The Stokesley Secret

a pig pay

came out of the pouting lips of that sturdy young five-year-old gentleman, David Merrifield, a

s unheeded on account of one more interesting t

aloft a slice taken from the dish in the centre o

lied rather pettishly the maid who

all it bread and scrap

d pleading kind of tone, a stout good-humoured girl of thirteen, with face, hair, and all, a

d, in a low voice, a pleasant dark-eyed young lady who was making t

oice, that Miss Fosbrook could only laugh; "is this bread an

h sandy-haired Henry, the next to him in age, "if our belov

ant you are, Hal!

an infant, Miss Fosbroo

d the more civilized S

g, "your brother is quite right; I am as much an

ould!" cried Henry

ked Susan, not in the

e said it was a shame we should be taken in to think her grown up, when she was not

ising in her cheek. "I was nineteen on the last of April; but I had rather yo

ng girl, who sat next to him and was nearest in age, sai

honest eyes twinkled, as much as to say, "I like t

ter; d'ye hear? not bread and gammon!" and he began the chant, in which six

tter and

be thrown at

ad and th

or the ducks

p to her mouth, in fits of laughing, seeing which, the children bawled louder and louder; and Elizabeth only absta

lundered in he

ad and thi

irected a whole battery of their remaining crusts towards her cup, which would presently have been upset into her lap but for M

hether she would, a

though there was a quiver in her

up, and d

Susan, "we were all just

ss Fosbrook, looking full at him. "He knows that I must keep my word, and that I h

oung population watched to see what he would do. He hesitated a mom

; and collecting herself, she said, "Fun is all very well, and I hope we shall have plenty, but we ought not to l

Mary brought back the dish replenished with slices, no one said a word as to whether the butter were thick or thi

ad as any: while David, looking affronted, tapped the table

of money are sown underground, and digs them up with his nose. Then he swings them on his back, and gives a curl of his tail and a wink of his eye, and lays

n except David grave enough to speak; while Sam, exploding in the window,

a lady lo

,' say

you a silv

!' say

s disinterestedness. Oh, werr

izabeth, "to confuse the c

the rent is paid? I've seen Pap

Hal; did you ev

nds of

gs of gold?

gesting the startling fact, "how the pig swings th

made on purpo

d Susan, at last able to speak. "Don't believe

o it?" asked David, r

o know, my dear?"

sister s

they went to see Mary's sister. Her husband is drowned because he was a sailor;

rmaid's?"

ing to live upon; and she takes in washing, and is such a nice woman. Mamm

pay the rent she should be quite h

cabbage-leaves and potato-skins; and that when he was fat she would sell him

" said Sam. "Jack Higgins was her husband's name, and a f

once, long ago," added Su

ant service and get drowned, with

, "why shouldn't w

rnestly excl

ohn and Annie at once; "such l

ieve," said Sam disdainful

igs. Purday would not l

geese. I meant to make a subscription among ourselv

d the children; "let's

pence, and sixpence nex

ightpence,"

hole shilling

pence," sa

said Susan, feeling in her po

simple Sukey never has a farthi

reat triumph, Susan held up three-halfpence,

lspeth, Betsy, and Bess, what will you give?-what have you got?"-and one hand came on her

got something else t

ginning; but Miss Fosbrook stopped it before Elizabeth had

a full right to use your own money as you may think b

what she wants it for-to buy herself a ridiculous parasol like Ida Gr

d up her head; the tears were in

gets a thing into her head. Let's see what we've got without her. I'v

d out, chiefly in coppers, on the window-seat, that Annie and David looked on it as capable of buying any a

ok, what doe

ss of pigs than they did; and Susan exclaiming, "There's Purday in the

, and a narrow ledge within the sill-as if made on purpose, the fir

lay a big black Newfoundland dog, and a couple of graceful greyhounds, one of them gnawing a bone, cunningly watched by a keen-looking raven, with hi

kins, an old wide-awake, short curly hair, and a very large nose, stood in

intent on his mixture, that he went on as if he were deaf, till a second explosion of

e of a pig?" and, "What

the answer they got; whereupon they all started together again, and Pu

n by pats and pinches strangled the like outcry from Annie and John, so as to

ir," growled Purday, making some l

y do want to know what

last market,"

gh or low," said Hal; "I want

ntiously, that Miss Fosbrook's shoulders shook with laughing as sh

e pig, such a

l, it's a secre

to eight already, and bawled ou

hat it's for; you can

Sam, "such as you'd keep all the

t for you, Pur

e free-spoken Purday, with a twinkle of his eye,

t I say I will; but you'll see, P

silence, ere the words, "Hannah Higgins" had

et a nice little one to fat, at Kattern Hill fair, somewhere abou

sum; but Hal was the first to cast a ray of hope on the gloom. "Kattern Hill fair ain't till Midsumm

allowance," said Sam. "Ho

ket-book declared i

tingy Bess, and the little ones threepence, that's three times three is nine, and three times nine is thi

aid three times nine never yet were so much so

whis

the rest, "at least two and threepence. Well, any way there's plenty for piggy-wiggy, and

but then nobody mu

er money. That will be a

a single fine, and I'll not buy a single lump of sug

cried the younger

n, "I must buy Dic

een's head to write t

s are," said Hal. "Mamma could say them by heart b

looked very

letters, and you are quite right to keep a penny for your stamp for her.-You se

led round

, and put all in that we can properly afford, and then break

cried the chil

Fosbrook?" said Susan

threepenny; but I do not think it would be right for me to spare

for treasury?" sai

in the baby-house; here's the

s, and other curiosities, playthings too frail to be played with and the like, were ranged in good

at, and white waistcoat, very short legs, and top-boots. The opening of the cup was at the top of his head, an

not be cross about fines?" s

age to let you off any. I think having so good a use to put yo

Johnnie di

get fined," cri

g up stairs in dir

re's no

are the fines?"

hing, she said, "I'm afraid I shall ne

hoolroom were these for delin

sed later than

ot properl

ons later than fiv

irty

ed back twice

ws on th

olish

ary words in

up stairs

ing thin

of the weekly allowance. Susan looked very gloomy over them; but Hal e

"I vote we have som

hen he inherited the estate they came thither, and David and the two little ones had been born at Stokesley. The property was not large; and as Captain Merrifield was far from rich, it took much management to give all this tribe of boys and girls a good education, as well as plenty of bread and butter, mutton, and apple-pudding. There was very little money left to be spent upon ornament, or upon pleasuring; so they were brought up to the most homely dress suited to their station, and were left entirely to the country enjoymen