Here and Hereafter

of tea and two liver pills next morning, explained to his

no more, knowing what he was when not misled. But no amount of ironing would make that hat

ety seemed to do things on the cheap. A medal came at last, presented by the vicar on behalf of a few friends and local

he had eaten praise-poison, and no other diet was rich enough for him now. The neighbourhood wearying of him and hinting as much, he would slip the medal into his pocket on Saturday afternoons, get on his bicycle, and seek fresh fields. A little group and a bar-parlour sufficed. Whatever the group was discussing when Smithers first leaned his bicycle against the horse-trough outside, five minutes later they were listening while Smithers got

s Smithers. He gave detailed instructions in domestic subjects of which he was completely ignorant, and brought upon himself ridicule. He was rude to Mrs Smithers, and said that she neede

to see his back when he went to business of a morning, for

to high things, he made a small blunder affecting a large sum, and the sum got on to the wrong side of the book and caused trouble. In due course Mr Peter Begg said, "Send me Smithers." The clerk wh

o make such an infernal fool of yourself as t

there are some expressions I don't

and sighed. "Get out," he said, "I'll finish with you to

r. He was unusually civil to his wife at supper that night, and appeared some

to have much to

said seemed to sting him rather. I can't say how it will end. I've as good as promised to see him again to-morrow morni

the elegancies of her husband's version and getting straight down to the bedrock fac

"same old drudgery day after day, and what's it all to c

to no Klondike,"

n of action. I do the book-keeping well enough, but adventures and eme

w drunk you we

at vague. After some meditation he managed to supplement it as follows: "And

ead to ask with, haven't you?

thers, with a distinct chill

rning Mrs Smithers shook him by the shoulder, awoke him, told him

of the morning on