

dear," said Trotty, taking his seat. "They'd say a good one, I am sure, if they could. Many's the kind thing they say to me."

"They broke in like a grace, my

"The bells do. father!" laughed Meg, as she set the basin and a knife and fork before him, "Well!"

"Seem to, my pet," said Trotty, "And falling to with great vigour. where's the difference? If I hear 'em, what does it matter whether they speak it or not? Why bless you, my dear," said Toby, pointing at the tower with his fork, and becoming

more

animated under

Trotly, drppping his knife and fork. Why, Lord forgive me!" said My dove Meg! why didn't you tell

"Father?"

"Sitting here," said Trotty, in penitent explanation, "cramming and stuffing, and gorging myself; and you before me there; never so much as breaking your precious fast, nor wanting to, when→→→→

#

interposed his daughter, laughing, But I have broken it, father,"

all to bits. I have had my dinner," dinners in one day! It ain't possible! "Nonsense," said Trotty. Two you might as well tell me that two New Year's Days will come together, or that I have had a gold head all

my life, and never changed it." all that," said Meg, coming nearer to "I have had my dinner, father, for

Thim. And if you'll go on with yours, I'll tell you how and where; and how your dinner came to be brought; and and something else besides.,

Toby still appeared incredulous; but she looked into his face with her clear eyes, and laying her hand upon his houlder, motioned him to go on while the meat was hot. So Trotty took up his knife and fork again, and the in went to work. But much more

A bolder man than, Trotty Veck boldness, largely, to deny it. Trotty must needs have drawn upon his

held his peace:

Trotty, all action and enthusiasm, immediately reached up his hand to Richard, and was going to address door opened without any warning, him in a great burry, when the house

and a footman very nearly put his foot in the tripe.

"Out of the ways here, will you! You must always ge and be a settin' on our steps, must you! You can't go and give a turn to none of the neighbours, never, can't you I Will you clear the road, or won't you?"

Strictly speaking, the last question

done it. was irrelevant, as they had already

He who had Toby's meat upon the

name of Filer; and they both drew fork, called to the first one by the

near together. Mr. Filer being ex ceedingly short-sighted, was obliged to go so close to the remnant of Toby's dinner before he could make out what it was, that Toby's heart leaped up into his mouth. But Mr. Filer didn't eat it.

"And how hard, father, to grow old, and die, and think we might have cheered and helped each other! How hard in all our lives to love each other; and to grieve, apart, to see each other working, changing, grow

"This is a description of animal ing old and gray. Even if I got the better of it, and forgot him (which I

food, Alderman," said Filer, making hard to have a heart so full as mine never could), oh, father dear, how

little punches in it, with a pencil-case, commonly known to the labouring is now, and lived to have it slowly

"What's the matter, what's the population of this country by the recollection of one happy moment of whom the door was opened; coming drained out every drop, without the matter!" said the gentleman for name of tripe."\

The alderman laughed, and wink. a woman's life, to stay behind and out of the house at that kind of lighted; for he was a merry fellow, comfort me, and make me better!"

heavy pace-that peculiar com- Alderman Cute, Oh, and a sly fellow Trorty sat quite still. Meg dried promise between a walk and a jog-trot too! A knowing fellow. Up to her eyes, and said more gaily-that with which a gentleman upon the everything. Not to be imposed upoù.

creaking boots, a watch-chain, and them, Cute did. I believe you! smooth down-hill of life wearing Deep in the people's hearts! He knew

there a sob, and here a laugh and sob is to say, with here a laugh, and

together-

"So Richard says, father; as his work was yesterday made certain for some time to come, and as I love him and have loved him full three years all longer than that, if he knew it will I marry him on New Year's Day; the best and happiest day, he says, in the whole year, and one that is almost sure to bring good fortune with it. It's a short notice, father-isn't it? but I haven't my fortune to be settled,

clean linen, may come out of his house; not only without any abatement of his dignity, but with an expression of having important and wealthy en gagements elsewhere. "What's the matter! What's the matter!"

"But who cats tripe?" said Mr: Filer, looking round. "Tripe is with. out an exception the least econ. omical, and the most wasteful article of consumption that the markets of this country can by possibility pro "You're always a-being begged, duce. The loss upon a pound of and prayed, upon your beaded knees tripe has been found to be, in the you are," said the footman with boiling, seven eighths of a firth more great emphasis to Trotty. Veck, "to than the luss upon a pound of any let our doorsteps be. Why don't you other animal substance whatever. jetem be? CAN'T you let 'em be?" (Continued on Page 10.)

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