In a little while the old woman began to put the breakfast things away.
Afterwards she took up the table-cover and went out into the garden
with it to shake off the bread crumbs. As she stepped out of the door
who should step in but the red policeman. The old woman trembled very
much when she saw him go in, and she shook the table-cover several
times over in order that she might think what to say to the red
policeman. Just then it began to rain. The old woman ran into the house
at once.
[Illustration: Who should step in but the red policeman.]
"Good morning, madam," said the red policeman, and he made a nice bow.
"Good morning, sir," said the old woman. "What, might I ask, brings you
here?"
"I have called, madam," replied the red policeman, making another bow,
"for the purpose of taking you with me to prison for stealing a roll of
butter."
"Where is the roll of butter?" said the old woman.
The policeman looked very hard at the butter dish, but there was no
butter on it. The old man and his wife and the gas-man had eaten it
all.
"I beg your pardon, I am sure," said the policeman.
"The idea!" said the old woman. "Besides you said you would not call
this morning unless the weather were fine, and you see for yourself
that it is now raining cats and dogs."
"I am truly sorry, madam," said the policeman, bowing once more. "When
I come to think of it, I did say that I would not call if it rained.
Pray forgive me. We all make mistakes sometimes, you know."
"I don't like such mistakes," said the old woman. "Now kindly leave the
house."
"Oh, please don't turn me out," said the red policeman, "it is raining
very hard indeed, and I might get my feet wet."
"We should always be kind," said the old woman, "even to policemen, and
as it is raining and I left my umbrella in an omnibus the other day, I
will lend you my sunshade. But please go."
The old woman put the sunshade into the policeman's hand. He looked at
it very hard.
"It is a blue one," he said. "It is not fashionable to wear a blue
sunshade with a red suit. Thank you all the same, but I think I will go
without it."
He went.
The old man, who had been quietly laughing to himself, danced about
with joy when he saw the policeman leave. Then he ran to the window and
put his head out, and called out after the policeman, "I say. When your
clothes are quite wet enough be sure you come back and have them
dried."
But the red policeman took no notice of him.