Willie the Waif | Page 4

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 could possibly earn money that Willie should
have a roof over his head that night. By the time the day's work was
ended he found he had just sixpence in his pocket. He thought he would
spend two of the pennies for their supper and send Willie into the
lodging-house alone. Then he would have two pennies left for their
breakfast.
But little Willie would not hear of any such arrangement. "No, Bob," he
said piteously, "don't make me go away from yer. Let me stay with yer
to-night; I don't mind bein' cold."
But to this Bob would not consent. If Willie would not go in alone, why,
he must go with him. Perhaps he would get a job early to-morrow, and
that would pay for their breakfast. But it was a wretched night the
children spent; the place was with men, some of whom crowding round

the fire were trying to cook their suppers, while others were quarrelling
in different parts of the room. The children lay locked in each other's
arms too frightened to move, as the loud, angry voices fell upon their
ears, and it was late at night before the noise ceased and they were able
to sleep.
They were wakened early in the morning, for some of the men were up
and off almost before daybreak; and Bob thought he had better be on
the move too, for money must be earned somehow before Willie could
have his breakfast.
They were just about to start when they heard the voice of the landlady
calling to them. She had noticed how pinched and starved they looked
when they came in the night before and felt sorry for them.
"Come in here, little 'uns," she said, putting her head out of the room
door. "Bless me, you look famished. Got any breakfast?"
"No," said Bob; "we was going to see if we could earn some money,
so's we could buy some."
"Where's yer mother?" she asked shortly.
"She's been dead a long while," answered Bob.
"Yes," chimed in Willie. "Mother's dead, and we've runned away from
father. He beat us."
"Poor little chap!" said the woman, looking at the younger boy. And
then she made him sit by the fire, while she poured out two cups of
steaming hot coffee. It was very weak, hardly more than coloured water,
but to the little waifs it was the most delicious thing they had tasted for
months, and as they drank their coffee and ate their bread and butter,
the woman's heart warmed towards them. She smiled several times at
Willie's chatter, as he told of the life on the streets.
"Soon's we can get enuf money," he said, "Bob'll buy me a broom, then
I'll 'elp."

"Wouldn't you like to help now?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied, "but brooms cost a lot o' money."
"So they do," said the woman. "Besides, you're not big enough yet, but
you could sell some matches, couldn't you? See, I'll lend you this
sixpence to get some with," and then she told Bob the best place to buy
them, and how his little brother was to sell them.
Willie's eyes gleamed with delight, but all he could say was, "Oh,
Bob!"
The little fellow proved a splendid salesman. However ragged his
clothes might be, his face was always clean, for the boys never missed
their morning wash in Trafalgar Square, and he found several
customers, who were attracted by his bright face and cheery voice as he
called out "Box o' lights, sir! box o' lights!" and his happiness reached
its height when he was able to put into Bob's hand quite a heap of
pennies, the result of his morning's efforts.
When the evening came they made their way back to the lodging-house,
buying, on their way, half a loaf and some cheese to take in for their
supper. Bob had a good day himself so that he had managed to save
threepence towards paying back the sixpence their kind friend had lent
them in the morning, and it was with a face flushed with pride that he
offered it to her.
"No, laddie," she said; "wait until you can afford it better."
"Please take it," he urged. "We've done well to-day, Willie and me."
So Mrs. Blair took the money, but she