menu_book Chapter 20

chapter twenty milly leaves home bindle's visits to the pictures with milly had become a weekly institution mr hearty had made several tentative attempts to interfere he had mentioned more than once the evil influence of the cinema and had called attention to paragraphs in the newspapers and the remarks of magistrates in support of his view bindle had however been firm inspired by the fear and appeal he saw in millie's eyes look ere earty he would say i'm an ole warrior you an my little rosebud at ome ave elped me an there ain't a known sin that i can't dodge milly's all right with me when they kiss i olds me at over er eyes milly would blush and mr hearty who was never equal to bindle's persistent good-humour and racy speech would allow the matter to drop a great change had come over millie she was gayer and brighter her laugh was more frequently heard and she seemed to be developing opinions of her own in her dress she was more extravagant although always neat and refined

mr hearty became conscious of the change his eyes were often upon his daughter and his slow-moving brain at work seeking for some explanation of this new phenomenon had he been told of the happiness that had come into her life he would have been unable to understand it working so great a change he would also have disapproved for to his narrow faith any happiness that sprang from association with the opposite sexes however innocent was the happiness of sin in a passive way mrs hearty also had noticed the change she had even gone to the length of remarking upon it to bindle she's growing into a woman martha had been bindle's diagnosis and an uncommon pretty woman too i s'pose she gets it from hearty he added whereat mrs hearty had subsided into waves of mirth at first bindle had been in some doubt as to the wisdom of his action in encouraging the romance between the young lovers but as it progressed and he saw their devotion and milly's happiness all scruples vanished i may be a silly ole fool he muttered to himself one night as he left the radiant milly at her door

but i'm elpin them two kids to be appy an after all appyness is the thing wot matters if yer can get it through lookin into a gal's eyes it's better'n gettin it through lookin into a beer-glass i'd sooner be appy than drunk any day unconsciously bindle had stumbled upon a great truth at first milly's evening out as bindle called it was spent at a local cinema bindle conveniently disappearing until ten o'clock when he would take milly home later however walks and rides on omnibuses took the place of the pictures in the evening's entertainment several times milly and charlie dixon begged bindle to accompany them but he had always resolutely refused look here young feller yer wouldn't have a look in wi milly if i was there ain't that so millikins and milly would hang on to bindle's arm with both hands and give a little jump of joy one evening when bindle arrived at the cinema at a few minutes to ten he saw charlie dixon there alone obviously in a state of great excitement

hullo charlie said bindle wot's up where's millikins there was alarm in bindle's voice we met mr hearty in putney high street and he's takin her home i don't know what to do i'm bindle whistled oly angels here's a go he exclaimed ere come along young feller we mustn't stop a jawin ere hurriedly they left the sentiment together ow wong ago was this inquired bindle as they hurried along in the direction of fulham high street about ten minutes what shall we do charlie dixon's voice shook with anxiety well said bindle you'd better go ome i'm going to ave it out with orty there was a grim note in bindle's voice i ain't a-goin to leave our little millikins to im charlie dixon felt at that moment he could have hugged bindle all he could do was to grip his arm his voice had deserted him he learnt that from millikins murmured bindle to himself as they sped along outside the grand theatre they parted charlie dixon vowing that he would wait there until bindle came to him there's going to be an elliver row muttered bindle as he rang the hearty's bell he was admitted by a tearful mrs hearty oh joe i'm so glad she wheezed go up i'll

bindle raced up the stairs to the hearty's sitting-room as he opened the door mr hearty was standing by the mantelpiece his face white and set and his lips slightly drawn from his discolored teeth facing him stood millie with flushed face and rebellious eyes at the sight of bindle she uttered a cry and ran to him threw her arms round his neck choking with sobs bindle soothed her as if she had been a child oh don't leave me uncle joe promise promise she looked at bindle with fear in her eyes promise darling uncle joe i won't leave the little millikins said bindle reassuringly i won't leave yer until yer say i can go see disengaging millie's arms from his neck bindle placed her gently on the sofa and mrs hearty who had just entered the room breathing laboriously sat down beside the half-fainting girl looking at her helplessly don't cry milly dear mrs hearty wheezed although there were no signs of tears as she stroked one of milly's hands all this time mr hearty had been looking on in a dazed way conscious that the control of the situation was slipping from his grasp he was roused by bindle's voice

