The Nest Egg Read online

robbed."

  "So might you be," ses Mrs. Cook. "Don't you worry; it's in a safeplace."

  "Sailormen are always being robbed," ses George Smith, who 'ad beenhelping young Bill with 'is sums while they 'ad gone to look at the shop."There's more sailormen robbed than all the rest put together."

  "They won't rob Charlie," ses Mrs. Cook, pressing 'er lips together."I'll take care o' that."

  Charlie tried to laugh, but 'e made such a queer noise that young Billmade a large blot on 'is exercise-book, and old Cook, wot was lightinghis pipe, burnt 'is fingers through not looking wot 'e was doing.

  "You see," ses Charlie, "if I was robbed, which ain't at all likely, it'ud only be me losing my own money; but if you was robbed of it you'dnever forgive yourselves."

  "I dessay I should get over it," ses Mrs. Cook, sniffing. "I'd 'ave atry, at all events."

  Charlie started to laugh agin, and old Cook, who had struck anothermatch, blew it out and waited till he'd finished.

  "The whole truth is," ses Charlie, looking round, "I've got somethingbetter to do with the money. I've got a chance offered me that'll makeme able to double it afore you know where you are."

  "Not afore I know where I am," ses Mrs. Cook, with a laugh that was worsethan Charlie's.

  "The chance of a lifetime," ses Charlie, trying to keep 'is temper. "Ican't tell you wot it is, because I've promised to keep it secret for atime. You'll be surprised when I do tell you."

  "If I wait till then till I'm surprised," ses Mrs. Cook, "I shall 'ave towait a long time. My advice to you is to take that shop and ha' donewith it."

  Charlie sat there arguing all the evening, but it was no good, and theidea o' them people sitting there and refusing to let 'im have his ownmoney pretty near sent 'im crazy. It was all 'e could do to kiss Emmagood-night, and 'e couldn't have 'elped slamming the front door if he'dbeen paid for it. The only comfort he 'ad got left was the Sydney gal'sphotygraph, and he took that out and looked at it under nearly everylamp-post he passed.

  He went round the next night and 'ad an-other try to get 'is money, butit was no use; and all the good he done was to make Mrs. Cook in such atemper that she 'ad to go to bed before he 'ad arf finished. It was nogood talking to old Cook and Emma, because they daren't do anythingwithout 'er, and it was no good calling things up the stairs to herbecause she didn't answer. Three nights running Mrs. Cook went off tobed afore eight o'clock, for fear she should say something to 'im asshe'd be sorry for arterwards; and for three nights Charlie made 'imselfso disagreeable that Emma told 'im plain the sooner 'e went back to seaagin the better she should like it. The only one who seemed to enjoy itwas George Smith, and 'e used to bring bits out o' newspapers and read to'em, showing 'ow silly people was done out of their money.

  On the fourth night Charlie dropped it and made 'imself so amiable thatMrs. Cook stayed up and made 'im a Welsh rare-bit for 'is supper, andmade 'im drink two glasses o' beer instead o' one, while old Cook sat anddrank three glasses o' water just out of temper, and to show that 'edidn't mind. When she started on the chandler's shop agin Charlie saidhe'd think it over, and when 'e went away Mrs. Cook called 'im hersailor-boy and wished 'im pleasant dreams.

  But Charlie Tagg 'ad got better things to do than to dream, and 'e sat upin bed arf the night thinking out a new plan he'd thought of to get thatmoney. When 'e did fall asleep at last 'e dreamt of taking a little farmin Australia and riding about on 'orseback with the Sydney gal watchinghis men at work.

  In the morning he went and hunted up a shipmate of 'is, a young fellernamed Jack Bates. Jack was one o' these 'ere chaps, nobody's enemy buttheir own, as the saying is; a good-'arted, free-'anded chap as you couldwish to see. Everybody liked 'im, and the ship's cat loved 'im. He'dha' sold the shirt off 'is back to oblige a pal, and three times in oneweek he got 'is face scratched for trying to prevent 'usbands knockingtheir wives about.

