Part 9 (2/2)

they could ha' played on it too, but it tuk sich a deal o' wind, but ther wor a chap 'at used to come to awr haase 'at blew it mony a time.”

”Tha doesn't say soa! A'a, what a thing it is to be born wi' sich a heead as thine; aw wonder tha doesn't crack thi brain wi' studdyin soa mich abaght things. Aw've thowt mony a time when aw've heeard fowk tawk abaght thee 'at its a thaasand pities thi mother hadn't twins.”

”Why,” said Tom, ”aw think sometimes 'at if aw'd been edicated aw should happen a capt somdy; but that's Sally's fooit, aw think.”

Sally browt th' saig, an' after a gooid deal o' squarin abaght, Tom said ”Aw think th' best plan 'll be to cut th' lot off to start wi', an' then we can mak 'em what length we want 'em.”

”Suit thi sen, tha owt to knaw,” said th' landlord, an' Tom began to saig away. He'd getten th' hauf on 'em cut, when up comes th' chap at they'd borrowed it on. ”I understand you've had an accident,” he said, ”but I hope its not much worse?”

”Well, it has getten a bit ov a shake,” says Tom, ”but aw think we'll be able to mak it all square agean in a bit.”

”Why, my dear fellow, what are you doing? You are destroying the whole affair--you are cutting the action!”

”Action! What action? What does ta mean?” says Tom.

”Why, you are cutting the working part all to pieces!”

”Warkin pairt! Aw'm dooin nowt o' th' sooart--its th' playing pairt 'at aw'm cuttin; but if aw ammot dooin reight, tak th' saig an' lets see ha tha'll do it.”

”No, indeed--I shall have nothing to do with it--the whole thing is ruined; and the landlord will have to pay me for it, so I wish you a very good day.”

Tom an' th' landlord watched him aght o'th' seet, an' for a minit or two nawther on 'em spake, but 'at th' last th' landlord says, ”What's to be done, Tom? what's to be done?”

Tom seemed as dumb as th' peanner an' dived his hands into his britches pockets varry near up to th' elbows.

”If aw wor yo maister,” he said, ”aw wodn't bother ony moor wi' this to day, for ther's a deal o' tinklin wark to be done at it afoor its fit for mich; aw'd shove it into a corner an' say nowt abaght it for fear it might stop th' tickets for sellin, an' when fowk have getten ther tea an' want to donce, ther's sure some music to turn up throo somewhear.”

Th' landlord seemed convinced ther wor some truth i' what he said, soa they lifted it carefully into a corner an' left it.

Ther wor a rare sale o' tickets that day, an' when tea time coom they wor as mony as three sittins daan, but th' pots were noa sooiner sided nor they began to ax abaght th' mewsic. Tom had set varry still wol he saw all ready--then standing up wi' his cap i' his hand, he coff'd an'

began, ”Ladies an' gents--its a vary unfortunate affair, is this; but yo see troubles are niver to seek: th' landlord said he'd have a peanner to neet, an' he's getten one, but its aght o' tune; but rayther nor yo should be disappointed aw'll whistle a tune for yo misen, an' aw think ther's two or three moor at '11 be able to help me a bit.”

Withaat moor adoo he struck up a tune: th' la.s.ses giggled an th' lads luk'd soft; but in a bit one or two gate up, an' began turnin raand, an'

it worn't long afoor they wor all whirlin away like a lot o' scopperils, an' as happy as happy could be. Tom sooin fun two or three moor to help him at whistling, an' afoor it wor ovver they all agreed 'at they'd niver enjoyed thersen hauf as weel at ony ball they'd iver been at afoor, as they had that neet; but th' best o' friends mun pairt, an' th'

time coom when they mud goa hooam, soa just bith' way ov a wind up, Tom stood ov a bench an' then made a varry nice soort ov a speech, an' ended bi sayin ”ha sorry he felt for th' landlord: for he'd have a deal o'

bra.s.s to pay to mak up for th' accident 'at's happened, an' as they'd all enjoy'd thersen soa weel, he thowt they wodn't object to mak a collection ov a trifle to help him, an' he should have mich pleasure i'

gooin raand wi' th' hat.”

After this speech they all began fumlin i' ther pockets an' declaring they'd do what they could for him; an' when th' hat went raand they worn't one but what gave summat an' as ther wor twenty-three on 'em, it coom to eleven-pence-hawpny. Tom handed it ovver to th' landlord, who thanked' em in a varry neat an affectin way, an' begged on 'em to have a s.h.i.+llin oth' o' warm ale at his expense, which they had. After that they separated, thankful to think' at they'd been able to do a trifle towards helpin a chap aght ov his troubles.

Th' landlord had to pay for th' peanner at last, an' as they couldn't mak it play, Tinklin Tom an' a plumber turned it into a ale pump, an' it stands i'th' bar to this day, an' they say its th' handsomest machine o'th' sooart i' Northaaram. Th' landlord's studied music a bit sin'

then, an' as sooin as he hears th' kay nooat ov a chap's voice, he can tell whether to draw him flat ale or sharp ale, as natural as con be.

An' they're gooin to kursen th' haase a ”music ale haase;” an soa mony fowk goa to see it, 'at th' landlord says he ”fell i' luck for th' furst time in his life when th' peanner fell aght o'th' winder.”

”Ha! ha! ha! Well, that's a stunner, Amos! Tha's done that a gooid en, but yond's th' whew, soa we mun goa an' do another bit for th' maister.

Ha! ha! ha!”

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