now then arty what the hell do yer mean by this it was a new bindle that mr hearty saw before him the humorous twist had gone from his mouth the light of fun was no longer in his eyes mr hearty saw a stern resolute man who was demanding of him an explanation during the last quarter of an hour he had pictured a scene vastly different from this he was to be the outraged father indignantly demanding an explanation from a crestfallen and humbled bindle through his mind there had passed the thought that the enemy had been delivered into his hands he had felt like a righteous and triumphant israel and now everything had turned out so differently ain't you got nothing to say mr hearty was awakened from his meditation by bindle's angry enquiry even mrs hearty looked up mildly surprised at the unaccustomed note in bindle's voice i have a lot to say replied mr hearty with an obvious effort and i want an explanation from you joseph instinctively mr hearty felt that his tone was too mild for that of the outraged father and he added in what he meant to be a stern voice and i-i demand an explanation before you leave this house to-night

there ain't no fear o my leavin before yer want me to replied bindle grimly don't you worry your saintly soul about that earty now what is it yer want to know mr hearty stroked his chin i i how he disliked saynes i-i want to know why millie was alone with a strange young man in putney high street this evening when she was supposed to be with you mr hearty strove to be dignified and at the same time appropriately stern and uncompromising but always with a dash of christian forbearance that all inquired bindle contemptuously that won't take long she was there cause she wants to be appy what she's got a right to be if yer was a man artie instead of an oly greengrocer yer'd understand without tellin if yer was to listen to the ims of the birds instead of them ungry lookin young women in the choir mr hearty flushed yer'd know why milly was with charlie dixon to-night she wants love artie and she don't get it at ome she wants appiness and you never even smile at her not as that'd help her much he added with a flash of the old bindle "'Yer want to shove God down her throat all the time, and it ain't the real God who was kind to

children.' "'She's my daughter, and must obey me.' There was determination in Mr. Harty's voice. He felt he must assert his parental authority. "'Now listen,' said Bendel, and he proceeded to tell the whole story of Millie's romance, and the part he had played in it. "'Now have you any think to complain about?' he inquired in conclusion. "'I forbid her ever to see him again, almost shouted Mr. Harty. The story he had just listened to had roused him to anger.

It had outraged his sense of the proprieties that his daughter should be walking the streets alone of the young man she had met casually in a train. That his own brother-in-law should be a party to such a disgraceful and sordid intrigue made matters worse. Being a religious man, Mr. Harty thought the worst. He looked at Bindle. There was no suggestion of shame or contrition in his bearing. i will have no such goings-on in my family fumed mr hearty and in future i'll thank you joseph not to interfere mr hearty's face was very set and hard what would mr soapley say if he knew

that remarked bindle calmly would depend on ow long ago it was since his mind was cleaned anyhow i won't have it and mr hearty drew himself up to his full height what you're goin to do then inquired bindle with ominous calm mr hearty was nonplussed what was he going to do what could he do to gain time he asked the question does elizabeth know about this he demanded not er replied bindle contemptuously she'd like to stop the birds a-maiden if she could suddenly he grinned and there wouldn't be no lamb to go wi your mint earty if she ad er way i won't have it fumed mr hearty again i've been very patient but-but i won't have it yer can't stop a runaway orse with a notice-board remarked bindle with unconscious philosophy i'll thank you not to interfere in my affairs joseph as i say i've been very patient and mr hearty whose face was deathly white broke off if he continued if this er fellow has ruined millie it's your fault

