the ragged trousered philanthropists-第94章

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ad　evidently　lacerated　his　right　foot；　for　blood　was　oozing　from　the　broken　heel　of　his　boot　on　to　the　floor。

They　were　unable　to　make　much　sense　of　the　confused　story　he　told　them　through　his　sobs　as　soon　as　he　was　able　to　speak。　　All　that　was　clear　was　that　there　was　something　very　serious　the　matter　at　home：　he　thought　his　mother　must　be　either　dying　or　dead；　because　she　did　not　speak　or　move　or　open　her　eyes；　and　‘please；　please；　please　will　you　come　home　with　me　and　see　her？'



While　Nora　was　getting　ready　to　go　with　the　boy；　Owen　made　him　sit　on　a　chair；　and　having　removed　the　boot　from　the　foot　that　was　bleeding；　washed　the　cut　with　some　warm　water　and　bandaged　it　with　a　piece　of　clean　rag；　and　then　they　tried　to　persuade　him　to　stay　there　with　Frankie　while　Nora　went　to　see　his　mother；　but　the　boy　would　not　hear　of　it。　　So　Frankie　went　with　them　instead。　　Owen　could　not　go　because　he　had　to　finish　the　coffin…plate；　which　was　only　just　commenced。

It　will　be　remembered　that　we　left　Mary　Linden　alone　in　the　house　after　she　returned　from　seeing　the　old　people　away。　　When　the　children　came　home　from　school；　about　half　an　hour　afterwards；　they　found　her　sitting　in　one　of　the　chairs　with　her　head　resting　on　her　arms　on　the　table；　unconscious。　　They　were　terrified；　because　they　could　not　awaken　her　and　began　to　cry；　but　presently　Charley　thought　of　Frankie's　mother　and；　telling　his　sister　to　stay　there　while　he　was　gone；　he　started　off　at　a　run　for　Owen's　house；　leaving　the　front　door　wide　open　after　him。

When　Nora　and　the　two　boys　reached　the　house　they　found　there　two　other　women　neighbours；　who　had　heard　Elsie　crying　and　had　come　to　see　what　was　wrong。　　Mary　had　recovered　from　her　faint　and　was　lying　down　on　the　bed。　Nora　stayed　with　her　for　some　time　after　the　other　women　went　away。　　She　lit　the　fire　and　gave　the　children　their　tea　…　there　was　still　some　coal　and　food　left　of　what　had　been　bought　with　the　three　shillings　obtained　from　the　Board　of　Guardians　…　and　afterwards　she　tidied　the　house。

Mary　said　that　she　did　not　know　exactly　what　she　would　have　to　do　in　the　future。　　If　she　could　get　a　room　somewhere　for　two　or　three　shillings　a　week；　her　allowance　from　the　Guardians　would　pay　the　rent；　and　she　would　be　able　to　earn　enough　for　herself　and　the　children　to　live　on。

This　was　the　substance　of　the　story　that　Nora　told　Owen　when　she　returned　home。　　He　had　finished　writing　the　coffin…plate；　and　as　it　was　now　nearly　dry　he　put　on　his　coat　and　took　it　down　to　the　carpenter's　shop　at　the　yard。

On　his　way　back　he　met　Easton；　who　had　been　hanging　about　in　the　vain　hope　of　seeing　Hunter　and　finding　out　if　there　was　any　chance　of　a　job。　　As　they　walked　along　together；　Easton　confided　to　Owen　that　he　had　earned　scarcely　anything　since　he　had　been　stood　off　at　Rushton's；　and　what　he　had　earned　had　gone；　as　usual；　to　pay　the　rent。　　Slyme　had　left　them　some　time　ago。　　Ruth　did　not　seem　able　to　get　on　with　him；　she　had　been　in　a　funny　sort　of　temper　altogether；　but　since　he　had　gone　she　had　had　a　little　work　at　a　boarding…house　on　the　Grand　Parade。　　But　things　had　been　going　from　bad　to　worse。　They　had　not　been　able　to　keep　up　the　payments　for　the　furniture　they　had　hired；　so　the　things　had　been　seized　and　carted　off。　　They　had　even　stripped　the　oilcloth　from　the　floor。　　Easton　remarked　he　was　sorry　he　had　not　tacked　the　bloody　stuff　down　in　such　a　manner　that　they　would　not　have　been　able　to　take　it　up　without　destroying　it。　　He　had　been　to　see　Didlum；　who　said　he　didn't　want　to　be　hard　on　them；　and　that　he　would　keep　the　things　together　for　three　months；　and　if　Easton　had　paid　up　arrears　by　that　time　he　could　have　them　back　again；　but　there　was；　in　Easton's　opinion；　very　little　chance　of　that。

Owen　listened　with　contempt　and　anger。　　Here　was　a　man　who　grumbled　at　the　present　state　of　things；　yet　took　no　trouble　to　think　for　himself　and　try　to　alter　them；　and　who　at　the　first　chance　would　vote　for　the　perpetuation　of　the　System　which　produced　his　misery。

‘Have　you　heard　that　old　Jack　Linden　and　his　wife　went　to　the　workhouse　today；'　he　said。

