fe.
The Italian offered me twopence a day to go on his round with him and
dance while he turned the handle. I told Signor Hokey-pokey what I
thought of the offer, and I have some talent for language, if not for
languages. So, as he could not get me, he did the next best thing and
bought a monkey.

I was by far the most spiritual of the family. But my brother Minoru
attended chapel regularly, until they stopped collecting the offertory
in open plates and substituted locked boxes with a slot in them. He
found another chapel that seemed more promising, but he attended it
only once. I shall always consider that the policeman was needlessly
rough with him, for Minoru said distinctly that he would go quietly.

My sisters and myself had a fascination for the other sex that was
almost incredible. At one time we had a Proposal Competition every week;
each of us put in sixpence, and the girl who got the greatest number of
proposals took the pool. Casey or I generally won. Then one week I
encountered on the Heath the annual beanfeast of the Pottey Asylum for
the Feeble-minded, and won with a score of a hundred and seven, and I
think the others said it was not fair. Anyhow, the competitions were
discontinued.

Really, the way our lodger pestered my sisters and myself with his
absolute inattentions is difficult to explain. Anyone might have thought
that he did not know we were there. While the Proposal Competitions were
on, not one of us thought it worth while to waste time on the man. We
could get a better return for the same amount of fascination in other
quarters. Afterwards I thought that possibly his employment in the
milk-trade might be the cause of his extraordinary mildness, and that it
would be kind to offer him a little encouragement.

He usually went for a walk on Sunday mornings, and one Sunday I said
that I would accompany him.

"Better not," he said. "Looks to me like rain."

"But you have an umbrella," I pointed out.

"Aye," he said, "and when two people share one umbrella, they both get
all the drippings from it and none of the protection. You take a nice
book and read for a bit."

"No," I said. "I'm coming with you, and though it's Leap Year, I
definitely promise not to propose to you."

"Well," he said, "that makes a difference."

I thrust my arm into his gaily and confidentially, and he immediately
unhooked. We went on to the Heath together.

"I was once told by a palmist," I said, "that I had a myst