FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154  
155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  
be off to the `George;' we shall find better company there." So saying, he strode savagely out of the cottage, followed by his companions. When they were fairly gone, the poor boy slipped from his hiding-place. "Johnny," said his mother, "if you'll do what your mother bids you, I'll give your fayther the change for the shilling out of my own pocket, and he'll never know as you lost it." "Well, mother, I'll do it if I can." "You've heard what your fayther and t'other chaps were saying?" "Yes, mother; every word on't." "Well, John, I promised I wouldn't let out a word of it myself; but I didn't say that _you_ shouldn't." "Eh, mother, if I split, fayther'll break every bone in my body." "But how's your fayther to know anything about it? He knows nothing of your being under the couch-chair. I can swear as I haven't opened my lips to any one out of the house, nor to any one as has come into it. You just slip down now to Thomas's, and tell their Betty you wants to speak with her by herself. Tell her she mustn't say a word to any one. She's a good wench. She's sharp enough, too; she'll keep it all snug. She were very good to me when our Moses were down with the fever, and I mustn't let her get into this trouble when I can lend her a helping hand to get her out." "But, mother," said her son, "what am I to tell Betty?" "Why, just tell her all you've heard, and how you were under the couch- chair, and how I promised myself as I wouldn't split. Tell her she must make no din about it, but just keep her fayther out of the way. He may go off to his brother Dick's, and come home in the morn, and who's to say as he's heard anything about the scratching." "Well, mother," said John, "I'll do as you say. Betty's a good wench; she's given me many a kind word, and many a butter cake too, and I'd not like to see her fretting if I could help it." "There's a good lad," said his mother; "be off at once. Fayther's safe in the `George.' It'll be pretty dark in the lane. You can go in at the back, and you're pretty sure to find Betty at home. Be sharp, and I'll keep your tea for you till you come back again." CHAPTER FIFTEEN. FLITTING. The twenty-second of November, the day before the total abstinence meeting, arrived in a storm of wind and rain. Everything was favourable to the conspirators. They had met several times to arrange their plans, but had always talked them over in the open air and in
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154  
155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

mother

 
fayther
 

pretty

 

George

 

wouldn

 

promised

 
arrange
 
fretting

brother

 

scratching

 

talked

 

butter

 

CHAPTER

 

FIFTEEN

 

FLITTING

 
twenty

abstinence

 
meeting
 

November

 

Fayther

 

favourable

 

arrived

 

Everything

 
conspirators

shouldn

 

companions

 

strode

 

savagely

 
cottage
 

pocket

 

hiding

 

change


shilling
 

fairly

 

slipped

 

Johnny

 
trouble
 
helping
 

opened

 

company


Thomas