ROOKS AND PIGEONS. 145 



Well, it doesn't often happen that he's wrong, 

 though he sometimes may be." 



" He's a young scamp, a young rascal, that's 

 what he is ! and if Lomax lets that darter o' his 

 take up with the like o' Capper, I'm done with 

 him," Stuhson burst out. '' What did he do for 

 Frank Parker — as good a lad as ever stepped ? 

 He won his money, and he led him on till the 

 lad hadn't a shilling to bless himself with, and 

 now he's trying for the lad's sweetheart. 

 Capper's a " 



" Be quiet, can't you ? " Stubson's neighbour 

 muttered, as pretty little Kitty Lomax bustled 

 into the room with a tray of mugs. " Don't let 

 the girl hear." 



Stubson's unusual eloquence resolved itself 

 into grunts again, and Kitty, whose eyes were 

 less bright and her cheeks less rosy than of yore, 

 went with rather a sad smile about her work, 

 and left the room. 



"I thought it was a match between Frank 

 Parker and Miss Kitty," Swaynton said. " Has 

 it gone wrong ? " 



*' Wrong as it can be ! " Stubson replied, 

 " and it's Capper that's done it. It was him 

 that led Frank Parker on, telling him he'd show 

 him how to make his three hundred pounds into 

 three thousand, and now the lad's ruined, and 



10 



