The Man in Possession — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

52 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. want it for dinner, no doubt. Ah, here she comes,” he added suddenly. ‘‘Good-morning, Fletcher,” said the girl as she en- tered the kitchen. ‘‘I hope you found your daughter better than you expected.” ‘‘ She’s pretty bad, Miss, but she won’t die,” said the man, touching his forehead respectfully. _ “ That was a very—superior sort of young man who took your place last night,” continued Kate. ‘‘Not a regular bailiff, was he?” Fletcher looked somewhat embarrassed for a moment. The memory ofa substantial ‘‘tip” was keenly before him, also of sundry promises of secrecy and reticence exacted on the previous night. ‘‘Well, Miss,” he said with an apologetic cough, ‘‘I suppose he’s not quite a regular professional, if it comes to that; but Lord! he takes to it like a good ‘un,” he added, enthusiastically; ‘‘ offers to work time about with me so as to give me a few hours off. Yousee, Miss, it’s rather hard on one man; we generally has help, but—we're uncommon busy just now, uncommon busy,” he added, as if that was a satisfactory reflection. | ‘““QOh,” said Kate, ‘‘then he will be here again.” , ‘‘To-night—two hours off,” answered Fletcher, ‘‘meaning me,” he added as the girl looked some- what puzzled. ‘‘I takes two hours off, he stays in my place, turn and turn about, until such time as the temporary—inconvenience, can be arranged.” ‘‘T’m afraid that won’t be very soon, Fletcher,” said the girl despondently. ‘‘Twenty pounds” COMIC DOOKS.G