Albert Kinross

“ By seven o'clock she was far away from Elmsford, and London was forgotten, and its heat. The clean air, the springy turf, those all-embracing skies, had made a new creature of her, a being who sang and leapt and capered when she felt sure that nobody was looking, and who certainly never bothered about sovereigns. She seemed to have grown suddenly ten years younger, which would have made her exactly eleven, instead of twenty-one. ”

“ Perhaps they hadn't got the things wi' them; perhaps they wasn't quite ready. I can't tell you, but as soon as I see the window unlatched and the ladder——" This truce was suddenly broken; for—"What business is it o' yourn? " he ended. "You no business in here! I can't allow tramps in this house, no matter who they is."
He looked a pig-headed little man, hard and obdurate; but perhaps his bark was worse than his bite.
"You're not really going to turn me out at this time of night?" replied Hester, addressing the two women as much as the little man. ”

“ But Mr. Farmer had had enough.
"We'd better be going," he concluded. "They may get help." And he himself led the retreat to their starting-point, and took up a defiant position beside the open window. The tough lady went first before anyone could stop her.
The young girl followed.
"Now we got him!" cried the caretaker. But he had only got the back part of Mr. Farmer's tweed coat, which had ripped right up to the shoulders. The rest was gone. And then the remaining electric torch was put out, and they only had Hester's. ”

“ The caretaker didn't want to hand me over to the police—I asked him. And the daughter offered me a share of her bed, and the wife asked me to come to the lodge and have a bite of something and a cup of tea, and, of course, I did prefer it to sleeping in an empty house. I had to leave my address in case they catch the people, but I gave a wrong one—I liked that Suffragette girl. ”

“ The tough lady had struck a light and was holding a box of matches. "Would you?" cried the caretaker's wife, and seized her. The tough lady, it seemed, wasn't half as tough as she looked. The caretaker's wife was far and away the tougher. And Hester, who had no wish to be burnt alive, had stepped hastily forward and secured the box of matches. It occurred to her that if she could secure all the matches these people had brought with them, the Hotel Hester would be safe for the night, if for no longer. To that end she investigated Mr. Farmer. ”

“ She turned the tap and dropped all the matches in the water. She watched them soak, then turned the water off again. The Hotel Hester was safe.
Below, when she came back, a single electric torch illuminated the scene, and you couldn't set anything on fire with that. The tough lady's hat and clothes were in sad disorder, Mr. Farmer's long white neck was a bright and ham-like pink, and he was accusing the caretaker of having bitten him in the calf. "It isn't fair fighting," said Mr. Farmer.
"You ain't a fair fighter yerself ," answered the caretaker—"twistin' the livin' head off me!" ”

“ Farmer.
"It was on the first or second floor—I'm not sure which it was."
"I vote the dining-room!" cried the young girl.
"Lead on, Macduff!" replied Mr. Farmer. And across the hall they went into the dining-room. "Good!" exclaimed Mr. Farmer, apparently delighted with the girl's selection.
He laid down and cut his bundle, which the girl started to sprinkle with petrol out of the can. The tough lady commenced to spread her papers.
"I got yer—in the very act!" The caretaker had rushed in out of the darkness and sprung upon Mr. ”