Willie the Waif | Page 3

place," answered Rob. "I think it was just made for boys like you and me wot ain't got no 'ome."
Willie placed his hand in his brother's, and off the two boys ran, until they reached Trafalgar Square. Willie shouted with glee at the sight of so much water. Never had he enjoyed himself so much as he did that morning as he splashed about in the water, and never had he felt so clean as he did when he had finished.
"Now," said Bob, "jist you run up and down 'ere as fast as you can; yer'll soon dry."
Willie did as he was told, and soon felt dry and quite hungry; but he was a thoughtful little fellow, and determined to wait bravely until Bob could get something for him to eat.
"Are yer dry, Willie?" asked Bob.
"Should jist think I am," replied Willie; "feel me."
"Come on, then; let's go and see if we can find some work. Ain't yer 'ungry?"
"Little." said Willie briefly.
Dame Fortune was kind to these poor little waifs this morning, for they had not gone far on their travels when Willie's sharp eye spied something on the ground. Eagerly he ran forward, and picked up a small silver coin, which he held up with high glee for his brother to see.
"Why, Willie," exclaimed Bob, "you are lucky! That's a real silver sixpence. Now you shall have a jolly good breakfast."
"Oh, yes," said Willie, "I am 'ungry. Ain't yer Bob?"
With light hearts the two boys went on, talking eagerly as to how the sixpence should be spent. To these two poor little street arabs it seemed almost unlimited wealth, for never in their short lives had they had so much money to spend. Bob was determined to give Willie a treat, so, without saying where they were going, he led the way to St. James's Park, where they found a man in charge of a stall, with a cow standing near by. With a very important air Bob marched up to the man, and asked for two glasses of milk. The man looked at them rather suspiciously. In their ragged clothes they looked very different from most of the people who came to buy milk.
"Have you any money?" he asked.
"'Course we 'ave," answered Bob proudly. "Show 'im, Willie."
Willie held up his hand and showed the man the shining coin.
"Why, where, did you get that?" asked the man. That's a lot of money for a little chap like you to have."
"I found it," said Willie, "and now we're goin' to 'ave some breakfast, ain't we, Bob?"
The children ate their meal ravenously, the man watching them meanwhile.
"What are you going to do now?" he asked when they had finished.
"Find a crossin', fust thing," answered Bib.
"Well, good luck to you," said the man.
But Bob did not find it very easy work. It had been a dry season, and the crossings were not muddy, so that there was very little to do. One or two people, attracted by Willie's sweet face, gave him a copper, and just before dinner a gentleman asked Bob to hold his horse, for which he gave him threepence; and so they dragged on during the day, but it was very hot, and poor little Willie soon got tired.
"Never mind, Willie," said Bob, "we'll go and sit in the park again presently. Let's stay a little longer."
So Willie sat down on a doorstep and waited while Bob tried to earn a little more. But at last he gave up in despair, and, taking Willie's hand, they turned off into the park. Bob brought some bread-and-cheese from his pocket, and with a drink of water from the fountain, they made their evening meal.
"I wonder if father'll try to find us," said Willie. "You won't ever let me go back, will yer, Bob?"
"Not if I knows it," said Bob. "Yer'll 'ave to be my kid now, Willie; some day yer shall 'ave a broom o' yer own. I'll 'ave to teach yer the bizness."
Willie clapped his hands delightedly.
"That'll be jolly! Then I shall be able to earn some money."
That night, and many succeeding ones, were spent by the children in the open air. Sometimes under archways or on doorsteps, and sometimes in the friendly shelter of the old barrels. While the summer lasted, and the nights were dry and warm, Bob did not mind, he thought it would not hurt Willie, but when the cold weather began it made him very anxious.
"Why don't yer try my place where I sleep?" said another crossing-sweeper to him one day, when he told him his trouble. "The little 'un 'ud keep warm there." And he painted in glowing colours the glories of the cheap lodging-house where he had slept the night before.
"'Ow much?" asked Bob.
"Tuppence a 'ead," was the reply.
So Bob determined if he