‘No；'　replied　Easton；　indifferently。　　‘It's　only　what　I　expected。'

Owen　then　suggested　it　would　not　be　a　bad　plan　for　Easton　to　let　his　front　room；　now　that　it　was　empty；　to　Mrs　Linden；　who　would　be　sure　to　pay　her　rent；　which　would　help　Easton　to　pay　his。　　Easton　agreed　and　said　he　would　mention　it　to　Ruth；　and　a　few　minutes　later　they　parted。

The　next　morning　Nora　found　Ruth　talking　to　Mary　Linden　about　the　room　and　as　the　Eastons　lived　only　about　five　minutes'　walk　away；　they　all　three　went　round　there　in　order　that　Mary　might　see　the　room。　　The　appearance　of　the　house　from　outside　was　unaltered：　the　white　lace　curtains　still　draped　the　windows　of　the　front　room；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　bay　was　what　appeared　to　be　a　small　round　table　covered　with　a　red　cloth；　and　upon　it　a　geranium　in　a　flowerpot　standing　in　a　saucer　with　a　frill　of　coloured　tissue　paper　round　it。　　These　things　and　the　curtains；　which　fell　close　together；　made　it　impossible　for　anyone　to　see　that　the　room　was；　otherwise；　unfurnished。　　The　‘table'　consisted　of　an　empty　wooden　box　…　procured　from　the　grocer's　…　stood　on　end；　with　the　lid　of　the　scullery　copper　placed　upside　down　upon　it　for　a　top　and　covered　with　an　old　piece　of　red　cloth。　　The　purpose　of　this　was　to　prevent　the　neighbours　from　thinking　that　they　were　hard　up；　although　they　knew　that　nearly　all　those　same　neighbours　were　in　more　or　less　similar　straits。

It　was　not　a　very　large　room；　considering　that　it　would　have　to　serve　all　purposes　for　herself　and　the　two　children；　but　Mrs　Linden　knew　that　it　was　not　likely　that　she　would　be　able　to　get　one　as　good　elsewhere　for　the　same　price；　so　she　agreed　to　take　it　from　the　following　Monday　at　two　shillings　a　week。

As　the　distance　was　so　short　they　were　able　to　carry　most　of　the　smaller　things　to　their　new　home　during　the　next　few　days；　and　on　the　Monday　evening；　when　it　was　dark。　　Owen　and　Easton　brought　the　remainder　on　a　truck　they　borrowed　for　the　purpose　from　Hunter。

During　the　last　weeks　of　February　the　severity　of　the　weather　increased。　　There　was　a　heavy　fall　of　snow　on　the　20th　followed　by　a　hard　frost　which　lasted　several　days。

About　ten　o'clock　one　night　a　policeman　found　a　man　lying　unconscious　in　the　middle　of　a　lonely　road。　　At　first　he　thought　the　man　was　drunk；　and　after　dragging　him　on　to　the　footpath　out　of　the　way　of　passing　vehicles　he　went　for　the　stretcher。　　They　took　the　man　to　the　station　and　put　him　into　a　cell；　which　was　already　occupied　by　a　man　who　had　been　caught　in　the　act　of　stealing　a　swede　turnip　from　a　barn。　When　the　police　surgeon　came　he　pronounced　the　supposed　drunken　man　to　be　dying　from　bronchitis　and　want　of　food；　and　he　further　said　that　there　was　nothing　to　indicate　that　the　man　was　addicted　to　drink。　When　the　inquest　was　held　a　few　days　afterwards；　the　coroner　remarked　that　it　was　the　third　case　of　death　from　destitution　that　had　occurred　in　the　town　within　six　weeks。

The　evidence　showed　that　the　man　was　a　plasterer　who　had　walked　from　London　with　the　hope　of　finding　work　somewhere　in　the　country。　　He　had　no　money　in　his　possession　when　he　was　found　by　the　policeman；　all　that　his　pockets　contained　being　several　pawn…tickets　and　a　letter　from　his　wife；　which　was　not　found　until　after　he　died；　because　it　was　in　an　inner　pocket　of　his　waistcoat。　　A　few　days　before　this　inquest　was　held；　the　man　who　had　been　arrested　for　stealing　the　turnip　had　been　taken　before　the　magistrates。　　The　poor　wretch　said　he　did　it　because　he　was　starving；　but　Aldermen　Sweater　and　Grinder；　after　telling　him　that　starvation　was　no　excuse　for　dishonesty；　sentenced　him　to　pay　a　fine　of　seven　shillings　and　costs；　or　go　to　prison　for　seven　days　with　hard　labour。　　As　the　convict　had　neither　money　nor　friends；　he　had　to　go　to　jail；　where　he　was；　after　all；　better　off　than　most　of　those　who　were　still　outside　because　they　lacked　either　the　courage　or　the　opportunity　to　steal　something　to　relieve　their　sufferings。

As　time　went　on　the　long…continued　privation　began　to　tell　upon　Owen　and　his　family。　　He　had　a　severe　cough：　his　eyes　became　deeply　sunken　and　of　remark