Chapter 28
The Week before Christmas
During the next week Owen painted a sign on the outer wall of one of the workshops at the yard, and he also wrote the name of the firm on three of the handcarts.
These and other odd jobs kept him employed a few hours every day, so that he was not actually out of work.
One afternoon—there being nothing to do—he went home at three o’clock, but almost as soon as he reached the house Bert White came with a coffin-plate which had to be written at once. The lad said he had been instructed to wait for it.
Nora gave the boy some tea and bread and butter to eat whilst Owen was doing the coffin-plate, and presently Frankie—who had been playing out in the street—made his appearance. The two boys were already known to each other, for Bert had been there several times before—on errands similar to the present one, or to take lessons on graining and letter-painting from Owen.
“I’m going to have a party next Monday—after Christmas,” remarked Frankie. “Mother told me I might ask you if you’ll come?”
“All right,” said Bert; “and I’ll bring my Pandoramer.”
“What is it? Is it alive?” asked Frankie with a puzzled look.
“Alive! No, of course not,” replied Bert with a superior air. “It’s a show, like they have at the Hippodrome or the Circus.”
“How big is it?”