The Money Box Read online

'ead. "I have no wish to 'urt you, Isaac," he ses,kindly; "excitement like fighting is dangerous for an old man. Give usour money and we'll say no more about it."

  "No, my lads," ses Isaac. "I've undertook to take charge o' this moneyand I'm going to do it; and I 'ope that when we all sign on aboard thePlanet there'll be a matter o' twelve pounds each left. Now, I don'twant to be 'arsh with you, but I'm going back to bed, and if I 'ave toget up and dress agin you'll wish yourselves dead."

  He went back to bed agin, and Peter, taking no notice of Ginger Dick, whokept calling 'im a coward, got into bed alongside of Ginger and fell fastasleep.

  They all 'ad breakfast in a coffee-shop next morning, and arter it wasover Ginger, who 'adn't spoke a word till then, said that 'e and PeterRusset wanted a little money to go on with. He said they preferred toget their meals alone, as Isaac's face took their appetite away.

  "Very good," ses the old man. "I don't want to force my company onnobody," and after thinking 'ard for a minute or two he put 'is 'and in'is trouser-pocket and gave them eighteen-pence each.

  "'Wot's this for?' ses Ginger."]

  "Wot's this for?" ses Ginger, staring at the money. "Matches?"

  "That's your day's allowance," ses Isaac, "and it's plenty. There'sninepence for your dinner, fourpence for your tea, and twopence for acrust o' bread and cheese for supper. And if you must go and drownyourselves in beer, that leaves threepence each to go and do it with."

  Ginger tried to speak to 'im, but 'is feelings was too much for 'im, and'e couldn't. Then Peter Russet swallered something 'e was going to sayand asked old Isaac very perlite to make it a quid for 'im because he wasgoing down to Colchester to see 'is mother, and 'e didn't want to goempty-'anded.

  "You're a good son, Peter," ses old Isaac, "and I wish there was morelike you. I'll come down with you, if you like; I've got nothing to do."

  Peter said it was very kind of 'im, but 'e'd sooner go alone, owing tohis mother being very shy afore strangers.

  "Well, I'll come down to the station and take a ticket for you," sesIsaac.

  Then Peter lost 'is temper altogether, and banged 'is fist on the tableand smashed 'arf the crockery. He asked Isaac whether 'e thought 'im andGinger Dick was a couple o' children, and 'e said if 'e didn't give 'emall their money right away 'e'd give 'im in charge to the first policemanthey met.

  "I'm afraid you didn't intend for to go and see your mother, Peter," sesthe old man.

  "Look 'ere," ses Peter, "are you going to give us that money?"

  "Not if you went down on your bended knees," ses the old man.

  "Very good," says Peter, getting up and walking outside; "then come alongo' me to find a police-man."

  "I'm agreeable," ses Isaac, "but I've got the paper you signed."

  Peter said 'e didn't care twopence if 'e'd got fifty papers, and theywalked along looking for a police-man, which was a very unusual thing forthem to do.

  "I 'ope for your sakes it won't be the same police-man that you andGinger Dick set on in Gun Alley the night afore you shipped on thePlanet," ses Isaac, pursing up 'is lips.

  "'Tain't likely to be," ses Peter, beginning to wish 'e 'adn't been sofree with 'is tongue.

  "Still, if I tell 'im, I dessay he'll soon find 'im," ses Isaac; "there'sone coming along now, Peter; shall I stop 'im?"

  Peter Russet looked at 'im and then he looked at Ginger, and they walkedby grinding their teeth. They stuck to Isaac all day, trying to gettheir money out of 'im, and the names they called 'im was a surprise evento themselves. And at night they turned the room topsy-turvy aginlooking for their money and 'ad more unpleasantness when they wantedIsaac to get up and let 'em search the bed.

  They 'ad breakfast together agin next morning and Ginger tried anothertack. He spoke quite nice to Isaac, and 'ad three large cups o' tea toshow 'im 'ow 'e was beginning to like it, and when the old man gave 'emtheir eighteen-pences 'e smiled and said 'e'd like a few shillings extrathat day.

