sh cutlets or none at all.'

Chippy went back with a sinking heart: he knew Mr. Blades. There was
ample reason for his foreboding when he reported that the customer
wanted cutlets from the fresh salmon.

'Fresh salmon!' roared Mr. Blades, a red-haired, choleric man. 'How
under the sun did she find out these were not fresh? They look all
right, and they smell all right.'

Chippy said nothing. Suddenly the fishmonger turned on him. 'Tell me
just what she said!' he bellowed. 'You've been at some fool's trick or
other, I know. You boys are enough to drive a man mad. Did she ask
you anything?'

'Yus,' grunted Chippy, who now saw breakers ahead.

'Well, what did she ask you?'

'Wanted to know if they wor' off o' the salmon as come in this mornin'.'

'And what did you tell her?'

'Told 'er no,' mumbled Chippy.

The fishmonger jumped from the ground in his rage. 'There!' he cried,
and smote the counter in his anger. 'What did I say? These boys are
enough to ruin anybody! "Told her no! Told her no!"' He paused,
speechless, and glared at Chippy.

At this moment a trap drove up to the kerb and stopped. Young Blades
jumped out and came into the shop.

'Hallo!' he said cheerfully. 'Giving him a wiggin', guv'nor? That's
rum. Slynn's a good little man, as a rule.'

Mr. Blades recovered his breath with a gasp and poured out the story of
Chippy's enormity. 'Told her no, Larry!' he said. The astounded
fishmonger could not get away from this. 'Told her no!' he repeated
once more.

Larry Blades threw back his head and burst into a roar of jolly
laughter which rang through the shop. 'Well, that's a good un!' he
cried--'a real good un. And I never thought Slynn was such a softy.
Why, Slynn,' he went on, and clapped Chippy on the shoulder, 'you'll
never make a fishmonger if you carry on like that. Everything's fresh
to a customer. You must always tell 'em it's just done its last gasp,
unless the smell's a trifle too high, and then you must be guided by
circumstances.'

He turned round to his father and laughed again jovially.

'It's all right, guv'nor,' he said. 'Cool off and calm down. You do
get so excited over these little trifles. The kid's made a mistake.
Well, he won't do it again. Anyhow, he's worth twenty o' that other
kid. I caught him on th' Oakford road with his bags hangin' on some
railings and playin' football with about a dozen more.'

'I dunno about him not doin' it again,' gru