bindle made a movement towards his brother-in-law his hand was raised and there was murder smouldering in his eyes when something seemed to rush between them both men fell back a step and mr hardy found himself looking into a pair of blazing eyes that he failed to recognise as those of his daughter how dare you father she panted her young breast heaving her face flaming and her eyes burning with suppressed fury bindle regarded her with amazement and awe how dare you say that of charlie and me i hope god will punish you for it you have always made me unhappy you have never allowed me the pleasures other girls have if it hadn't been for mother i should have run away long ago it is fathers like you that make girls bad i won't have you blame uncle joe i-i wish he was my father mr hearty watched her as if fascinated her tempest of passion had overwhelmed him bindle looked from hearty to mrs hearty who was sitting crying softly and comfortably to herself millie looked round her in a dazed way then produced from somewhere a handkerchief with which she proceeded to wipe her eyes with great deliberation she walked over to where her hat and jacket lay upon a chair and proceeded to put them on

millie i forbid you to go out mr hearty was making a last despairing effort millie flashed a look of scorn at him i am going away she said quietly and i will never speak to you again until you take back those words bindle looked from father to daughter he felt helpless as if he were the onlooker at some impending tragedy which he was powerless to avert you are not of age millie and you must obey your father there was a more persuasive note in mr hearty's voice i am going away father said millie in the same colourless voice and if you try to prevent me she did not finish good-night mother millie went over to her mother and kissed her tenderly mrs hearty continued to cry she looked appealingly at bindle who nodded reassuringly look ere earty whispered bindle you're up agin something you don't understand i don't rightly understand it meself better let me take milly ome to lizzie she'll look after her all right for a moment mr hearty hesitated then with a glance at milly's resolute face he said milly your uncle will take you to your aunt elizabeth that is where i was going father she replied quietly

and mr hearty felt that he had been badly beaten and by his own daughter who until this evening he had always regarded as a child millie leant heavily on bindle's arm as they walked down the high street she did not notice that they were going in the opposite direction from bindle's house suddenly her eyes grew wide with wonder coming towards them was charlie dixon whose half hour had been spent in torture milly she smiled up into his face wearily now young feller said bindle with forced cheerfulness don't arst questions milly's comin on wi me it'll be all right but and he whispered to charlie dixon it's been bindle completed his sentence with a look now then millikin say good-night to charlie and we'll be off like a tired child she lifted her face to be kissed a flicker of a smile playing round her moist lips good-night charlie she whispered i'm so tired i shall always be grateful mr bindle said charlie dixon grasping bindle's hand le go you young fool yelled bindle charlie dixon dropped his hand as if it had been electrified next time you're grateful remarked bindle as he ruefully examined his hand you put it down on paper it won't hurt as much and they parted

that you bindle bindle recognized the familiar tone as he groped along the passage of his house with millie mrs bindle looked up from the supper-table as they entered the kitchen i brought millie ome lizzie said bindle simply there's been trouble earty's gone mad i'll tell yer all about it later one look told mrs bindle everything she wanted to know all the balked motherhood in her nature rose up as she took the girl in her arms and led her upstairs bindle sat down to his supper several times mrs bindle entered the room to fetch various things but no word passed between them bindle had been taken by surprise he would have been even more surprised had he seen the expression on mrs bindle's face as she coaxed and crooned over the girl lying on the bed upstairs when she finally returned to the kitchen bindle his supper finished had made up his mind to a great sacrifice for a few seconds they stood regarding each other it was bindle who broke the silence lizzie he said awkwardly i'll go to chapel on sunday if you like and then for no reason at all mrs bindle sat down at the table buried her face in her arms and sobbed convulsively i wonder what i done now muttered bindle as he regarded mrs bindle's heaving shoulders with a puzzled expression on his face

funny things women chapter twenty read by don w jenkins mancho san diego california shaggybark dot blogspot dot com