washer and labourer,
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 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
Gawd I'd sometimes 'ave to feel ashamed of," whereat Mr. Hearty had
become very red and embarrassed.

CHAPTER VIII

THE GREAT CONSPIRACY

I

At Harridge's Stores Bindle had made himself very popular with the
manager of the Furniture Removing Department. His cheery outlook on
life, his racy speech and general trustworthiness resulted in his being
frequently entrusted with special jobs where reliability was required.

When the order was received to supply the refreshments for the Barton
Bridge Temperance Fete, Bindle was selected to go down to erect the
marquee and stalls, and be generally responsible for the safe transit
of the eatables and drinkables.

"Yer can always trust me wi' lemonade and religion," he had assured the
manager. "I don't touch neither; they sort of goes to me 'ead."

The Barton Bridge Temperance Society had determined to celebrate the
twenty-fifth anniversary of its foundation in a manner that should
attract to it the attention of the temperance world. After much
deliberation and heart-burning, an English Rustic Fete had been decided
upon.

The whole of the surrounding country had been put under contribution,
and everyone had responded either with generosity or with scorn. Old
Sir John Bilder, of Bilder's Entire, had replied with ponderous humour
that he "would supply all the ale required." When he received a
request for three gross of pint bottles of a particular kind of
temperance ale he had been surprised. "Well, I'm damned!" was his
comment; but being a sportsman he had sent the ale, which he regarded
as a fair price for a good story.

Barton Bridge was proud of its Temperance Society, but prouder still of
its breadth of mind. It had been a tradition for a quarter of a
century that the Society should be non-sectarian. It is nothing to the
discredit of Barton Bridge that the Temperance Society was the only
thing in the place that had not been wa