The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists [29]
mend all those places. We could hag up a few almanacks on the walls; our washstand could go there by the window; a chair just there, and the bed along that wall behind the door. It's only a small window, so I could easily manage to make a curtain out of something. I'm sure I could make the room look quite nice without spending hardly anything.'
Easton reached down the roll of paper. It was the same pattern as that on the wall. The latter was a good deal faded, of course, but it would not matter much if the patches showed a little. They returned to the kitchen.
`Do you think you know anyone who would take it?' asked Ruth. Easton smoked thoughtfully.
`No,' he said at length. `But I'll mention it to one or two of the chaps on the job; they might know of someone.'
`And I'll get Mrs Crass to ask her lodgers: p'raps they might have a friend what would like to live near them.'
So it was settled; and as the fire was nearly out and it was getting late, they prepared to retire for the night. The baby was still sleeping so Easton lifted it, cradle and all, and carried it up the narrow staircase into the front bedroom, Ruth leading the way, carrying the lamp and some clothes for the child. So that the infant might be within easy reach of its mother during the night, two chairs were arranged close to her side of the bed and the cradle placed on them.
`Now we've forgot the clock,' said Easton, pausing. He was half undressed and had already removed his slippers.
`I'll slip down and get it,' said Ruth.
`Never mind, I'll go,' said Easton, beginning to put his slippers on again.
`No, you get into bed. I've not started undressing yet. I'll get it,' replied Ruth who was already on her way down.
`I don't know as it was worth the trouble of going down,' said Ruth when she returned with the clock. `It stopped three or four times today.'
`Well, I hope it don't stop in the night,' Easton said. `It would be a bit of all right not knowing what time it was in the morning. I suppose the next thing will be that we'll have to buy a new clock.'
He woke several times during the night and struck a match to see if it was yet time to get up. At half past two the clock was still going and he again fell asleep. The next time he work up the ticking had ceased. He wondered what time it was? It was still very dark, but that was nothing to go by, because it was always dark at six now. He was wide awake: it must be nearly time to get up. It would never do to be late; he might get the sack.
He got up and dressed himself. Ruth was asleep, so he crept quietly downstairs, lit the fire and heated the tea. When it was ready he went softly upstairs again. Ruth was still sleeping, so he decided not to disturb her. Returning to the kitchen, he poured out and drank a cup of tea, put on his boots, overcoat and hat and taking his basket went out of the house.
The rain was still falling and it was very cold and dark. There was no one else in the street. Easton shivered as he walked along wondering what time it could be. He remembered there was a clock over the front of a jeweller's shop a little way down the main road. When he arrived at this place he found that the clock being so high up he could not see the figures on the face distinctly, because it was still very dark. He stood staring for a few minutes vainly trying to see what time it was when suddenly the light of a bull's-eye lantern was flashed into his eyes.
`You're about very early,' said a voice, the owner of which Easton could not see. The light blinded him.
`What time is it?' said Easton. `I've got to get to work at seven and our clock stopped during the night.'
`Where are you working?'
`At "The Cave" in Elmore Road. You know, near the old toll gate.'
`What are you doing there and who are you working for?' the policeman demanded.
Easton explained.
`Well,' said the constable, `it's very strange that you should be wandering about at this hour. It's only about three-quarters of an hour's walk from here to Elmore Road.
Easton reached down the roll of paper. It was the same pattern as that on the wall. The latter was a good deal faded, of course, but it would not matter much if the patches showed a little. They returned to the kitchen.
`Do you think you know anyone who would take it?' asked Ruth. Easton smoked thoughtfully.
`No,' he said at length. `But I'll mention it to one or two of the chaps on the job; they might know of someone.'
`And I'll get Mrs Crass to ask her lodgers: p'raps they might have a friend what would like to live near them.'
So it was settled; and as the fire was nearly out and it was getting late, they prepared to retire for the night. The baby was still sleeping so Easton lifted it, cradle and all, and carried it up the narrow staircase into the front bedroom, Ruth leading the way, carrying the lamp and some clothes for the child. So that the infant might be within easy reach of its mother during the night, two chairs were arranged close to her side of the bed and the cradle placed on them.
`Now we've forgot the clock,' said Easton, pausing. He was half undressed and had already removed his slippers.
`I'll slip down and get it,' said Ruth.
`Never mind, I'll go,' said Easton, beginning to put his slippers on again.
`No, you get into bed. I've not started undressing yet. I'll get it,' replied Ruth who was already on her way down.
`I don't know as it was worth the trouble of going down,' said Ruth when she returned with the clock. `It stopped three or four times today.'
`Well, I hope it don't stop in the night,' Easton said. `It would be a bit of all right not knowing what time it was in the morning. I suppose the next thing will be that we'll have to buy a new clock.'
He woke several times during the night and struck a match to see if it was yet time to get up. At half past two the clock was still going and he again fell asleep. The next time he work up the ticking had ceased. He wondered what time it was? It was still very dark, but that was nothing to go by, because it was always dark at six now. He was wide awake: it must be nearly time to get up. It would never do to be late; he might get the sack.
He got up and dressed himself. Ruth was asleep, so he crept quietly downstairs, lit the fire and heated the tea. When it was ready he went softly upstairs again. Ruth was still sleeping, so he decided not to disturb her. Returning to the kitchen, he poured out and drank a cup of tea, put on his boots, overcoat and hat and taking his basket went out of the house.
The rain was still falling and it was very cold and dark. There was no one else in the street. Easton shivered as he walked along wondering what time it could be. He remembered there was a clock over the front of a jeweller's shop a little way down the main road. When he arrived at this place he found that the clock being so high up he could not see the figures on the face distinctly, because it was still very dark. He stood staring for a few minutes vainly trying to see what time it was when suddenly the light of a bull's-eye lantern was flashed into his eyes.
`You're about very early,' said a voice, the owner of which Easton could not see. The light blinded him.
`What time is it?' said Easton. `I've got to get to work at seven and our clock stopped during the night.'
`Where are you working?'
`At "The Cave" in Elmore Road. You know, near the old toll gate.'
`What are you doing there and who are you working for?' the policeman demanded.
Easton explained.
`Well,' said the constable, `it's very strange that you should be wandering about at this hour. It's only about three-quarters of an hour's walk from here to Elmore Road.