G. E. Wyatt

“ I can't wait all day. You'll never find your way back to the others alone. You'd a deal better stick to me that knows the way."
Walter looked round despairingly.
"What shall I do?" he said to himself. "I wish I hadn't come with Chris. He's so cross and disagreeable, it's no fun to be with him; but I could no more find my way back through all those twists and turns than fly. I suppose I must keep with him now," and he went through the turnstile and caught up his friend, who had grown tired of waiting and had gone on some way. ”

“ It's a regular nuisance to be at some one else's beck and call like this, just when one is getting a little pleasure. [Pg 52] Why should we come before we want to?"
"Why? Because it's dinner-time. Aren't you hungry? I am, I know."
Christopher grunted sulkily, but in spite of his ill-humour he managed to get through the meat-patties and plum-pudding with a most excellent appetite.
Dinner over, the rector proposed that every one should come with him to see a panorama of the siege of Paris, which was to begin at three o'clock.
"I should like it awfully. Wouldn't you, Chris?" said Walter. ”

“ That was what struck a man—one of the mill-hands—who was in the shop.
Most of the work-people lived in one particular quarter of the big city—Fairfax Town it was called in consequence. But Stephen threaded his way to quite a different part—a much poorer one—and turned into an old tumble-down house, with all its windows broken and patched, which had stood empty and deserted until he came to it. ”

“ Richardson said most partic'lar we must all keep together or we should get lost; and we're all to wear red rosettes on our left shoulders, that we may know each other at a distance, if we should get separated by any accident."
[Pg 45] "Oh, did he indeed?" replied Christopher scornfully. "P'raps some'll do it. I think I know one as won't."
Walter said no more. Chris was well known to be what the others called "cranky" in his temper; and when he considered, as he generally did, that he was right, and every one else wrong, there was nothing for it but to leave him alone. ”

“ Miss Richardson was with the little girls in another carriage.
When the party reached the Crystal Palace station, they proceeded up the steps to the gardens.
"Now," said Mr. Richardson, when they got to the final flight leading into the great glass building—"now, I think we may as well separate for a bit. I will stay inside and take any who wish to see the poultry and rabbit show. The girls will like, I daresay, to go with Miss Richardson, and those who don't care for the animals can follow Mr. White to the garden; only be sure you all come to the terrace by one o'clock for dinner." ”

“ Walter and Christopher despised the idea at first of doing what the little boys did; but when they saw some other youths like themselves get on, they put their pride in their pockets, and each [Pg 51] mounted a tricycle. How they did waggle from side to side; and how impossible it was not to laugh and shout at the absurd feeling of the thing!
"This is rare good sport," said Chris at last.
He had but just spoken when he met Mr. White.
"It's ten minutes to one," said the latter. "We must go, or we shan't be on the terrace as soon as the rector. Come along, boys; it's dinner-time." ”

“ Fairfax; "I'll go back and order some brandy, and send for the doctor. You stay here and take care of him and the mill."
He went away, and very long did the time seem to Archie before the doctor [Pg 36] arrived. Now he had time to think over his own unkind—nay, cruel—suspicions, founded on nothing but Stephen's shabby appearance.
"It's my way, I know, to make up my mind too quickly, and by a fellow's outside," he thought. Then, somehow, the words of the last Sunday's epistle came into his mind—"Charity thinketh no evil." He knew that charity means love. ”

“ I s'pose you don't want to be the only big chap among all them little 'uns?"
"No; I'll stick to you, Chris," he replied, but he did not feel very comfortable.
Walter was a well-meaning lad, but he was very weak, and easily led by the stronger-willed Christopher.
Mr. White knew the Crystal Palace well, and all its many attractions. He took his party to see a show where cardboard figures were made to walk and [Pg 50] jump and open their eyes, just like real people. ”

“ Is he gone for the night? I should like to know. If he is, now's my time. I don't [Pg 27] suppose the little chap will lock the door, so I'll just slip in while he's going his rounds, and be ready for him when he comes back—that'll all be as easy as sneezing. I'll make it pretty hot, though, for Master Stephen when I've got him."
He went home to his tea; and Stephen, all unconscious of the plots being laid against him, entered the little room where the night-watch sat, and got out his meagre supper, which he had had no time yet to swallow. ”

“ I can't help thinking there's something behind. What business has he to be at the mill to-night, when the regular man's away?"
"None at all, of course. Most likely Lingard has gone off on some errand of his own, and paid Bennett to take his place. But it is not regular or right, by any means; I don't like the idea of it at all.... I think I shall go round myself presently, and find out all about it."
By the time Stephen got back from his round it was nearly nine o'clock. He sank into a chair, and leaning his elbows on the table, rested his head in his hands. ”

“ Stephen turned very white, but he replied firmly,—
"I've told you I ain't going to, and I sticks to my words. If you threaten me like that, I'll go to the foreman and complain. There he comes."
Simon looked down the street, and saw Mr. Munster advancing just behind two other mill-hands. He was obliged to let Stephen go, but rage filled his heart. ”

“ But on this occasion, to his comrade's surprise, he did stop before long.
"It's no good for me to try and persuade him," thought Walter; "it 'ud only make him go the other way. I wish I hadn't gone with him; it's quite spoilt my day. I didn't get a holiday and come all this way from home just to spend the afternoon in a stuffy public-house, nor on the pavement outside, neither. It's six o'clock—there's the clock striking.—Chris, we shall only just get back to the palace in time to meet Mr. Richardson," he said [Pg 60] aloud, beginning to walk very fast. ”

“ It's four o'clock!" he cried.
[Pg 54] "Well, what of that?" was the cool rejoinder.
"Get off at once, Chris. The panorama must be half over. Bother it all! and I did so want to see it."
Chris proceeded slowly and leisurely back to the starting-point, and got off his tricycle.
"How much?" he asked the man in charge.
"One and sixpence each, please."
"What a plague you are, Wat, to have come without any money," said Chris, as he paid the three shillings. "I didn't come to spend all my cash on you."
"How do you come to have so much?" inquired Walter. ”

“ Fairfax; "you have suffered indeed. But I trust that even yet you may find good come out of evil, as it so often does. We have come to know and respect Stephen, and as soon as he is well he shall be moved into a comfortable house, which I have now to let, and which is at your disposal, if you like to take it. ”

“ At last they arrived at the place where a man has tricycles to let out. Every boy pulled out the rest of his money and begged for a ride. In a few minutes half a dozen little green tricycles where whirling round the curve. ”