“Come and have a pint and talk it over,”
said Mr. Augustus Teak. “I’ve got
reasons in my ’ead that you don’t dream
of, Alf.”
Mr. Chase grunted and stole a side-glance at the small
figure of his companion. “All brains,
you are, Gussie,” he remarked. “That’s
why it is you’re so well off.”
“Come and have a pint,” repeated the other,
and with surprising ease pushed his bulky friend into
the bar of the “Ship and Anchor.”
Mr. Chase, mellowed by a long draught, placed his
mug on the counter and eyeing him kindly, said—
“I’ve been in my lodgings thirteen years.”
“I know,” said Mr. Teak; “but I’ve
got a partikler reason for wanting you. Our
lodger, Mr. Dunn, left last week, and I only thought
of you yesterday. I mentioned you to my missis,
and she was quite pleased. You see, she knows
I’ve known you for over twenty years, and she
wants to make sure of only ’aving honest people
in the ’ouse. She has got a reason for
it.”
He closed one eye and nodded with great significance
at his friend.
“Oh!” said Mr. Chase, waiting.
“She’s a rich woman,” said Mr. Teak,
pulling the other’s ear down to his mouth.
“She—”
“When you’ve done tickling me with your
whiskers,” said Mr. Chase, withdrawing his head
and rubbing his ear vigorously, “I shall be glad.”
Mr. Teak apologized. “A rich woman,”
he repeated. “She’s been stinting
me for twenty-nine years and saving the money—my
money!—money that I ’ave earned with
the sweat of my brow. She ’as got over
three ’undred pounds!”
“’Ow much?” demanded Mr. Chase.
“Three ’undred pounds and more,”
repeated the other; “and if she had ’ad
the sense to put it in a bank it would ha’ been
over four ’undred by this time. Instead
o’ that she keeps it hid in the ’Ouse.”
“Where?” inquired the greatly interested
Mr. Chase.
Mr. Teak shook his head. “That’s
just what I want to find out,” he answered.
“She don’t know I know it; and she mustn’t
know, either. That’s important.”
“How did you find out about it, then?”
inquired his friend.
“My wife’s sister’s husband, Bert
Adams, told me. His wife told ’im in strict
confidence; and I might ’ave gone to my grave
without knowing about it, only she smacked his face
for ’im the other night.”
“If it’s in the house you ought to be
able to find it easy enough,” said Mr. Chase.
“Yes, it’s all very well to talk,”
retorted Mr. Teak. “My missis never leaves
the ’ouse unless I’m with her, except when
I’m at work; and if she thought I knew of it
she’d take and put it in some bank or somewhere
unbeknown to me, and I should be farther off it than
ever.”
“Haven’t you got no idea?” said
Mr. Chase.
“Not the leastest bit,” said the other.
“I never thought for a moment she was saving
money. She’s always asking me for more,
for one thing; but, then women alway do. And
look ’ow bad it is for her—saving
money like that on the sly. She might grow into
a miser, pore thing. For ’er own sake
I ought to get hold of it, if it’s only to save
her from ’erself.”
