Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 57: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

. I SPRING-HEEL D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. mind was absorbed by other business, and he was anxious to get away. © You did?” said Perkins. '. Yes. Some little scandal about Baker and yourself being intoxicated and making an exhi- bition of yourselves in the neighbourhood, attired only in your shirts. But, of course, I am a man of business, gentlemen, and have little time to spare to listen to stories about drunken men.” “Drunken men, sir?” cried Baker, indignantly. “Insulted and outraged men, you mean, sir ! —men who, in seeking to serve their country and ensure the peace of the neighbourhood, were waylaid, robbed, and insulted on the public high- way, and afterwards brutally treated by those whose duty it was to protect us.” “Well, well! I have nothing to say in the matter. Pray do not be so warm upon a subject that does not concern me,” said Grasper, haughtily. ~ “Tt concerns everybody,” said Baker. _“ Kven Miss Frump, your neighbour, perhaps,” said Grasper, who had heard of the scene of the previous evening. _ Baker blushed scarlet. . “Sir, you do not believe ”—— “ What?” “Was outside your garden gate at a late hour, -attired only in your linen, and calling forth the indignation of all around. Indeed, I do believe ‘it, sir, for I heard it from good authority.” “ But, Mr. Grasper ” | ** But, gentlemen, it is past nine o’clock, and I have business of importance on hand to-night, and must wish you good evening,” said Grasper, decisively. “ But allow me to explain,’ pleaded Baker. ** T assure you that the affair has positively made Mrs. Baker quite ill.” “ No doubt.” | _ “ Then I will explain the whole cireumstance to you.” | *“ Some other time,” “No, sir, now.” ‘“‘ You must excuse me, indeed,” said Grasper. *“Oh! there is Miss Frump, with her jug in her hand, coming hither for her beer. You can ex- plain the affair to her perhaps {pi “*The devil!” cried Baker, as he turned his gaze in the direction indicated by Grasper. _. The eyes of the cloaked stranger also followed those of the unfortunate gentleman, and per- ceived the lady mentioned within a few yards of the public-house. | “ Well, I won’t tell you about it now ; some other time,” said Baker, nervously. ‘“ Good night, Mr. Grasper—good night, sir.” -Grasper shrugged his shoulder, and walked away, 2 proceeding. which Baker and Perkins were evidently about to quickly follow, but in a contrary direetion, being desirous of avoiding } the indignant glance of that ancient maiden, Miss Frump, The light in the public-house, however, played toe strongly upon the form and faces of the two gentlemen to suffer them to chide their identity, and the naturally red face of the maiden lady grew redder as her eyes encountered the slinking igure of poor Baker. Ah, you nasty man!” she cried, indig- | A nantly. “ Ain’t you ashamed to show yourself in the neighbourhood! Yow’re a disgrace—a— oh! shocking—shocking !” . “My dear Miss Frump,” began Baker, in stammering tones, and blushing till his face was almost as red as her own. } The man in the cloak was about to move after Grasper, but when he heard the old lady’s re- marks, he drew back with a smile, muttering—- ‘“T must watch that rascal; but if I follow him now, I may lose a chance of some fun. Let him go for the present, I can catch him when I please. By Jove, the old lady's indignation does not say much for her good sense. Poor Baker! I pity him. Itis hard to™have insult heaped upon injury.” | Miss Frump became furious. | “Do you dare to dear me, you—you odious rascal?” she fairly screamed. “My good woman” “Tm not a good woman,” cried the old lady. “You ain’t a bad one, are you?”’ said Parkins, coming to his nervous friend’s aid, “ Me a bad woman—me? Do you call me a bad woman? Tl have you to know, sir, that I’m a respectable maiden. lady. . That—that— oh! the viper!” | | Here the lady’s power of speech failed. But action took its place. As she finished speaking, she walked up close to Perkins, and shook her china jug in his face with such a furious gesture, that that gentleman, fearful that the beauty of his own countenance might be spoiled, deemed it best to spoil the beauty of the jug, so raising his walking cane, he dealt the vessel a blow, and smashed it into a dozen fragments, leaving-only the handle on the fingers of the irritable and disgusted lady. This unexpected action seemed for a time to utterly confuse Miss Frump. — She stood for some moments looking upon the handle of the jug, as if unable to realize what had occurred, Then she turned her from him to Baker. There was a grin of satisfaction upon that gentleman’s face. The action of his friend had somewhat avenged him. _ * Serye you right,” he said.° | These words broke the spell which enchained her. . In an instant a wonderful change came over the ancient maiden. | The look of surprise vanished. Fury took its place. . . rs Her eyes started forward from out of their sockets. } The teeth, or rather the few which remained of a once good set, were ground together, while the nostrils were widely dilated. _ Serve me right, you vampire!”’ she hissed rather than spoke. “Serve me right? Oh! you. monster! You—you ” “ Go it, mother Frump—go it, old girl!” said a laughing voice behind her. The woman turned like an enraged tigress, and stood face to face with a seas iy hy a young fellow, whom the souud of her voice ha called-from the bar of the public-house, where, if the truth must be told, he was paying more gaze upon Perkins, and ol . rr cr ey, ee ee Oe ee SC | O}ONO) = G0) HAIG <S (©)