THERS* A MULE i'th' GARDEN. 71 



spree to be had aght on it yet mnn, I lieeard ivery word at they said, an 

 what does ta think? They've left ^linger ith' j)igcoit waiting, an I 

 meean to keep him theear for a bit." Soa saying, he quietly crept aght, 

 an went raand to th' back o' th' pig-coit. 



" Slinger ! are ta thcer ?" 



" All reight, lad ; have yo f im ought ? " 



" Not yet, but we're just gooin to do ; tha niunnat stir, whativer tha 

 does. Its a rare do is this. It'll be th' making on us, inun " 



" Does ta think we shall get made into sargents," axed Slinger. 



" 1 lad, an corporals too, I'll be bun ; but howd thi wisht, whativer 

 tha does — M'e'il come for thi as sooin as we want thi. Does ta think tha 

 could sup a drop a summat if tha had it ? " 



" I wish I'd chonco, that's all." 



" Well, bide thi time, an I'll send thi some." 



Jim, then walked away, an leaving Slinger screwed up like a dish- 

 claat, he went into th haase, and call'd for a quart. 



"Well, what's come o' Slinger," said Molly. 



" Oh he's all reight, — he's gooin through his degrees to get made 

 a sargent or a corporal or some other sooart ov a ral, but I'U bet he II wish 

 it wor his funeral afoor I've done wi ' him." 



Jimmy sat comfortably supping his stiffshackle ;in smoking a bit 

 o' bacca, an tried by ail th" mccans in his power to weedle th' owd woman 

 into his way o" thinking. 



" Tha mud do war nor ha' me mini '' he said, I'm nut over handsome 

 I know, but ther's nowt abaght nie to flay onybody." 

 " Ther '11 nubdy bo freetened o'thee lad tha need'nt think," shoo says, 

 for tha reminds me ov a walking clooas peg, — if tha'd been split a bit 

 heigher up tha'd ha ' been like a pair o' cart shafts." 



" Well tha knows beauty's i'th eye o'th beholder says Jim. 



'• They'd be able to piit all thy beauty i' ther e'e an see noa war for 

 it " shoo says. — 



"Well I'm Avilling to wor'^ an keep thi a lady as far as th' brass' U 

 goa." 



"What mack ov a lady I should like to know? Tk'same as I am 

 nah I reckon, up toth' elbows i' soap suds. Eut once ior all I want thi 

 to under.'tand at I'm nooan i th wedding vein at present. 



"Well tha't a hard-hearted woman, thats what tha art, — an nooau as 



