FOR THE YOUNG FOLK KiM, the Kiwi

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 15

FOR THE YOUNG FOLK KiM, the Kiwi

Chapter VH. ■ For the first few days, in the bakery his life was not worth two peanuts. Hel w- too slowand the coal would *» ou^ Then they were short of peanuts. A find to do there was to hurry up and; keep the fires going. Mr. Brusher and his brother were morose and they , said very little. ,»The brother that was in charge shook him properly ever his slow ways, and he did have to work hard, and the heat was very intense. : Once Mr. Brasher was very cross. Kirn was in such a muddle over being behind hand' that he put peanuts on the furnace and coal in the oven: This,,of course, made Mr Brusher very angry. He caught hold of Kirn and told him to be more careful, otherwise he would be of no further use m the bakery. All this made him forget Samuel. He had too much to think a.bout, and he was very glad when the dinnertime came and more glad when -5 o'clock arrived. Then he would go home to his lodgings feeling very very tired. But his vanity never left him. He would^ have a. bath and get clean.': Tihs took a long time, as the bakery was

a Very dusty place. When he was clean he would dress himself up in his best suit-to see how he would look when he arrived in England, and then admire himself in the glass. Ha plotted and planned to try and get there somehow, but he could think of no suitable way. If he went as a stowaway he would be found and^vhen the ship arrived Home be sent back without seeing Samuel. That was useless. Not only that, he might _be put m : prison. So you see he was wise in many ways.' The only thing to do was to work hard at the bakery, save enough money and buy a passage, and begone with it. He decided to write to Samuel by the next mail. So.he procured ink and pen, and when, ho one was looking took" a piece of-'etter paper out of Brusher Bros.' Office. This is what he wrote. ...

Telegrams: , .- Hosk, Wellington The Bakery, "Kernel" lane, Wellington. "Brasher 8r05.," Peanut Bakers. Zoos and Monkey Houses Supplied. Official Caterers to the Squirrels' Club. Dear Samuel, —Your father's letter arrived. I was glad you did get home safely. I thought you were lost as; I did not hear from you for bo long. What is this Trap Codgers' Club that your father belongs tof You ■«• I tm iv

By E. NELSON HOBSON. ILLUSTOATED BY A. H. MESSENGER.

Wellington, .working, at/the bakery. A very easy job and I. am .well, paid for it. .s° well Pai(l that :i-am thinking of takK lu^f tfe^SS" w hen it will be. 'All the godd accdmmodatioh in the ships'is booked up, and I must travel'in comfort. I m'ignt bring you some of the New Zealand cheese 'that your family like so much. That is if I have room. Expect me when you ; see me: My home folk are .well, but old Fantail never recovered from'meet-, ing you.—Yours, Kirn. . . ,i He then continued his work at /the* ba k ery and to a measure he was satisf actory but Mr. Brusher always had his I- , c e ye on him, and one day Kirn', singed ferusher's tail with a hot cinder, This made him hop a b ou t, and he was: very near]y discharged. Gradually,: however, he improved, and got into the! Brushers' ways. ..-. ■ -<~ ■■ ' : . • '■•■'•.- As time went on .he began,..to think; he would never get to England. , He' wrote to his mother and told her how; he was and all about the bakery.' He" said he. thought, he had .become' thin,'

but of course he never mentioned Sarauel or the letters. He was getting very despondent , and j n the evening before it' was dark he use( j to'walk around the wharves to see the ships just iv case Samuel might have returned, as Kirn thought, "You never know what Samuel would do." j „T hen ft very curkmg thing happened H e overheard an argument one night between two cats who * apparently belonged to the shi to which a gangwa - y was 6 at . tached / nd tf Were arguing on this : gangway . S o Kirn crepf along and hid f Tnd lrneath it in thej space-between .the bottom of the gangway arid the wharf. One said to the other, "But you don't come from London, do you?" The other replied, "Indeed I do. I lived in the London Docks before, I eamo on this ship." London Docks, thought Kirn,

why that s where Samuel lives. Surely, He could hardly believe it. He listened on as the cat continued; "And the finest mousing ground in the world, and don't you forget it." My -word, thought Kirn, I must meet that gentleman, but what is a mousing ground, he must have said housing ground: He then came out of his hiding-place and walked away as if nothing had happened. But the caia called' afer him, "Hi, who are you, and where are you going?" Kirn turned round and said, "When do yon sail?" "Thursday," they replied. He then said, "I will call to-morrow sight, at 8, as I want to speak to you,"

(To hi continued,)