THE NEW LODGER
JACKIE quite meant to keep awake till Bob came to bed, but he fell
asleep soon after Mrs. Winter had left him. When he awoke the bright
morning sunshine was shining into the attic, and Bob was in the midst
of dressing. He told him of Mrs. Winter's visit.
"It was kind of her to come," Bob said, pleased because Jackie seemed
to be. "Did you like her? Yes? That's all right, then! She's going to
pay Aunt Martha two shillings a week for the other attic and 'do for
herself'—that means clean her own room and cook her own food. Come,
tumble out of bed, Jackie, or you'll be late for breakfast!"
Quarter of an hour later the two boys went downstairs together to the
kitchen, where an untidy maid-of-all-work was preparing to cook bacon
for breakfast.
"I'll lay the table for you, Lizzie," Bob told her, and set about
doing so, Jackie helping him.
In a short while their aunt appeared upon the scene. She was a short,
stout woman, with a bustling manner and a nagging tongue.
"Past seven o'clock and breakfast not yet ready!" she began; "you
must have been idling, Lizzie, for I called you in good time!
Be careful what you're doing, Jackie! There, now, you careless child,
you've spilt the milk—and milk such a price, too! Sit down and
be quiet, for goodness sake!"
"He's helping me lay the breakfast things," Bob explained, as Mrs.
Mead pushed Jackie roughly aside; "it's only a little drop of milk
he's spilt, but I'll go without, then it won't matter."
Mrs. Mead made no response. She was a woman of uncertain temper, and
this morning she was in an ill-humour because the lodger who rented
her best rooms had given her notice yesterday to leave. She let two
sets of rooms; but her lodgers did for themselves, like Mrs. Winter,
so they were not much trouble to her.
Breakfast was eaten almost in silence; then Bob was sent to open the
shop, and at half-past eight the boys started for school. Jackie
attended an infant's school not far from home, but Bob had further
to go.
When Jackie came out of school at twelve o'clock almost the first
person he saw was Mrs. Winter, who was taking her dog for a walk.
He stopped and looked at her, thereby attracting her attention.
She did not recognise him at first glance, for he looked very
different from the little boy with the tear-stained face and
tear-blurred eyes she had seen last night. To-day Jackie's face was
all smiles, and his eyes were as blue and clear as the summer's sky.
Her second glance, however, told her who he was, and she exclaimed—
"Why, it's Jackie! How do you do, dear? I'm so glad to meet you, and
so's Stray. Come here, Stray, and make friends with Jackie!"
Jackie loved dogs, so he patted and made much of Stray; and Stray,
who loved to be noticed, was delighted.
"I suppose you're going home now, Jackie?" Mrs. Winter said
inquiringly.
"No," the little boy answered, "I'm going to meet Bobbie. You come
too!" He slipped his hand into the old woman's as he spoke, and they
walked on together, Stray running on ahead.
Jackie was very interested in Stray, and asked many questions about
him. He learnt that he was a come-by-chance.
"I found him in the street one wet night, when he was a puppy,"
Mrs. Winter explained; "he was shivering with cold, and I think
he'd have died if I hadn't taken him home with me. Next day I tried
to find his owner, but I couldn't, so I kept him. He's about
six years old now."
"Older than me!" exclaimed Jackie, adding, "Oh! I think he's a dear
dog!"
"He is," agreed Mrs. Winter; "he's no beauty, but he's as good as
gold, and so loving and faithful! I always feel thankful God sent him
to me."
"I thought you said you found him?" said Jackie.
"So I did," replied Mrs. Winter smiling; "but I'm sure God put him
in my way so that I might befriend him. God is love, you know, and
for certain He loves every creature He made. It tells us in the Bible
that He cares for the sparrows, and I'm as sure He cares for Stray as
I'm sure He cares for you and me."
This was a new idea to Jackie, so he pondered it in silence.
Presently Mrs. Winter said—
"Isn't this your brother coming towards us?"
Yes, it was Bob. He looked surprised when he saw Jackie's companions;
then a smile lit up his face, and shone in his eyes, which were as
clear and blue as his little brother's.
"It was ever so kind of you to go in and talk to Jackie last night,
Mrs. Winter!" were the first words he said. "You see," he went on,
"Aunt Martha puts him to bed early, and he lies awake getting more
and more frightened the darker it gets, and—"
"Oh, he shan't do that any longer if I can help it!" Mrs. Winter
broke in. "I'll ask Mrs. Mead if I may sit with him till he falls
asleep, shall I?"
"Oh, if you only would!" Bob cried gratefully. "You'd like that,
wouldn't you?" he asked Jackie.
"It would be lovely," the little boy answered; "I shouldn't mind its
being dark then."
Mrs. Mead was secretly pleased when her new lodger offered to relieve
her of the task of putting Jackie to bed every night, and consented
at once.
"I used to be a children's nurse," Mrs. Winter told her, "so I
understand little people and love them. You will not object to my
staying with Jackie for a bit after he's in bed?"
"Oh, no!" Mrs. Mead answered. "I'm afraid you were disturbed by his
crying last night. I couldn't let Bob stop with him because I wanted
his help—he runs errands for me in the evenings, you see."
As a matter of fact, Mrs. Mead was working Bob much too hard, sending
him here, there, and everywhere to fetch and carry loads of
vegetables a great deal too heavy for his strength. He had been very
high-spirited and the picture of health when he had come to Bristol;
but he was daily growing thinner, and paler, and more and more
depressed. It took a load of anxiety from his mind, however, to know
that no longer whilst he was at work for his aunt in the evenings
would Jackie be crying and fretting in the dark.
"Don't you feel tremendously grateful to Mrs. Winter?" he asked
Jackie one day, about a week after the new lodger's arrival.
"Oh, yes!" the little boy replied, "I do, Bobbie. She's a dear, and
Stray's a dear, too! I love them both! It was kind of God to send
them here!"
"How do you know He did?" questioned Bob.
"Because Mrs. Winter told me so," was the prompt response.
"How does she know, Jackie?"
Jackie shook his head.
"She didn't tell me," he said; "but I'll ask her. She did say it,
so of course it's true."