o grumbled at
the present state of things, yet took no trouble to think for himself
and try to alter them, and who at the first chance would vote for the
perpetuation of the System which produced his misery.

'Have you heard that old Jack Linden and his wife went to the workhouse
today,' he said.

'No,' replied Easton, indifferently. 'It's only what I expected.'

Owen then suggested it would not be a bad plan for Easton to let his
front room, now that it was empty, to Mrs Linden, who would be sure to
pay her rent, which would help Easton to pay his. Easton agreed and
said he would mention it to Ruth, and a few minutes later they parted.

The next morning Nora found Ruth talking to Mary Linden about the room
and as the Eastons lived only about five minutes' walk away, they all
three went round there in order that Mary might see the room. The
appearance of the house from outside was unaltered: the white lace
curtains still draped the windows of the front room; and in the centre
of the bay was what appeared to be a small round table covered with a
red cloth, and upon it a geranium in a flowerpot standing in a saucer
with a frill of coloured tissue paper round it. These things and the
curtains, which fell close together, made it impossible for anyone to
see that the room was, otherwise, unfurnished. The 'table' consisted
of an empty wooden box--procured from the grocer's--stood on end, with
the lid of the scullery copper placed upside down upon it for a top and
covered with an old piece of red cloth. The purpose of this was to
prevent the neighbours from thinking that they were hard up; although
they knew that nearly all those same neighbours were in more or less
similar straits.

It was not a very large room, considering that it would have to serve
all purposes for herself and the two children, but Mrs Linden knew that
it was not likely that she would be able to get one as good elsewhere
for the same price, so she agreed to take it from the following Monday
at two shillings a week.

As the distance was so short they were able to carry most of the
smaller things to their new home during the next few days, and on the
Monday evening, when it was dark. Owen and Easton brought the
remainder on a truck they borrowed for the purpose from Hunter.

During the last weeks of February the severity of the weather
increased. There was a heavy fall of snow on the 20th followed by a
hard frost which lasted several days.