LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7802, 19 April 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

EECBEK SALMONS BABY. '■ (Continued). One dav, however—a hot, dusty aay-*e hart inevitably to visit the CStv- He galloped through fire business hi ' less thantwo hours, and ..aras getting fcoiiie''as-fast as two Mile-Eoi omnibus horses would con- ~ sent to amble, when, passing down CheapsWe,-he saw a man leaving a tobacconist's; and recognised the man as Burton* f >: &Mtteh3 jiiis Btirton in* F the heart *=- oftoMon,' perhaps-4mly Waiting to change a i*eftue_ to descend on SKle V End and demand-his daughter ! I'-* ' ' Salmon'took off Iris Tiat and roop- , oed bis. red; face; with a tandkerchicf '"' which sympaUiised in colour. Isaac looked at him in wonder as ha shuffled through the shop into/ the _parlour, and_Mrs.Wartln, who" ~ ""lad 'Becca on her lap, was evidently surprised at" his agitation. r?OJidsieMffglnm by J the name she ap- : pHed to everything she liked, and f she stretched out her little arms to t>J a.'reoflfcttiiu *•?.- • u.. ■ * The old man took her to-his-too* ;' om and hugged hsr there without speaking. /Becca took oft his hat, \ and, incontinently dropped ■it. '■ "iO-«!B, ■oo-eel''i site-"said, patting r bis bald head. )&, can-go, nv'm," said Salmon, 'i- r l { v itis throat. No sooner was she gone that Sal- :i ,\ mon Called Isaac into the parlour; and, inviting him to take some tea ; 'detailed to him a plan he declared he bad had in mind for days past. 3,t was .nothing., less|han his retirepeasrde, and the appointment of: Isaac to the-management of the sec- ) ond hand clothes business. ' To Snhnon's-SGCrct j6y, Isaac, jumped at the suggestion, and within an' hour everything > was 'amicably set- '• tied. Salmon-allowed ; feaac to return home for a few things he would tamediatWyi'redulre.lfor toiwas, of . course, to live over the shop, and > "do" for .hilnsett 'just as! Salmon had don«. And-while Isaac was away Salmon paokwlfia f '(ew -things for himself in a portmanteau, and many '. things for 'Becca in her wicker crari 'die, and searched some daily papers jV for apartments in North London, On Isaao's rtturj, tic o id man r„ drove with his precious burden to .-Wood Green, where he introduced - WmseH to :a number and variety of I, . lodgingtfiouse keepers as Mr Andrews ■f. ■ • widower, with one child, the same j_- . beiig 'Beccj. By ten o'clock" 'Becca ■i "M »sl»ep i» the front bedroom of r\' i t V m .. hUK cottage near Bowes '!'■ f nrl '' r a"w«y station, and Salmon P-., - *P* t™ room below-was considering £J S Ct J y - how much the ca Uman, who Jfe- hea dnyoß thew aU the way had |p / )gp«fy overcharged " him. Wi ' » tt ee H Sal "ion lay low at «^— Bowes Park'. -Theh leaving 'necca in Hfe, »« good haads of Mrs Walsh, tho Kile Ewt, as he told Isaac he would Wft- Jrequently do. «•/ »Z sn . ac J tave y™ a brief account of 4, We incidents of hi* trusteeship, and '* "h S y l^S him thot Mr S- SS£?i c t Ued two *ys back, parUcularly wishing to see him on *. » private matter. I' ' -V/S". * dn * t men tion -Becca!" :. ""ui oalmon, anxiously. . * T WOPtl ' J ***•' u m I fidnH Snow where you were, but he could , '™ , £J OU at th, '» ftddress.'" •s«j«S!?'i Z a H f replied -' - f'STviU if ;° lls again te » 'ta ;', IZ& fUy?* to dont h . ~^ ji ;r tsit to the shop very con--5 - ? ecca ' °e decided 1 ,g£m uisposd of his bustoest al- -" and B<* right n*.iy inio ■ &^ n * try^Wbere Burton *O'«W »»t ■t«S *scovor him. f„r ° CXt 'w purchaser for his tmsWs; }f c bufc theT-U hS. fe P™» be«»v (he lowest he - Sain^-^ M - U -' Xpt - lle «dvertfecd ' &'? am w **" "ke results. ■ 2? f e ot ll rva u* busi » PS » to Is! aac.at less than the lowest price he JMwt scornfully rejected. f„IS? C raisc monev, hut - " he L? >u, , d ,nduc e Salmon to n*c- • / ra,dual Pai-ments. m,J\ %£! Point.that Burton had hTn »£m£'<?? P at tatt .; 'S "wmed detern,med.to n„ d Sa.mon Aai be got his way. °' < ■ ■.M-'?-t* iVlß *=- it - torj'du, n,v.l,«v " ss+nt Eg*™ ***" 'onitk i„a'i - Ahem cautiously •'SiW- r J diClon ' You ' d I'ko to see ■iiecca, of course'" B jTtf*** l * f* ll ol civ i'»ty. but - f1 * i?* Very own business. vant"n, fil a paS% iD Kel partfeujarty mtcrested in i;.. c .., the Z? . «Bc orjpprtunity. , ;; " wSnoft, '°4," ow W d»y, late in the yrtmoMi, he was makinir his w r * -. tion, when hj« came face to *'- t Burton. Although fee lk ' ne ° „ wen and recognised, he U ivo d in'at t . * bo nearest open door, and %hu<J'in<r j - along a passage, found himself 'in *'". toe gul d« sac o* a sal'\rfm bar. : *,.- . " Ain't there another- way young buiy ? •-' bo. Rppeallnely ; v «o o>o Jjarmai4 -.who .was swabbing r the counter. 1

