Aladdin and the Boss Cockie (cover imaged--add text): (1920)

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28 ALADDIN AND THE BOSS COCKIE
for breakfast. We got a noo cook—he's a cock
angel, though he is a pong."
" And Wire Fence?"
"Still after Judy an' frightened to talk an' tryin'
t' nop the question in the deaf an' dumb language."
"And Jim ?"
"lnventin'—inventin' mad. Billy Nor West got
on to a good patch of tin an' it gave him eight
hundred pound. He had a trip down to Sydney an'
he come back a terrible liar. He says there's a big
hotel where Paddy's Markets used to be. I don't.
h'leeve he's been in Sydney at all. Tom Tuft was
there the same time an' he never seen him."
" And how's Mr. Tuft, Uncle?"
"No good since he married that pub at Bauhinia
with six hundred an' forty acres an' a widder. Spare
me days! All he does now is writin' all over the
place tips for the Melbourne Cup two days after
the Oaks. He's left his ole woman now—she was
always speakin' out of her turn. And that's all
the mops,"
He rose and put a great friendly hand on each of
her shoulders, and said, with a little emotion:—
"An' we'll be glad to have y' back, Vere. It
ain't good for a young girl.goin' round on her own.
Let them suffragettys talk of bein' independent an'
-ghow their liberty by stickin' hatpins into pleesmen's
'legs, but the decent woman's place is in the home
—not talkin' politics or dancin' on the stage 'arfì:ressed—or
teachin' other people's kids, either."
Vera interposed hastily and fearfully, "Then we
are to leave by this boat?"
"My word—no more waitin'. Once bit, twice up
the pole."
"Then I'm ready," she replied swiftly, coming to
a decision. "That's as soon as I have written two
notes."
"Right you are, Vere, an' I'll send a telegraft to
y'r Ant."
He drank his beer and sent for the waiter, and
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