Chapter 7
chapter seven of bindle by herbert jenkins this librivox recording is in the public domain recording by don w jenkins chapter seven bindle commits an indiscretion any one would think you was goin to a widdin mrs bindle eyed bindle aggressively not again i got one little canary bird two might make me unappie bindle had remembered his promise to his niece millie in every particular and had added as his own contribution a twopenny cigar resplendent in a particularly wide red-and-gold band which he had been careful not to remove anything might appen to me in this get-up he remarked pleasantly so don't expect me till i'm ome you never take me out broke in mrs bindle stormily but you can take that chit of a girl out first time she asks you don't like the pictures mrs b they ain't oly enough and some of the young women in em are a bit generous like with showing their ankles but they're there
you used to take me out before we was married replied mrs bindle ignoring bindle's remark bindle looked at her curiously them was the days when yer wasn't about goin to a music-all there ain't nowhere to take yer cept the chapel and i don't enjoy it as you and earty do where do you expect to go demanded mrs bindle angrily she always became angry when mention was made of the pleasures she once enjoyed where do you expect to go to well remarked bindle judicially accordin to you an earty it's a place where yer don't ave to pay no water-rates mrs bindle sniffed derisively look ere my one an only continued bindle i got to ave a pretty bad time in the next world accordin to what you an earty believes so i'm goin to the pitchers an i'll ave a drink or two in this if i was as sure of evin as you an earty is maybe i'd be more careful mrs bindle banged the iron she was using down upon the rest but made no comment well see you later if i'm lucky said bindle and he was gone he found millie in a fervour of expectation she opened the door to him herself looking very pretty and smart in her sunday hat
i was so afraid you'd forget uncle she whispered snuggling against him as they walked along you look so nice she added bindle looked down at himself and grinned it pays for dressing he observed the cigar was me own idea it gives a sort of finish eh millikins they walked past the fulham grand theatre and at the cinema palace on the fulham side of the bridge bindle paused not this one-the one over the bridge millie cried anxiously further to walk for your old uncle but but faltered millie charlie chaplin's at the other and i do so want to see him charlie chaplin's here too millikins look it says so oh uncle please please the other one there were tears in millie's eyes and her voice shook bindle was puzzled but to please her he would have walked over many bridges uncle you are good was all she said as she smiled at him happily they passed over the bridge in silence watching the stream of trams buses and people when with millie bindle never ventured upon those little personalities in which he indulged when alone
do you like chapel millikins bindle inquired suddenly i hate it uncle joe there was such feeling and decision in millie's voice that bindle turned and regarded her curiously why i want to be happy oh i do so want to be happy uncle joe there was almost a sob in millie's voice and her eyes were moist with unshed tears vendle said nothing but he pondered deeply as they walked slowly along when they saw the brilliant lights of the putney pavilion millie visibly brightened as they entered millie looked eagerly round and a sigh of contentment escaped her as her eyes rested on a tall pale-faced youth who stood smoking a cigarette he raised his hat about an inch from his head squaring his elbow in the process as if saluting the action was awkward and sheepish bindle looked from the young man to millie then remembering millie's distress at his suggestion of going to the other cinema light dawned upon him with elaborate courtesy and to the youth's obvious astonishment he returned the salute then walking across seized his hand and shook it effusively
millikins this is a young man i used to know but have forgotten he remembers me however and that's all that matters this is me niece millie he added to the youth who staring in utter bewilderment from bindle to millie stood with downcast head "'Goin' in to see the pictures?' Bindle inquired casually. "'Er, er, no, er, yes, of course,' stuttered the youth. "'Nice evenin' for pictures,' continued Bindle, thoroughly enjoying the situation. "'Don't you think so?' he added, as the youth did not reply.
"'Yes, very. Now, you and me's old pals, but I've quite forgot your name. Is it Orris?' Dixon! Charlie Dixon! A faint smile flickered across the young man's face as he caught Millie's eye. He was beginning to realize that somewhere in this astonishing adventure there was fun, and that Bindle had been first to see it. For some seconds Bindle, who was a shrewd judge of character, regarded the young man. He was obviously nervous, but his gray eyes looked out honestly
from a rather pleasant face into those of Bindle. Suddenly he laughed. Millie looked from one to the other, her pretty brows puckered. The situation was obviously beyond her. "'Uncle, I want to speak to you, please,' Millie's voice was scarcely audible. "'All right, my dear, we'll go and buy the tickets. You wait here, young feller,' he added. "'We'll be back in two ticks.' When out of earshot, Millie whispered shyly,
"'That's Charlie Dixon, and we like each other, and I'm a wicked girl, Uncle Joe. I told him to be her end." That's all right, Millikens, don't you worry. Millie gave his arm an ecstatic squeeze as he left her to purchase the tickets. When Bindle and his niece rejoined Charlie Dixon, Bindle's mind was made up.
