He squeezed Emma's 'and just for the sake of keeping up
appearances, and all the time 'e was thinking of the other gal waiting
for 'im thousands o' miles away.
"You've come 'ome just in the nick o' time," ses old Cook; "if you'd done
it o' purpose you couldn't 'ave arranged it better."
"Somebody's birthday?" ses Charlie, trying to smile.
Old Cook shook his 'ead. "Though mine is next Wednesday," he ses, "and
thank you for thinking of it. No; you're just in time for the biggest
bargain in the chandlery line that anybody ever 'ad a chance of. If you
'adn't ha' come back we should have 'ad to ha' done it without you."
"Eighty pounds," ses Mrs. Cook, smiling at Charlie. "With the money
Emma's got saved and your wages this trip you'll 'ave plenty. You must
come round arter tea and 'ave a look at it."
"Little place not arf a mile from 'ere," ses old Cook. "Properly worked
up, the way Emma'll do it, it'll be a little fortune. I wish I'd had a
chance like it in my young time."
He sat shaking his 'ead to think wot he'd lost, and Charlie Tagg sat
staring at 'im and wondering wot he was to do.
"My idea is for Charlie to go for a few more v'y'ges arter they're
married while Emma works up the business," ses Mrs.
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