lly the case. One of the men remarked upon
this fact.

"They ain't a-goin' to pay you for doin' things and do 'em theirselves,
so look slippy," was Bindle's response.

The people at No. 129 manifested considerable surprise in the doings of
Bindle and his assistants. Soon after a start had been made, the
maidservant came to the front door for a few moments, and watched the
operations with keen interest. As Bindle staggered down the path
beneath a particularly voluminous armchair she ventured a tentative
remark.

"I'm surprised that Mrs. Rogers is movin'," she said.

"Not 'alf as surprised as she'll be when she finds out," muttered
Bindle with a grin, as he deposited the chair on the tail of the van
for Ginger to stow away.

"Funny she shouldn't 'ave told yer," he remarked to the girl as he
returned up the path.

"You ain't 'alf as funny as you think," retorted the girl with a toss
of her head.

"If you're as funny as you look, Ruthie dear, you ought to be worth a
lot to yer family," retorted Bindle.

"Where did you get that nose from?" snapped the girl pertly.

"Same place as yer got that face, only I got there first. Now run in,
Ruthie, there's a good girl. I'm busy. I'm also married." The girl
retired discomfited.

Later in the day the mistress of No. 129 emerged on her way to pay a
call. Seeing Bindle she paused, lifted her lorgnettes, and surveyed
him with cold insolence.

"Is Mrs. Rogers moving?" she asked.

"No, mum," replied Bindle, "we're goin' to take the furniture for a
ride in the park."

"You're an extremely impertinent fellow," was the retort. "I shall
report you to your employers."

"Please don't do that, mum; think o' me 'ungry wives an' child."

There was no further endeavour to enquire into the destination of Mrs.
Rogers's possessions.

By four o'clock the last load had left--a miscellaneous mass of
oddments that puzzled Bindle how he was ever going to sort them out.

It was past seven before Bindle and his men had finished their work.
The miscellaneous things, obviously the accumulation of many years, had
presented problems; but Bindle had overcome them by putting in the
coal-cellar everything that he could not crowd in a lumber room at the
top of the house, or distribute through the rest of the rooms.

"Seemed to have moved in an 'urry," coughed Wilkes; "I never see sich a
lot of truck in all me life."

"P'r'aps they owed the rent," suggested Huggles.

"'Uggles, 'Ug