  "It'll be all right, Isaac," he ses. "I wouldn't 'ave a drink if youasked me to. Don't seem to care for it now. I was saying so to you on'ylast night, wasn't I, Peter?"

  "You was," ses Peter; "so was I."

  "Then I've done you good, Ginger," ses Isaac, clapping 'im on the back.

  "You 'ave," ses Ginger, speaking between his teeth, "and I thank you forit. I don't want drink; but I thought o' going to a music-'all thisevening."

  "Going to wot?" ses old Isaac, drawing 'imself up and looking veryshocked.

  "A music-'all," ses Ginger, trying to keep 'is temper.

  "A music-'all," ses Isaac; "why, it's worse than a pub, Ginger. I shouldbe a very poor friend o' yours if I let you go there--I couldn't think ofit."

  "Wot's it got to do with you, you gray-whiskered serpent?" screamsGinger, arf mad with rage. "Why don't you leave us alone? Why don't youmind your own business? It's our money."

  Isaac tried to talk to 'im, but 'e wouldn't listen, and he made such afuss that at last the coffee-shop keeper told 'im to go outside. Peterfollered 'im out, and being very upset they went and spent their day'sallowance in the first hour, and then they walked about the streetsquarrelling as to the death they'd like old Isaac to 'ave when 'is timecame.

  They went back to their lodgings at dinner-time; but there was no sign ofthe old man, and, being 'ungry and thirsty, they took all their spareclothes to a pawnbroker and got enough money to go on with. Just to showtheir independence they went to two music-'ails, and with a sort of ideathat they was doing Isaac a bad turn they spent every farthing afore theygot 'ome, and sat up in bed telling 'im about the spree they'd 'ad.

  At five o'clock in the morning Peter woke up and saw, to 'is surprise,that Ginger Dick was dressed and carefully folding up old Isaac'sclothes. At first 'e thought that Ginger 'ad gone mad, taking care ofthe old man's things like that, but afore 'e could speak Ginger noticedthat 'e was awake, and stepped over to 'im and whispered to 'im to dresswithout making a noise. Peter did as 'e was told, and, more puzzled thanever, saw Ginger make up all the old man's clothes in a bundle and creepout of the room on tiptoe.

  "Going to 'ide 'is clothes?" 'e ses.

  "Yes," ses Ginger, leading the way downstairs; "in a pawnshop. We'llmake the old man pay for to-day's amusements."

  Then Peter see the joke and 'e begun to laugh so 'ard that Ginger 'ad tothreaten to knock 'is head off to quiet 'im. Ginger laughed 'imself whenthey got outside, and at last, arter walking about till the shops opened,they got into a pawnbroker's and put old Isaac's clothes up for fifteenshillings.

  "They put old Isaac's clothes up for fifteen shillings."]

  First thing they did was to 'ave a good breakfast, and after that theycame out smiling all over and began to spend a 'appy day. Ginger was intip-top spirits and so was Peter, and the idea that old Isaac was in bedwhile they was drinking 'is clothes pleased them more than anything.Twice that evening policemen spoke to Ginger for dancing on the pavement,and by the time the money was spent it took Peter all 'is time to get 'im'ome.

  Old Isaac was in bed when they got there, and the temper 'e was in wasshocking; but Ginger sat on 'is bed and smiled at 'im as if 'e was sayingcompliments to 'im.

  "Where's my clothes?" ses the old man, shaking 'is fist at the two of'em.

  Ginger smiled at 'im; then 'e shut 'is eyes and dropped off to sleep.

  "Where's my clothes?" ses Isaac, turning to Peter. "Closhe?" ses Peter,staring at 'im.

  "Where are they?" ses Isaac.

  It was a long time afore Peter could understand wot 'e meant, but as soonas 'e did 'e started to look for 'em. Drink takes people in differentways, and the way it always took Peter was to make 'im one o' the mostobliging men that ever lived. He spent arf the night crawling about onall fours looking for the clothes, and four or five times old Isaac wokeup from dreams of earthquakes to