Johnny Ludlow, First Series

f Warwickshire, the greater portion of the Squire's property lay in Worcestershire. This caused him to be summoned to serve. We were ofte

rcester, which was two or three times a-year; generally at the assizes,

assizes came on this time the week before our summer holidays were up; the Squire wished they had not come on until the week after. Anyway, th

ith old Thomas and Hannah, all came on the lawn after breakfast to see us start. The open carriage was at the door, with the fine dark horses. When the Squire did come out, he liked to do things well; and Dwarf Giles, the groo

rive, sir?

dled carefully." He meant the horses, Bob and Blister. Tod looked at

white pinafore, with her pretty hair flying, "if you can cat

he woman who had taken her off and stolen her clothes two or three weeks before. Tod said

, and the Squire went off with some of them. Tod and I thought we'd order luncheon at the Star-a

l from Oxford, and the sheriff and his attendants received them at the railway station. It was the first time Tod had been allowed to make one of the gentlemen-attendants. The

y," said he. "You'll make one

and carriage, with its four prancing horses and their silvered harness. Both the judges had come in, so we knew that business was over at Oxford; they sat opposite to the sheriff and his chaplain. I used to wonder whether they travelled all the way in their wigs and gowns,

he Pater had an invitation to the banquet he gave that

d I suppose my turn will come some time, either for Warwickshire or Wo

good one. We went out while it was getting ready, and walked arm-inarm through the crowded streets. Worcester is always full on a Saturday evening; it is ma

t you go on proper, and not elb

urning at the voice. "

as us, and begged pardon. We asked what he was doing at Worcester; but h

fly addressed Tod-"I'd not be sure but that wom

aid Tod. "Why d

, on a charge of stripping two little boys of their clothes in Perry Wood. The de

three years, they was, living in them cottages under the Wood-not as much as their boots did she leave on 'em. When t

ned look. "And she is

ed her at once. As the 'sizes was on, leastways as good as on, their worships committed her for trial th

senger to Mrs. Todhetley, to say that Lena must be at Worcester on t

morning crowded. Enough strangers are in the town to fill it: the inhabitants who go t

was played in to the crash of the organ. The judges came, glorious in their wigs and gowns; the mayor and aldermen were grand as scarlet and gold chains could make them; and there was a large attendance of the clergy in their white robes. The Bishop had come in from Hartlebury, and was on his throne, and the se

ass back again. It came winding down between the line of javelin-men. Just as the judges were passing, Tod motioned me to look opposite. There stood a young boy in dreadful clothes, patched a

? Recollection flashed over me before Tod's whisp

he javelin-guard. And when the procession had passed, leaving nothing but a cro

those tent-people, just as the woman has turned u

hink they can be

not. It's a queer c

re, as we had the other news. He

upon the lad again, or some of his folk. I should like to do something for that poor man; I've wish

be confederates, s

tes? What do y

er. It seems strange they should bo

If I thought that; if I find it is so," he

Squire and Tod took her to the governor's house at the county prison, whe

sions at the sight of her. There could be no mistake the woman was the same: and the Pa

Tod leaped up and called to the driver to stop, but the Pater roared out an order to go on. His appearance at the court could not be delayed, and Tod had to stay with Lena. So the clue

(little shavers in petticoats) set up a roar in court at sight of the woman, just as Lena had done in the governor's house; and a dealer in marine stores produced their clothes, which he had bought of her. Tod whispered to me that he should go about Worcester after this in daily dread of seeing Lena's blue-silk frock and open-worked stockings hanging in a shop window

trairy to that; she gave 'em sugar plums-and candy-and a piece of a wig,1 she did. What was she to do? Starve? Since her wicked husband, that she hadn't seen for this five year, deserted of her, and her two boys, fine grown lads both of 'em

ain bun sold

jury, without turning round. "We f

ths' imprisonment with hard labour

ey as they were taking her from the dock; "and I hope y

d by half, and talked of bringing her also to book at Warwick. But Mrs. Todhe

h the woman. She appeared to be a waif without friends. "And I wat

t for home. We had dined late, and Tod and I went for a stroll afterwards; leaving the Pater, and an old clergyman, who had dined with us, to their wine. In passing the cooked-meat shop in

or?" You see, Tod had

accosted, or whether the sight of us brought back to him the image of the dead

id Tod; "you need not be afraid.

