Johnny Ludlow, First Series

se, Crabb Cot. In saying "we" were staying at it,

oney; and his house and ours were the only two that stood there. Crabb Cot was a smaller and more cosy house than D

off, was more populous. Nearly a mile beyond South Crabb, there was a regular junction of rails. Lines, crossing each other in a most bewildering manner,

ull swing: but they would come occasionally at other times, driving t

the district round about, the name of Lease was as common as blackberries in a hedge; and if the different Leases had been cousins in the days gone

etley said he remembered it when it really was a lane, hedges on either side and a pond that was never dry. Harry Lease lived in the last house, a thatched hut with three rooms in it. He was a steady, civil, hard-working man, superior to some of hi

imes his wife arrived with the tea; sometimes the eldest child, Polly, an intelligent girl of six. But, one afternoon in September, a crew of mischievous boys from the brickfields espied what Polly was carrying. They set upon her, turned over the can of tea in fighting for it, ate the bread-and-butter, tore her pinafor

d pig show in a town larger than Worcester, and two or three markets and other causes of increased traffic, all falling on the same day. What with c

e points. A goods-train had come in ten minutes before, for which he had had to turn the points, and he never turned them back again. On came

d to Lease as he watched the red lights, like two

e goods-train stood, waiting until the passenger train should pass. There was a short, sharp sound from the whistle, a great collision, a n

points!" shouted the s

pless, his arms stretched out, his face and eyes wild with horror.

off to the scene of disaster, from which the steam was b

me! God have

him say it. In telling it afterwards the man de

t fright. Mr. Coney also happened to be in it; and Massock, who owned the brickfields. They were not hurt at all, only a little shaken, and (as the Squire put it aft

ed Mr. Coney, "what was

w there have-you shall be transported for it, Wat

acknowledged Watson, willing to shift the blame from himself, and

ssock. "Them's Harry Lease'

ily. "The points might have been out of order; or something else wrong totally different. I

iages off some sufferer, now carrying a poor fellow away to safety, but always in the thick of danger went Harry Lease. Brav

hing for Lease to let off a little of his anger. It was Roberts, the driver of the passenger-train, who lay there, his face white and still. Somehow th

dead! he is

speak them. By-and-by he came upon Lease again. The man had halted to lean against some p

drinking to-

. Lease only shook his head by way of answer. He had a pale, gentle kind of face, wit

ect the points, Lease, and

of his lethargy, but speaking as one in a dream

was coming? It was

set the points right, why, I should have thought surely of them then; it stands to reason I should. But never suc

his mind. Having shifted the points regularly for five years, it seemed simply impossible that

d?" said Squire Todhetley

this confusion around me and the distress

the points right you couldn't fail to remember it. And what causes your distress, I should

things mechanically, sir, withou

d the Squire. "Do you want to

ute whether I've wound it or not, and I have to try it again, or else ask the wife," went on Lease, looking straight out into the darkn

ot again, felt that he should like to give Lease a

ht; smashing property and engines to atoms; turning the world, in fact, upside down, so that people don't know whether they stand on their heads or their hee

a soul. Crabb Lane, accustomed to put itself into a state of commotion for nothing at all, had got something at last, and was up in arms. All the men employed at the station lived in Crabb Lane. The wife and children of Bowen, the stoker of the passenger-train,-dead-also inhabited a room in that noisy locality. So that when Lease came in view of the pl

hat is the tr

every one; but as if he did not hear. The supper, bread and half a cold red-herring, was on t

ing perhaps to the outside hubbub. His wife, half dead with fear

never turned the points; I'm trying to remember doi

you remembe

bled. With all his might and main, the man was trying to recall the occurrence which would not come to him. A dread

n I took a message to Hoar; and next I stepped across with some oil for the engine of an up-train that dashed in; they called out that it wanted s

on't you remem

t; there's

ts straight at once afte

ways to things crying out to be done, you can't spend time in waiting for the points. We've never had a harder day's work at the station than this has been, Mary; trains in, trains out; the plac

e of the days when her husband had had no tea taken to him. She had been very busy washing, and the baby was sick and cross: that had been quite enough to fill incapa

her ears. Just then a sudden interruption occurred. Polly, supposed to be safe asleep upstairs,

is it true?

n, looking at her, in ast

ound him. Polly had awakened and heard the comments out

Bowen's father. It isn't true, father!

