Sussex Gorse: The Story of a FightKaye-Smith, Sheila
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Sussex Gorse: The Story of a Fight
Kaye-Smith, Sheila
Sussex (England) -- Fiction
After breakfast the whole family set out for the Moor. Odiam looked
unnatural with its empty yard, where the discouraged Beatup mouched,
gazing longingly and chewing a straw. But every farm round Boarzell
looked the same, for Boarzell Fair emptied the neighbourhood as
completely as a pilgrimage would empty a Breton hamlet--only the beasts
and unwilling house-keepers were left behind.
Though it was not yet ten o'clock the Fair was crowded. A shout greeted
Harry's appearance with his fiddle, for it was never too early to dance.
Blind Harry climbed on his tub, flourished his bow with many horrible
smiles--for he loved his treats of popularity and attention--and started
the new tune "My Decided Decision," which Caro and Tilly had taught him
the day before. Albert immediately caught a pretty girl by the waist,
and spun round with her on the grass while Pete vanished into the
sparring-booth, his shoulders already out of his coat. Mrs. Backfield
led off Caro and Tilly, looking sidelong at the dancers, to the more
staid entertainment of the stalls. Jemmy and George ran straight to the
merry-go-round, which now worked by steam, and hooted shrilly as it
swung. Robert and Richard stood with their arms folded, watching the
dancing with very different expressions on their faces.
At last Robert decided to lead out Emily Ditch, thinking that it might
lull his father's suspicions if he had any. As a matter of fact the son
Reuben watched most closely was Albert. He looked upon Robert's affair
as settled, for the present at any rate, and credited him--perhaps
rightly--with so poor a cunning that an occasional glance would serve;
whereas Albert's oiled hair, stiff shirt-front, and clean white
handkerchief roused all his fears and carefulness together.
After the dance, which did not last long, as poor Robert trod so
heavily on his partner's feet that she soon begged him to stop, they
strolled off round the Fair. Robert thought that if he made it a custom
to roam among the booths his father would not notice his final
disappearance so quickly. Lord! he was getting a hemmed crafty fellow.
All the boys were allowed a shilling or two to spend at the Fair, so
Robert treated Emily to a ride on the merry-go-round and five sea-sick
minutes in the swings. Then he took Mrs. Button--Realf's married
daughter, who had come over from Hove, to see the Panorama and a new
attraction in the shape of a fat lady, which struck him as disgusting,
but made her laugh tremendously.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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