n; just as though he had had no food for weeks. Tod gave him a shilling, and

ing! They'd th

a fellow as you'd find in the two counties, and yet he would

n who was carving, "and some bread, if you sell

" asked the man: as if doubting whet

, working-men and a woman in a dra

did not mind being seen carrying the parcels; but he would

gs now," said he, when we had gon

ut failed to understand. "Not far from the big church,"

aid Tod; "go on

turned out, could have been farther from Dor's thoughts. The church he spoke of proved to be All Saints'; the boy turned up an entry near to it, and we found

s, with a smell that nearly knocked you backwards. There was not an earthly thing in the room that we could see, except some str

sunk, the bones of his face stood out, the skin glistened on his s

ked Tod, speaking gentl

er; I've been gettin

, and there buried. Jake, his wife, and son, went on to Worcester, and there the man was taken worse; they had been in this room since; the wife had found a place to go to twice a week washing, earning her food and a shilling

he left me the straw. When he saw how bad I was, he wouldn't take it. We

dvice?" cried Tod, speaking as

o the free place (he meant the dispensary) twice

his father. "The gentleman bought it me," he sa

ee slices of nice cold boiled beef, better than what we got at school. Dor held out o

f no us

me 'Dor'?"

e from the exertion of swallowing. "The wife, she has called him 'Dor'

man in the moon. I had less. As Dor piloted us to the open street, we asked him where h

nk wine, do y

s to have it," answered D

d are y

en." He did

eef-tea?" cried Tod, as we went up Broad Street. "My goo

nything so bad

nking of all the time? I cou

ha

Johnny, lad, there seems an awful

into our sitting-room in the Star, startling the Pater, who was alone and reading

, growing red as he listened. "Why,

d to lie in that close hole, and had nothing to eat or drink, we should probably

ng to be done is to get him into t

rly tomorrow morning, sir;

but was sent back to me. We stood at the door of the hotel, and in a few moments saw them coming along, the Pater arm-inarm with Mr. Carden. He had come out as read

once, can you not?" said the Pater, impatientl

ase for the Infirmary," was the answ

the room again with some difficulty. The wife was in then, and had made a handful of fire in the gr

ntle with him, so cheery and so kind. Had Jake been a duke, I don't see that he could have been tre

r name?" ask

efordshire. I was on my way there w

o there? T

t much matter, though; Go

e not a

though, I've been taken for one. My

ake," cried the Pater. "You will have every comfort

, breaking in hastily on the promises. "I am

I think," said Jake, q

produced a cracked cup with the handle off and a notch in the rim. Mr. Carden poured something into i

like to stay here with the wife and boy

u good," said Mr. Carden,

the tent," I said to the woman, who

e got here, master, it was after that two days' rain, and the ground was sopping. It didn't do for him"-glancing

hing in she thought best. It was too late to do more that

he Infirmary?" were the Pater

The man's hour

no hope, I

He may be said t

airy window was found in the same block of buildings. A bed and other things were put in it; some clothes were redeemed; and by t

the last moments of his," said he. "The little

s for Jake-of which he could not swallow much. The woman was not to go o

cking time," she said, with a sigh.

by the fire, tea and bread-and-butter on the deal table between them. Jake lay in bed, his head raised on account of his breath

ried the woman suddenly. "He's coming a

ho had found him out a day or two before, had been in each day si

lluding to the hasty departure from Cookhill. "

ter a fit of coughing. "I've wanted to thank you ever since. When you gave me your arm up the lane,

es

say at first what there was in the tent, but began telling how you had been there. It made me know what h

hand he put ou

ed to the great house has rich friends and a fine home to shelter her; mine had none, and so it was for the best that she should go.

ed out Tod, as we went away down the entry.

tter, Tod? He does not seem

threatens to be his last. He is miles worse than he was when we found him. This is Thursd

we were going to start for home, the wife came to the St

d he said he'd take nothing, he thought, after that. 'I'm going, Mary,' he suddenly says to me about ten o'clock, and he called Dor up and shook hands with him, and bade him

ed this account of Jake's death, for I should not like to

nly, when we were about half-way home; and he lashed up Bob and Bli

atter. Bringing imprisonment to the

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