He liked the look of the young man. He also remembered his own youth, and a glance at the happy face of his niece decided him upon his course of action. How long have you known each other? he inquired. than six months,' replied Charlie Dixon.
"'Seems a lifetime, eh?' he grinned. "'I knew you'd understand, dear Uncle Joe,' whispered the now radiant Millie. "'Look ere,' said Bendel to Charlie Dixon. "'I just remembered I got to see a mate round the corner. You two go in with these tickets, and I'll follow in ten minutes.
If I misses yer be ere in this all at ten sharp, see?' They both saw and exchanged rapturous glances. "'Mind ten sharper, I'll get the sack.' Thank you, Mr. Bindle," said Charlie Dixon, raising his hat, to which Bindle responded with an elaborate sweep that brought a smile to the face of the attendant.
Just before turning into Putney High Street, Bindle looked round to see Millie and Charlie Dixon in earnest converse, walking slowly towards the door leading into the pictures, and bliss. Bindle sighed involuntarily. I wonder if I done right.
Funny thing, me, playin' Coupid. what mrs b and arty ud say there's goin to be trouble j b and you're goin to get yourself in an oly sort of mess if it hadn't been for petticoats yer might have been mayor of fulham or charlie chaplin at a quarter to ten bindle left a merry group of intimates at the scarlet horse and a few minutes later was waiting in the vestibule of the pavilion where he was joined by the lovers i never knew millikins was such a pretty gal muttered bindle as they approached then aloud where'd you two got to i been searchin everywhere with a wealth of detail they explained exactly where they had been sitting funny i didn't see yer remarked bindle now you two must say good-night and turning to the youth if yer'll follow across the bridge slowly maybe i'll see yer outside the grand theatre after i've taken this young woman ome
millie was strangely silent as the three crossed putney bridge she was thinking deeply of her new-found happiness and as she gripped bindle's arm with both hands she felt that he represented her special providence she could tell him anything for he understood she would always tell uncle joe everything outside fulham theatre she said good-night to charlie dixon you ain't said a word since i met you millikins wot's up inquired benble puzzled at millie's silence i've been wondering uncle joe replied the girl in a subdued voice wot about tell your ole uncle i've been wondering why you are so good to me and why you don't think me a wicked girl then turning to him anxiously you don't uncle joe do you well millikins there ain't anythink very wicked so far as i can see in wantin to be appy in the way you do is nibs looks a nice young chap an if he ain't e'll wish e'd never seen yer ole uncle there was a grim note in bindle's voice that surprised his niece you don't think god minds us being happy that that way do you uncle joe questioned millie earnestly i'm sure he don't millikins e's all for the appiness wot don't do nobody any arm that parson chap told me an e was a dean or something an e ought to know millie drew a sigh of relief then her mood suddenly changed
uncle let's run she cried and without waiting for the protest that was forming itself on bindle's lips she caught him by the hand and dashed off after a moment's hesitation bindle entered into her mood and the pair tore up fulham high street millie running obliquely in front striving to urge bindle to a greater pace just as they reached the hearty's private door mr hearty himself emerged on his way to post a letter millie running sideways did not see him bindle was unable to avoid the inevitable collision and millie's elbow took her father dead in the centre of his waistcoat and drove the breath out of his body oh father cried his horrified daughter millie gasped mr hearty when he had regained sufficient breath for speech my fault hearty i likes a run now and again we was having a bit of a race millikins beats me in the matter o legs to mr hearty women had limbs not legs and he disliked intensely bindle's reference to those of his daughter i hope this will not occur again he said severely i shall have to stop these these unable to find the word mr hearty passed on to the pillar-box milly stood watching him horror in her eyes oh uncle joe am i a very bad girl father always makes me feel so wicked he'd make an oly saint feel a bit of a rip you're just about as bad as a first-class angel but p'raps it'd be better not to old sports outside the shop
might get me a bad name now in you go young un and we'll ave another bust next friday eh i'll be seeing his nibs on me way ome good-night dear uncle joe i'm glad you're my uncle she put her arms round his neck and kissed him and bindle experienced a curious sensation in his throat gawd bless yer millikins bindle mumbled in an unsteady voice as she tripped along the passage fancy me sayin that he muttered as he closed the door it kind o slipped out a few yards down the high street bindle met his brother-in-law returning from the post i'm sorry earty about that collision it was all my fault i like playin wi kids there was an unaccustomed humility in bindle's voice assumed for the purpose of making things easier for millie that pleased mr hearty millie is no longer a child joseph he remarked but we'll say no more about it i'm not hurt good-night he bared his yellow teeth in token of forgiveness as he passed on bindle gazed up at the skies meditatively i wonder if god really likes that sort he murmured with a seriousness that was unusual to him outside the theatre he found waiting for him charlie dixon who greeted him with will you bring her again mr bindle
