They lived near th’ Stashun at Manningham, in a haase off Valley Road, soa they cut across, an’ ovver th’ canal, an’ up bi Spinkwell, into th’ main road for Peel Park.  It wor varry hot, soa bi th’ time they gate into th’ park, an’ lukt at th’ flaar beds daan bi th’ lake, an’ climbed up on to th’ terrace, they wor varry glad to sit daan on a seeat near to whear th’ band stand is.

Ther’s a grand view thro’ thear, yo can see reight ovver Bradforth as far as Lister’s Milns, an’ Queensbury—­th’ sun wor shinin, an’ Dick wor just leetin one o’th cigars when a young man abaat two or three an’ twenty coom daan th’ walk, huggin’ a basket—­when he seed em he stopt, an’ sed:—­

“Can yo give me a match, mate?”

“Eah,” Dick sed, “hear’s a box, help thisen,”—­when he’d leeted his pipe, Mary sed, “This is a varry nice park, sir.”

“I,” he answered, “an’ it’s a nice place for coortin in, on a neet when th’ band isn’t playin—­you cannot coom here ov a evenin withaat findin abaat hawf a scooar o’ cupples—­yo see it’s net too near th’ taan, wol it’s nice an’ quiet—­but it’s net too lonely nawther, a decent lass can coom here wi’ her sweetheart, an’ nawther her mother nor nubdy else can say owt agean it, for ther’s allus somdy awther commin or gooin.”

“Yo seem to know it well?” Dick sed to th’ young feller.

He wor nobbut a ugly chap, but when Dick sed this, he smiled wol he wor nearly nice lukkin, an’ his een twinkled wi’ fun, as he sed,

“Aw should think aw do know it, an’ aboon a bit too, why aw wor rewinated net hawf a yard thro’ whear yor missis is sittin.”

Mary jumped up as if th’ seat wor baan to bite her, an’ her nelly tummeld reight thro’ th’ railin, an’ ligged among th’ shrubs on the slope abaat ten feet below.

When th’ young feller seed that, he fair skriked aght wi’ laffin, but befoor Dick could do owt, he wor ovver th’ railin, an had getten her umberel up agean.

“It wor a nelly tumblin daan like that at did for me,” says he, “but aw see yor maized, soa aw’ll tell yo all abaat it;” soa he sat daan on th’ seat beside me, an’ he began.

“When aw furst coom a workin to Bradforth, abaat three year sin, aw lodged wi’ a young feller ‘at lived i’ Otley Road—­we slept i’th same room; an’ one Sundy mornin as we wor dressin, aw sed to him, ’at aw wor flayed aw should have to buy a new pair o’ Sundy britches, for them aw hed getten wor wore varry shabby.

“‘Aw’ll sell yo a pair,’ he sed; an’ he pulled a pair aght ov a box, ’aw bowt em off th’ pegs, an’ gave fifteen bob for em, noa mooar nor a year sin—­but aw nivver liked em—­aw wor em when mi sister wor wed, an when aw went to Blackpool for a wick last July, an’ that’s all, yo shall have em for eight bob, an it’s a bargain sich as yo willn’t get ivvery day.’