DABBER HARDING AND OLD SARAH. 9 1 



"I want to know if Dabber Harding is here, 

 sir, and, if not, whether he has been here this 

 morning at all." On this, he looked into 

 Harding' s shop and found it empty, turning to 

 the men, he said : 



" Mind, I will have no nonsense ; has he 

 been here this morning? " 



"No, sir/' replied the men, gravely enough 

 now. 



" You hear, John ? " said Mr. Webb to me. 



" Yes, sir, and thank you, sir," I replied. 



I went off down the yard, and there was no 

 running fire of chaff now, everybody seemed 

 too much engaged to mind me. I turned up 

 the alley leading into the street, and just as I 

 was rounding, ran full butt against Dabber. 



" Good morning, John," said he. 



"Good morning, Dabber," said I. "Though 

 we've met before, to-day, it ain't ever too late 

 for civilities." He stared at me doubtfully for 

 a moment, and then hurried down the alley. 

 He was full run, and winded when I met him, 

 and, had I not got beforehand with him, there 

 is no doubt he would have brought any number 