  Charlie Tagg went to 'im because he was the only man 'e could trust, andfor over arf an hour he was telling Jack Bates all 'is troubles, and atlast, as a great favour, he let 'im see the Sydney gal's photygraph, andtold him that all that pore gal's future 'appiness depended upon 'im.

  "I'll step round to-night and rob 'em of that seventy-two pounds," sesJack; "it's your money, and you've a right to it."

  Charlie shook his 'ead. "That wouldn't do," he ses; "besides, I don'tknow where they keep it. No; I've got a better plan than that. Comeround to the Crooked Billet, so as we can talk it over in peace andquiet."

  He stood Jack three or four arf-pints afore 'e told 'im his plan, andJack was so pleased with it that he wanted to start at once, but Charliepersuaded 'im to wait.

  "And don't you spare me, mind, out o' friendship," ses Charlie, "becausethe blacker you paint me the better I shall like it."

  "You trust me, mate," ses Jack Bates; "if I don't get that seventy-twopounds for you, you may call me a Dutchman. Why, it's fair robbery, Icall it, sticking to your money like that."

  They spent the rest o' the day together, and when evening came Charliewent off to the Cooks'. Emma 'ad arf expected they was going to atheayter that night, but Charlie said he wasn't feeling the thing, and hesat there so quiet and miserable they didn't know wot to make of 'im.

  "'Ave you got any trouble on your mind, Charlie," ses Mrs. Cook, "or isit the tooth-ache?"

  "It ain't the toothache," ses Charlie.

  He sat there pulling a long face and staring at the floor, but all Mrs.Cook and Emma could do 'e wouldn't tell them wot was the matter with 'im.He said 'e didn't want to worry other people with 'is troubles; leteverybody bear their own, that was 'is motto. Even when George Smithoffered to go to the theayter with Emma instead of 'im he didn't fire up,and, if it 'adn't ha' been for Mrs. Cook, George wouldn't ha' been sorrythat 'e spoke.

  "Theayters ain't for me," ses Charlie, with a groan. "I'm more likely togo to gaol, so far as I can see, than a theayter."

  Mrs. Cook and Emma both screamed and Sarah Ann did 'er firsthighstericks, and very well, too, considering that she 'ad only justturned fifteen.

  "Gaol!" ses old Cook, as soon as they 'ad quieted Sarah Ann with a bowlo' cold water that young Bill 'ad the presence o' mind to go and fetch."Gaol! What for?"

  "You wouldn't believe if I was to tell you." ses Charlie, getting up togo, "and besides, I don't want any of you to think as 'ow I am worse thanwot I am."

  He shook his 'cad at them sorrowful-like, and afore they could stop 'imhe 'ad gone. Old Cook shouted arter 'im, but it was no use, and theothers was running into the scullery to fill the bowl agin for Emma.

  Mrs. Cook went round to 'is lodgings next morning, but found that 'e wasout. They began to fancy all sorts o' things then, but Charlie turned upagin that evening more miserable than ever.

  "I went round to see you this morning," ses Mrs. Cook, "but you wasn't at'ome."

  "I never am, 'ardly," ses Charlie. "I can't be--it ain't safe."

  "Why not?" ses Mrs. Cook, fidgeting.

  "If I was to tell you, you'd lose your good opinion of me," ses Charlie.

  "It wouldn't be much to lose," ses Mrs. Cook, firing up.

  Charlie didn't answer 'er. When he did speak he spoke to the old man,and he was so down-'arted that 'e gave 'im the chills a'most, He 'ardlytook any notice of Emma, and, when Mrs. Cook spoke about the shop agin,said that chandlers' shops was for happy people, not for 'im.

  By the time they sat down to supper they was nearly all as miserable asCharlie 'imself. From words he let drop they all seemed to 'ave the ideathat the police was arter 'im, and Mrs. Cook was just asking 'im for wotshe called the third and last time, but wot was more likely the hundredand third, wot he'd done, when there was a knock at the front door, soloud and so sudden that old Cook and young Bill both cut their mouths atthe same time.

  "Anybody 'ere o' the name of Emma Cook?" ses a man's voice, when youngBill opened the door.

  "She's