y than drunk any
day."

Unconsciously Bindle had stumbled upon a great truth.

At first Millie's "evenin' out," as Bindle called it, was spent at a
local cinema, Bindle conveniently disappearing until ten o'clock, when
he would take Millie home. Later, however, walks and rides on
omnibuses took the place of "the pictures" in the evening's
entertainment.

Several times Millie and Charlie Dixon begged Bindle to accompany them,
but he had always resolutely refused.

"Look 'ere, young feller, yer wouldn't 'ave a look in wi' Millie if I
was there. Ain't that so, Millikins?" And Millie would hang on to
Bindle's arm with both hands and give a little jump of joy.

One evening when Bindle arrived at the cinema at a few minutes to ten,
he saw Charlie Dixon there alone, obviously in a state of great
excitement.

'"Ullo, Charlie!" said Bindle, "wot's up? Where's Millikins?" There
was alarm in Bindle's voice.

"We met Mr. Hearty in Putney High Street and he's taken her home. I
don't know what to do. I'm----"

Bindle whistled. "'Oly Angels, 'ere's a go," he exclaimed. "'Ere,
come along, young feller, we mustn't stop a-jawin' 'ere." Hurriedly
they left the cinema together.

"'Ow long ago was this?" enquired Bindle, as they hurried along in the
direction of Fulham High Street.

"About ten minutes. What shall we do?" Charlie Dixon's voice shook
with anxiety.

"Well," said Bindle, "yer'd better go 'ome. I'm goin' to 'ave it out
with 'Earty." There was a grim note in Bindle's voice. "I ain't
a-goin' to leave our little Millikins to 'im."

Charlie Dixon felt that at that moment he could have hugged Bindle.
All he could do was to grip his arm. His voice had deserted him.

"'E learnt that from Millikins," murmured Bindle to himself as they
sped along. Outside the Grand Theatre they parted, Charlie Dixon
vowing that he would wait there until Bindle came to him.

"There's goin' to be an 'ell of a row," muttered Bindle, as he rang the
Heartys' bell.

He was admitted by a tearful Mrs. Hearty.

"Oh, Joe, I'm so glad," she wheezed. "Go up; I'll----"

Bindle raced up the stairs to the Heartys' sitting-room. As he opened
the door Mr. Hearty was standing by the mantelpiece, his face white and
set and his lips slightly drawn from his discoloured teeth. Facing him
stood Millie, with flushed face and rebellious eyes. At the sight of
Bindle she uttered a cry and ran to him, threw her arms round his neck,
choki