The Missing Link

connections he was dumb. It was assumed that he had had a father and mother at some stage of his career, but the evolution of Nickie the Kid from a schoolboy, with shining morning

at he had no craving for high things in the way of tall hats and two-storey houses. He appreciated the value of

nse of his utter uselessness to the body politic, and a desire to figure as a useful member of society. On the other hand, it may have been a symptom of brain-softening. But it happened to be neither; it was in fact a m

rich. Splendid dwellings were going up all over the place, the road makers were

mmer day, watched the busy people with a desulto

at they build such solid houses? Or do they regard them as monuments? L

nd balconies as frivolous as those of a Chinese pagoda. It stood within capacious grounds, a

er of thirty rooms in th

man can get just as dru

saw on the second afternoon induced him to change his mind, and threw him into a state of profound reflection lasting for nearly an hour; then he sauntered over to the man work

ork this," ven

" assented th

nfluence of beer?" asked Nickie,

eh force it on me," s

aker developed a sudden affection for Nicholas Crips, who af

ng," he said. "I've been troubled with liver complain

t' break so many yards. If you'll do it at bob a ya

He threw off his tattered coat, and, draped in fragments of a shirt, in a pair of trousers, half of

ld him he wasn't likely to earn enough to keep a rag-gatherer in toilet soap, but Nickie explained again that

e showy house from where he worked, and he frequently ceased his half hearted rapping at the tough stone to watch children playing

ask, although pursued with no diligence, had "taken it out of him" to some extent. He was certainly a deplorable scarecrow. A fine, polished carriage, with rubber tyres

ate black, came along the path, and approached the open door of the vehicl

y. He lifted his hat pointedly to the

nt for a moment, then consternation seized them, and they

goin', Willyum," he sai

he old man's f

n. He had the scared expression

ickie returned to his heap, and for fully two minutes Stub McGuire

d cheeks!" gasped McGuire

tion it,"

t price his nibs in the noble belltopper mentionin' it t' th

ork. When the carriage returned, he made an ad

dear," he said, offe

assed him disdainfully. The

ant ride in yer cart,

the gate, and call

cept yer pressin' invitation ter din

again, smiling sweetly

re's

o if you don't know better than to insult peopl

Billy in the streets, would you? If I didn't speak to Jinny she'd think I was angry with her, and cry her eyes out. She has a tender heart, poo

in' about," Stub grumbled, "

, however, and when a clergyman drove up in a buggy

tellin' Willyum inside there how Nickie sends hi

ust not be insolent,"

xplained. "They've er very touchin' regard fer

ually excellent, adopted the vulgar tongue in addressing t

e gate with frivolous conversation for nearly ten minutes, when the state of affairs was discovered

n ter lunch t' day, but Jinny's not on no account t' pu

e top of his voice, the girl be

in immaculate black c

ly, as between gentlemen

aid. "You might drop in

blackberry hedge ba

the gates during the afternoon, and Nickie entrusted each with an affectionate and familiar message to Jinny. All were horrified at the insolence of the disgusting man, and on

tering in the breeze, marched to the door and rang the bell. To the Napoleonic man-ser

lly at the drorin'-room fire. Tell 'em it's Nicholas Crips what makes the

him, but this did not deter Nicholas from an attempt to enter into familiar conver

in stony horror. "How d

dare

a lounging attitude in the doorway. "You find the togs I'm wearin' a

ulated the lady wit

n er reg'lar blaze iv glory, but I can still see yeh in the old shop days. You blazed then too, old girl. It wasn't with di'monds, 'twas

and the nape of his neck, and running him tip-toe out of the garden, tumbled him h

my friend," he said. "The

oned Nicholas Crips off the heap. Nickie the Kid responded with alacrity, and Stu

ub nearly fainted when he saw the gentleman draw a bank-note from his pocke

can't come an' stay a mont

ate behind him. Nickie returned to the h

. "You are welcome to my earnings, as I intend to liv

!" gasped

suburb and absent myself permanently. The worst thing about rich relations, Stub, is that they want wh