ere i ain't a nurse young feller nice mess you got me in it's all through you that millikins nearly killed their father ran clean into him and sort of knocked the wind out of his bellows bindle told the story of the collision with great gusto now he continued you an me's got to ave a talk and then we'll ave a glass of beer at the same time bindle learned the story of millie's romance it appeared that she and charlie dixon who was in a shipping office went to the city by the same train every morning millie being a typist at a wholesale draper's young dixon had watched her week after week and he eventually became acquainted owing to a break-down on the line which resulted in a corresponding break-down of the passenger's usual reserve after that they went up regularly together met at lunch after business hours and on every occasion that millie could possibly manage it once they had each obtained a half-holiday which they had spent at the zoo charlie dixon's frankness and obvious devotion to millie hearty entirely won bindle's heart you will help us mr bindle won't you he pleaded look ere young feller said bindle with an unusual note of seriousness in his voice
i don't know nothing about yer and before i elps i got to be sure what i thinks yer are now you just get me a letter or two from them as knows what sort of villain yer are and then p'r'aps i'll be the same sort of old fool i been to-night see they parted with mutual regard and promises to meet again next friday when charlie dixon was to bring such documents as would vouch for his respectability yes i've been an ole fool muttered bindle as he walked home this ere business is goin to lead to trouble between me and earty what a pity people gets it as bad as earty no man didn't ought to be religious all the week it ain't natural that night bindle entered his house whistling gospel bells with unaccustomed abandon been enjoying yourself leaving me at ome to slave and get your meals ready snapped mrs bindle one o these days you'll come ome and find me gone who's the man interrogated bindle with a temerity that surprised himself that night bindle lay awake for some time thinking over life in general and the events of the evening in particular he never could quite understand why he had been precipitated into an atmosphere so foreign to his nature as that surrounding mrs bindle and mr hearty
he had striven very hard to stem the tide of religious gloom as it spread itself over mrs bindle unaware of the cause he not unnaturally selected the wrong methods which were those of endeavouring to make her cheer up the idea of going to evan seems to make her low-spirited was bindle's view even mrs bindle was not entirely proof against his sallies and there were times when a reluctant smile would momentarily relieve the grim severity of her features there were occasions even when they chatted quite amiably until the recollection of mr hearty and the mental comparison of his success with bindle's failure threw her back into the slough from which she had temporarily been rescued there must be something funny about me bindle had once confided to mrs hearty my father was as religious as a woman wi one leg then i gets lizzie and she turns away from me and mammon i don't rightly know who he is but she's always talking about him then you goes back on me and gives me a sort of brother-in-law who's as o'ly as ointment you ain't been a real pal martha really you ain't if called upon to expound his philosophy of life bindle would have found himself in difficulties he was a man whose sympathies were quickly aroused and it never troubled him whenever the object of his charity were a heathen a christian or a mormon
on one occasion when a girl had been turned out of doors at night by an outraged father who had discovered his daughter's frailty it was bindle who found her weeping convulsively near putney pier it was he who secured her a night's lodging and stood her friend throughout the troubled weeks that followed although it meant neither beer nor tobacco for some months On another occasion a mate had been ill, and it was Bindle who each week collected what pence he could from his fellow workmen, and made up from his own pocket the amount necessary to keep the man, his wife, and child. To do this he had done work as a whitewasher and laborer, never working less than one whole night a week in addition to his regular occupation, until his mate was well again. no one knew of these little acts which bindle kept profound secrets he would have felt ashamed had they become known more particularly had mrs bindle or mr hearty heard of them once he had remarked apropos of some remark of mr hearty's regarding what in his opinion would be heaven's attitude towards some unfortunate wretch who had stolen food for his wife
i shouldn't like to ave a god i'd sometimes ave to feel ashamed of whereat mr hearty had become very red and embarrassed chapter seven read by don w jenkins rancho san diego california shaggybark dot blogspot dot com
