Part 1 (1/2)
The Lost Middy
by George Manville Fenn
CHAPTER ONE
There was a loud rattling noise, as if , as if soed the box down on a table A rap, as if a knife had been dropped Then somebody, in a petulant voice full of vexation and irritability, roared out:
”Bother!”
And that's exactly hoas, leaving Aleck Donne, who looked about sixteen or seventeen, scratching vigorously at his crisp hair as he sat back, with his elbows resting upon those of the big wooden ar at the money-box before hi, of course, to himself, for there was no one else in the comfortable rooarden ever seen ”It's all right to save up your h a slit; but how about getting it out? Here, I'll go and s up directly on the block in the wood-shed”
But instead of carrying out his threat, he leaned forward, picked up the curved round-ended table-knife he had dashed down, seized theeffect, held it upside down above his eyes, and began to operate with the knife-blade through the narrow slit in the centre of the lid
For a good quarter of an hour by the big old eight-day clock in the corner did the boy work away, shaking the box till so with the knife-blade, trying and trying to get the piece of ain and again, as the reward of his indefatigable perseverance, nearly succeeding, but never quite For so sure as he pushed it up or tilted it down, the cointhe drops of perspiration start out on the boy's forehead, and forcing hiaining the victory again, till that thin old half-croas coaxed well into sight and forced flat against the knife-blade The boy then began toa soft purring noise, _ah-h-h-h-ha_! full of triu curled-up tabby tom-cat, which had taken possession of the fellow chair to that occupied by Aleck, twitched one ear, opened one eye, and then seeing that the purring sound was only a feeble iain
”Got you at last!” muttered the lad ”Half a crown; just buy all I want, and--bother!” he yelled, and, raising the box on high with both hands, he dashed it down upon the slate hearth with all his ht
Temper had won this time Aleck had suffered a disastrous defeat, and he sat there with his forehead puckered up, staring at the cat, which at the crash and its acco yell made one bound that carried it on to the sideboard, where with glowing eyes, flattened ears, arched back, and bottle-brush tail, it stood staring at the disturber of its rest
”Well, I a out of his chair and listening for a fewacross the room to open the door cautiously and thrust out his head
There was no sound to be heard, and the boy re-closed the door and went back to the hearth
”I wonder uncle didn't hear,” hedown ”I've done it now, and no mistake”
As he spoke he picked the remains of the broken box from inside the fender
”Smashed!” he continued ”Good job too Shan't have any more of that bother How much is there? Let's see!”
There was a srim look the boy finished the destruction of thethe pieces on the fire, where they caught at once, blazing up, while the lad hunted out and picked up the coins which lay scattered here and there
”Three--four--five--and sixpence,” ht there was more than that Hullo! Where's that thin old half-crown? Haven't thrown it on the fire, have I? Oh, there you are!” he cried, ferreting it out of the fleeces of the thick dark-dyed sheepskin hearth-rug at his feet ”Eight shi+llings,” he continued, transferring his store to his pocket ”Well, I'ed to spend it all Money-box! Bother!
I'm not a child now Just as if I couldn't take care of ave the place a slap, turned to the , looked out at the soft fleecy clouds gliding overhead, and once more e black slates, and then bounded up the oak stairs two at a tiive a sharp knuckle rap on the door before hi for a ”Co at the top of a big shaggy grey head, whose owner held it close to the sheets of foolscap paper which he was covering riting in a bold, clear hand
”Want me, uncle?”
The head was raised, and a pair of fierce-looking eyes glared at the interrupter of the studies from beneath enorreat pair of round tortoise-shell spectacles
”Want you, boy?” was the reply, as the speaker held up a large white swan-quill pen on a level with his sun-browned and reddened nose ”No, Lick Be off!”
”I' to run over to Rockabie, uncle Back to dinner Want anything brought back?”
”No, boy; I've plenty of ink No--Yes Bring ruff and ill-hurily, more than looked, at the boy