Page:Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.djvu/394

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists The atmosphere of this place was very different from that of the damp cellar where Bert was working. An asbestos gas fire threw out a genial warmth, and the air was fragrant with the cigar that Rushton was smoking, as he looked through his letters.

Owen stood panting and quivering in the middle of the office and pointed a trembling finger at his employer:

'I've—come here—to tell—you—that—if I find young—Bert White—working—down in that shop—without—a fire—I'll have you—prosecuted. The place is not good enough for a stable—if you owned a valuable dog—you wouldn't keep it there—. I give you fair warning—I know—enough—about you—to put you—where you deserve to be—if you don't treat him better—I'll have you punished—I'll show you up.'

Rushton continued to stare at him in mingled confusion, fear and perplexity. He did not yet comprehend exactly what it was all about. The fact that he was guiltily conscious of having done so many things which he might be shown up or prosecuted for if they were known helped to reduce him to a condition approaching terror.

'If the boy has been there without a fire I haven't known anything about it,' he stammered at last. 'Mr 'UunterUnter [sic] has charge of all those matters.'

'You—yourself—forbade him—to make a fire last winter—and anyhow—you know about it now—. You obtained money from his mother under the pretence—that you were going to teach him a trade—but for the last twelve months—you have been using him—as if he were—a beast of burden. I advise you to see to it—or I shall—find—means—to make you—sorry.'

With this Owen turned and went out, leaving the door open and Rushton in a state of mind compounded of fear, amazement and anger.

As he walked homewards through the snow storm, Owen began to realise that Rushton would not give him any more work after this, and as he reflected on all it would mean to those at home for a moment he doubted whether he had done right. But when he told Nora what had happened she said cheerfully that there were plenty of other firms in the town who would employ him, when they had the work. He had done without Rushton before and could do so again; for her part, 382