his kind to finish up Lease; and he broke into sobs. Holding the child to him with a tight gr

he fate meekly, without resistance, his manner strangely still, as one who has been utterly subdued. When talked to, he freely avowed that it remained a puzzle to him how he could have forgotten the

quest (held at the Bull, between Crabb Lane and the station), it might have been finished in a day, and Lease committed for trial, but that one of those who had died was a lawyer; and his brother (also a lawyer) and other of his relatives (likewise lawyers) chose to make a commotion. Mr. Massock helped them. Passeng

k, down to the men and women of Crabb Lane. Lease was at home on bail, surrendering himself at every fresh me

ing sent one train upon the other. The Squire grew hot in talking of it. Tod, given to be contrary,

t refuse it; he'd give it to the dickens, for the as

misfortune," said Tod. "

ney, and Massock (not that I like the fellow), and scores more were put in jeopardy, and some were killed; yes, sir, killed. A misfortune! Johnny, if yo

over the gate amongst the trees, as Tod and I crossed the rivulet bridge-whic

ied Tod. "Let us hear a

white, his eyes had nothing but despair in the

little thought when I last shut you and Master Johnny into the carriage the morning you left, that mi

ell us a

down on an opposite stump. Lease had very little to say; not

. Knowing Lease's good character, he had not supposed him guilty;

you mea

returned Le

attend to the points?-that you just

n. I didn't believe it, sir, for a long

d Tod, an unpleasant sou

ng those hours seemed to me. They were like years. I couldn't get the idea into me at all that I had not set the

to, Lease! And there was I, yesterday afternoon,

not worth having my part taken i

came you

e on the run from morning till night, and there was a great deal of confusion

nding every one else was dead against you. A misfortune is a misfortune, but wilful carelessness

up. I say, Lease, how will it

risonment for me, sir; and I suppose it

else,

d of. When I was young, I had a sort of low fever, and used to see in my dreams some dreadful task too big to be attempted, and yet I had to do it; and the weight on my mind was awful. I didn

know what

get the suspense over. It's not any term of imprisonment, no, not though it were for life,

he spoke, leaning forward. I coul

ned, sir. I have to get up and walk about in the middle of the night because I can't lie. The sight of the dawn makes me sick, and I say to myself, How shal

get the inques

ht delay it; but it won't. They might as well let it end, and sentence me, and have done with it. Each time when I go back home through Crabb Lane

ner knows you'll no

y knows t

though, in

hat's the worst part of it. Sometimes I wonder whether I shall ever get it off mine, sir, or if I shal

and sorrow, and distress to many people. Looking at it from their side, the pointsman was detestable; only fit, as the Squire said, to be hanged. But looking at it side by s

he next week. When that came, the coroner was ill. There seemed to be no end to the delays, and the public steam was getti

to join Tod, who had gone rabbit-shooting, a little girl ran across my feet, and was knock

why did you run into

running after father. Mother saw him in the field yo

sions at sight of the blood. I carried her in. There was about a handful of fire in the grate. The

Lease. Because she has hurt her knees a bit, and sees a

took Polly, who was trembling

timorest-natured child possible. We have tried everything; coaxing and scolding t

edge, while Mrs. Lease washed the knees; which were hardly damaged at all when they came to be exam

Polly. Wha

d not get home to luncheon. Polly looked round, and the sight dried the tears on her swollen

" said she. "Leave

dn't get up, and the one Mrs. Lease had been nursing stayed on the floor where s

atter with hi

ver. He never was strong; none of them are: and

er," said Polly. "Leave th

o divide it into half-a-dozen pieces, "that bun's for Polly, because she has hur

hose little cormorants set up th

eed. Polly wouldn't eat all herself, Mast

have it. It was through me she g

bun a-piece, but Polly must have this one. They have lots of currants in them, those bu

n Mrs. Lease touched me. "Do you really

ing the buns? Of course I mean it

ee to ask such a thing-if you would only

-quarte

her breath, as her face, which had flushed, turned pale again. "Last night I divided be

ow is it, Mrs. Lease? can

t from, sir. Lease has not broken h

s I could see by her inquisitive eyes, but not liking to ask; and I carried it back

ed, while they were eating the bread she cut

at work, as the accident happened in it. We had nothing in hand; people with only eighteen shillings a week and five children to feed,

