Page:The New Arcadia (Tucker).djvu/20

10 "'Surely there's room for me and mother and all in our lane out here, 'stead of starvin' in town.'

"'Don't you be cheeky, young man,' he says, and hits me on the head. 'We don't want no town varmin out here.'

"'But there's plenty o' room,' says I, 'and I does like the birds and the flowers so, and I could help the fat man dig.'

"'Dig! you little fool,' says he; 'he grows sheep, and has miles of this 'ere country, and two or three on 'em has all the rest of it.'

"'And isn't there no corner for me?' I puts in, and begins to cry when I thinks of the dirty streets and men with nothing to do but fight."

"What was the end of it?" suggested the doctor, looking at his watch.

"He sends me back next day with a bobby who were takin' a cove to town who'd been copped, and they fetched me to mother and grannie, and didn't I get it."

At that moment there was a disturbance at the entrance to the ward; a shrill voice was declaiming to a nurse who stopped the way.

"Let me go to my darling; I heard he was run over. He's the only joy of my heart."

"Don't let her come, she'll take me away," cried, the child, covering his head with the bedclothes.

The doctor went to the woman. For half-an-hour he talked to her.

"Then you'll give me five pounds for him, my little cherrub?"

"Yes, if you sign this document giving him over entirely to my charge. I'll do the best I can for him. From your own showing and his, you have cared little for him. I shall pay the money to the clergyman whose