*' "Jl Nq -°' ** S * UI PP« , » Ker'btecK eyea tfwetling on him accusatively. 'He made a few steps to beat a reitsat, paused at tie sight of Burton *- in the- passage/ pusHtfl; past him into the street, and, witfi agility both i 2 fit despair, sprang on to ,i passins. L- #rom*"B ««i stumbSj&Jinto £ sea T " Don tdo no furthrf.'-i 3 aid th£ \- conductor, and he repeated this „n.i z __ because Salmon did.- not FB' » Sa, ?«' apologetScaify aUghtteti a fB"" a >' dow » Gray's l gbpUnag'.ned. As a natter of fact. Bur B? SL* i" to the s*™ compactE* *9?J 1 „ at , Kn «' s Cross Station. H ju, .71} "-j oll ** ?ou at tost, have K'SL- ** *>W «10"» min 5 the door.nnd aqgjrijy at tte Jew, •-■ i£Z l|£S!L yOU tfu>tf «*l you wro me JiKe this indefinitely BHSLt£ ?U' 7J" 1 two -PO"»d-four every V^ 0 oni ' ab,,s<; 'rom i i? d ° n l know - * don't i Ps*S?V EnoW JOU ' Y °u're a nei- !j Bf-«3Lt Mlo P a J' .VU« ESS**'.- i* 00 l scc th at I'm eaJ ft* tho time I - «P|* *£?S *> fowl ygu, a«(. % b t ;=

«au'b make me ! Give me my bill p and J'vl pay you up four month's in- n terest. That's fair,."- " 1 ain't got the bill on rr.e," re- j plied Salmon dreamily jritli ai trueer i look- . t what am I going to do?"' c cried Burton excitedly. " Here I've c got a good billet waiting- for me up iu Glasgow, and I want to start fresh.. I don't .want any blooming Jews dropping down on me witn bills and getting me sacked. I've got my kiddie "to think of, too." " Kiddie 1 What kiddie ? "• Salmon mildly inquired tentatively. " My Margy. She's getting a big girl now—getting on for seventeen months. Come, Mr Salmon ! f o r her sake I don't want to lose a good billet. Let me have my bill and have jdone with it." "Living with you, no doubt?" j Salmon vaguely said, still more teni tatively. " Course'she is—wouldn't be parted from her dad for worlds, bless her heart ! <' Burton replied, glowing with paternal pride. "Wo haven't heen parted a wholo day since her poor mother died.' Ah, Mr Salmon, you, being childless, can't' imagine how deeply a little loving child can grow itaio a man's life and heart! " "Don't 1?" cried Salmon leaning forward, his big lace twitching' with emotion. " Come along with mo to IBowcs Park and see nry 'Becca I Come 'an see 'Becca, 'an get your bill ! I knew you were honest, sir ; ' I always know a man's honest when * ho loves little children, 'an 1 won't be 'ard oh an j honest man. Come 'an see 'Becca, 'an you shall uve you bill for the balance 'an two months' interest ! " 1 Burton went, saw 'Becca, got his bill, but declined the pressing invitation to stay to tea, explaining that Blargy would be waiting for him. No' obher excuse could have seemed so reasonable to Salmon. J The parentage of 'Becca is un* known^ = (The End.)