W. Pett Ridge

“ Naylor inconsequently, "the fortnight you 're stayin' down 'ere; and you let me find you up to any of your London tricks, and I 'll punish you jest the same as if you was me own boy."
"How many kids you got?" asked Master Cecil Tabor.
" 'Eaven," said Mrs. Naylor, with something of a catch in her voice, " 'Eaven 'an't blessed us with no children. There's only the two of us, Saul and me."
"You 're a juggins," remarked the boy, "to worry about that. There's plenty of youngsters up in Red Cross Street, where I come from. ”

“ To escape being treated in like manner, the boy went out into the roadway, and discovered presently, to his great annoyance, near a dry ditch into which he slipped, the reason why stinging nettles are so called. He was kicking the nettles and swearing at them resentfully, when a stump fell near him, followed by three more, followed also by a ball. Picking these up, he saw Freckles pointing with one long arm down the road, and he obeyed by carrying them in the direction indicated. There he found a triangle of grass with a barn at the base, which bore posters of a long-departed circus. ”

“ Freckles appearing, the wickets were pitched, and Freckles said, "Dolly I first innings"; but the boy shouted, "Bags I first go!" and, seizing the bat, declared that in Red Cross Street, Borough, and in other places in London where the national game was played, men always batted first, and girls had to bowl. Anxious to comply with the rulings of town. Freckles took the ball and sent down a round-armer that missed the boy's bat and hit his wicket; but he declined to give up the bat on the ground that the first ball was always given "for love," and was never taken seriously. ”

“ Naylor's hard, reproachful voice for many hours that night—the while Mr. Naylor slept peaceably. She took all the reproofs without sign of emotion, until Mrs. Naylor pictured the contempt and indignation of the new baby nephew at Linton. In the morning she prepared stolidly for the arrival of the constable. She was looking out of the window, ready dressed for the journey to Maidstone, when a whistle clipped her attention.
"Hullo!" said the office-boy. "In the wrong 'ouse, ain't you?"
"Shall be in a wronger one soon," said Freckles ruefully. ”

“ Mrs. Naylor ventured to submit that it was necessary, before having a case at the Assizes, first to catch a prisoner, and P.C. Hobman, admitting the force of this rather grudgingly, applied himself to the work of investigation. He searched the back garden for footprints, and Freckles, who had heard all the foregoing talk, watched him from the fence nervously.
"You 've had a bit of a boy from London staying with you," said P.C. Hobman presently. The two nodded. "Then," said the Constable, "it's him what's took it!"
"You're a darned young idiot," burst out Mrs. Naylor, with vehemence. ”

“ Naylor," called the boy. "Tell her to 'urry down and sign for it. I must get back sharply to my monthly abstract."
The signature "R. Naylor" being written in the office-boy's book, Mrs. Naylor took the clumsily tied little parcel. It was really more like an amateur envelope than a parcel, and it contained a letter—
I took this away by mistake in the hurry, and I send it back with comps. I am very sorry. Please forgive me. I am going to be a better boy.
Yours truly,⁠
Cecil Auberon Tabor. ”