any one

ake the bread out of our mouths, instead of putting a bit into them. All their help goes to poor Nancy Bowen and her children: an

ust try

speaking very quietly. "Taking one thing with

Crabb Cot. Mrs. Todhetley was alone in the bow-windowed parlour, so I tol

ld not be so. He can't forgive Lease for his carelessness. Every time Lena wakes up from sleep in a fright, fancying

lt of Lease's children, that

of people's faults fall more on others than on themselves. It is

elp them a bit

e urged; on the other hand, she liked to yield implicitly to the

rmth?" I said. "Or Hugh sick with fever, as that young

to her face, and her mild eyes

ny, in a covered basket, and not let it

es

in the larder that will not be particularly wanted. You see, Johnny, I do not

rs. If I wanted to rob the larder, I must do it, she cried; it was my business, no

. On the shelf were a dozen mince-pies, just out of their patty-pans; I took six and left six. Molly, screwing her face round the kit

first, she raving behind, the Squire pounced upon us, asking what the uproar meant. Molly told her

the Squire: which was the one To

with the pies in triumph. The Pater regarded

I suppose. I should like t

he got it all out of me in no time. And then he put his hand on my sh

, but I know I promised not to eat any dinner at home for three days if he would let me take the meat. Molly's comments, echoing through the house, betrayed to Mrs. Todhetley what had happened, and she

stamped the Squire, "but don't let me c

at Ford's. When I reached home with the empty basket, they were going in to dinner. I took a boo

homas. I don't wan

master ordered me to go in. But I wouldn't do anythi

red, napkin in hand, and lai

Turk! How dare you

ou, sir. It was a bargai

as a ba

any dinner for three d

. "Move down, Joe," he said, "I'll have him by me today.

s he went to a lower seat. "Wh

tting enough mutton on my plate f

and, when the macaroni came on, the Squire heaped my plate. And I know it was all do

y wickedness. Lena ran up to me and said might she send her ne

o work?" asked the Squire, in loud tones. "Lett

t on probation, you know, waiting for the verd

r verdict and sentence him?" dem

it's what they ought t

it be! Tran

ry. The man had too much work on him that day, and

d in his defence,"

started to see him. It was not the day for visitors at the infirmary, but he gained admittance. Roberts was lying in the accident ward, with his head low and a blue look in his face; and the first thing Lease did, when he began

ye. Mishaps come to all of us that have to do with rail-travelling; us drivers get more nor you point

ged Lease, "or I shall n

knowing it must come to me, and I've got to look for it kindly. I don't think I'd go back to the wo

shook

and took away my pillow, thinking I might die easier, I suppose: I've seen her do

head upon his breast in the position that se

walk home of many miles, the sleet and wind beating upon him all the

h inflammation of the chest, and Mr. Cole told the coroner that it would be dangerous to take him out

quarrelling as to whether there should be another adjournment or not

ld Massock. "He had better try at

er to do it,"

heir verdict. "Manslaughter against Henry Lease." And the coroner made out his warrant

r," remarked the Squire, as he and the doctor turned out of th

rence, one way or the o

r are two separate crimes, Cole, and must be punished accor

: that I don't much think Lease

t l

aken, his life will have been claim

"What's the matter with him? This infla

se of death, as retur

t as if the man wer

not a quarter fed. But it is not that, Squire: heart and spirit are alike broken: and when thi

Squire, holding on by the middle button of old Cole's great-coat. "Non

t may be, are in the hands o

and see him," said

s. He had dozed off, and little Polly, sitting on the boards, had her head upon his arm. Her starting up awoke Lease. I was not in the habit of seeing dying peopl

e!" exclaime

hey had come to tell him officially about the ve

ct, and falling back. "Manslaughter. I'd have been present if I cou

w, Lease," said the Squire.

ot work for my wife and children for some long years. When people come to know how I repented of that night's mistake, and t

nkets, Lease," cried the Squire quickly, as if he felt flurried. "An

e help from your house my little ones would have starved. God

Lease; take heart

fted off me, and light to be breaking. Don't sob, Polly! Perhaps fath

le, telling him he ought not to have let Lease die. As he was in a w

ow what it is that h

s always some ostensible malady that serves as a reason to talk about. In this case it will be bronchitis. Which, in point of fact, is the final end, b

epentance. "Johnny, why could you not have found them out sooner? Where w

s the Squire's, took the cost of the funeral off the parish (giving some abuse