ng
close beside her, 'that there Blakeston--d'you know 'im?'

'Yes, rather; why, he works at the sime plice as me.'

'Wot's 'e do with 'isself in the evening; I never see 'im abaht?'

'I dunno. I see 'im this evenin' go into the "Red Lion". I suppose
'e's there, but I dunno.'

Then he wasn't coming. Of course she had told him she was going to
stay indoors, but he might have come all the same--just to see.

'I know Tom 'ud 'ave come,' she said to herself, rather sulkily.

'Liza! Liza!' she heard her mother's voice calling her.

'Arright, I'm comin',' said Liza.

'I've been witin' for you this last 'alf-hour ter rub me.'

'Why didn't yer call?' asked Liza.

'I did call. I've been callin' this last I dunno 'ow long; it's give
me quite a sore throat.'

'I never 'eard yer.'

'Na, yer didn't want ter 'ear me, did yer? Yer don't mind if I dies
with rheumatics, do yer? I know.'

Liza did not answer, but took the bottle, and, pouring some of the
liniment on her hand, began to rub it into Mrs. Kemp's rheumatic
joints, while the invalid kept complaining and grumbling at everything
Liza did.

'Don't rub so 'ard, Liza, you'll rub all the skin off.'

Then when Liza did it as gently as she could, she grumbled again.

'If yer do it like thet, it won't do no good at all. You want ter sive
yerself trouble--I know yer. When I was young girls didn't mind a
little bit of 'ard work--but, law bless yer, you don't care abaht my
rheumatics, do yer?'

At last she finished, and Liza went to bed by her mother's side.

7

Two days passed, and it was Friday morning. Liza had got up early and
strolled off to her work in good time, but she did not meet her
faithful Sally on the way, nor find her at the factory when she
herself arrived. The bell rang and all the girls trooped in, but still
Sally did not come. Liza could not make it out, and was thinking she
would be shut out, when just as the man who gave out the tokens for
the day's work was pulling down the shutter in front of his window,
Sally arrived, breathless and perspiring.

'Whew! Go' lumme, I am 'ot!' she said, wiping her face with her apron.

'I thought you wasn't comin',' said Liza.

'Well, I only just did it; I overslep' myself. I was aht lite last
night.'

'Were yer?'

'Me an' 'Arry went ter see the ply. Oh, Liza, it's simply spiffin'!
I've never see sich a good ply in my life. Lor'! Why, it mikes yer
blood run cold: they 'ang a man on the stige; oh