yther, all the time they was arranging their plans, and
he heard all as they was saying. So Will Jones's wife Martha sends the
lad to tell our Betty when the men was gone. She'd promised not to say
anything herself, but that didn't bind the lad, so he came and told.
What were we to do? Why, just the right thing were being ordered for
us. Do ye remember old Job Paynter, the bill-sticker?"

"Ay, for sure I do," replied Samuel. "He were a good Christian man, and
a thorough total abstainer."

"You're right there, Sammul," said his father; "now old Job's uncle to
our John here. I'd seen a good deal of old Job of late. He'd taken to
me and our Betty, and used often to call and have a cup of tea with us.
He knowed how I wished to get away from Langhurst; and one night he says
to me, `I've a nephew, John Walters, down at Fairmow, in Shropshire.
He's one of the right sort. I heard from him a while since as his
squire wants a steady man to overlook a small colliery as he's got on
his estate. The man as is there now's taken to drinking, so the
squire's parting with him in December. Would you like me to mention
yourself to my nephew?' You may be sure, Sammul, I were very thankful
for the chance. But it wasn't chance--the word slipped out of my mouth;
but I've done with chance long since--it were the Lord's doing. So old
Job wrote to our John about it, and the end were, the squire offered the
place to me. I got Job to keep it quite snug, for I didn't want my old
mates to know anything about it. This were all settled afore I'd agreed
to speak at the meeting. So when we found, from Martha Jones's lad,
what my old mates was up to, I talked the matter over with old Job
Paynter, and we hit upon a plan as'd just turn the tables on 'em, and
might do 'em some good. It were all arranged with our John as we should
be at liberty to come to his cottage here till the place were ready for
me at the colliery. Then Job and I talked it over, and it were settled
as our Betty should go to her aunt's at Rochdale, and take all her
things with her, and meet me on the twenty-third of November at
Stockport. Job was to come to our house on the twenty-second. So, a
little afore nine, he slips in when it were very dark, and brings a lot
of old letters with him ready cut out, and some paste. You must know as
he'd a large quantity of old posters by him as had been soiled or torn.
So he cuts what black letters he wants out of these, and some