lie nodded her head in agreement.
"Well," continued Bindle, "wot you'll say is, 'I won't marry no one
else, an' I'm goin' to marry Charlie Dixon.' Then you jest nips round
to Fenton Street an' leaves the rest to me. If you two kids ain't
married on the day wot you fix on, then I'll eat my 'at,--yes, the one
I'm wearin' an' the concertina-'at I got at 'ome; eat 'em both I
will!"

Millie and Charlie Dixon looked at Bindle admiringly.

"You are wonderful, Uncle Joe!" she said. Then turning to Charlie
Dixon she asked, "What should we have done, Charlie, if we hadn't had
Uncle Joe?"

Charlie Dixon shook his head. The question was beyond him.

"We shall never be able to thank you, Uncle Joe," said Millie.

"You'll thank me by bein' jest as 'appy as you know 'ow; and if ever
you wants to scrap, you'll kiss and make it up. Ain't that right,
Charlie?"

Charlie Dixon nodded his head violently. He was too busily occupied
gazing into Millie's eyes to pay much attention to the question asked
him.

"Oh, you are a darling, Uncle Joe!" said Millie. Then with a sigh she
added, "I wish I could give every girl an Uncle Joe."

"Well, now we must be orf, 'ere's the band a-goin' 'ome, and they'll
be puttin' the lights out soon," said Bindle, as Charlie Dixon called
for his bill.

As they said good night at Earl's Court Station, Charlie Dixon going
on to Hammersmith, Millie whispered to him, "It's been such a
wonderful evening, Charlie dear;" then rather dreamily she added, "The
most wonderful evening I've ever known. Good-bye, darling; I'll write
to-morrow."

"And you will, Millie?" enquired Charlie Dixon eagerly.

She turned away towards the incoming Putney train, then looking over
her shoulder nodded her head shyly, and ran forward to join Bindle,
who was standing at the entrance of a first-class carriage.

As she entered the carriage Bindle stepped back to Charlie Dixon.

"You jest make all your plans, young feller," he said. "Let me know
the day an' she'll be there."

Charlie Dixon gripped Bindle's hand. Bindle winced and drew up one leg
in obvious pain at the heartiness of the young lover's grasp.

"There are times, young feller, when I wish I was your enemy," he said
as he gazed ruefully at his knuckles. "Your friendship 'urts like
'ell."

CHAPTER XIV

MR. HEARTY YIELDS

"Gawd started makin' a man, an' then, sort o' losin' interest, 'E made
'Earty. That's wot I think o' your brother-in-law, Mrs. B."