Free Missing Person by Mary Jane Staples

owe you for today, Tilly. Can’t tell you how obliged I am. Tell you what, come Saturday and you can pay your first bit of rent then. Say half a crown, and then seven-and-six Saturday week and onwards. How’s that?’
    ‘Well, I won’t complain about that,’ said Tilly, and made for the door. She turned and said, ‘But listen, don’t try and take advantage of me good nature tomorrow. I won’t ’ave any time to look after your gels tomorrow.’
    ‘Understood, Tilly,’ said Dan breezily.
    ‘Good evenin’ to you, then,’ said Tilly, and found a smile for the girls as she left.
    Upstairs she did some more sorting out so that she could settle down to a few hours work at her sewing-machine.
    She heard Mr Rogers and the girls in the passage thirty minutes later.
    ‘Come on, then,’ she heard him say, ‘let’s go and see how Alice’s fractured foot is.’
    ‘Can Tilly come wiv us?’ That was Penny-Farving asking the question.
    ‘’Fraid not, angel, she’s busy.’
    ‘Oh, dear, poor woman,’ said Bubbles.
    Tilly smiled. She heard the front door open and close, and the house became quiet. She closed her own door, then sat down at her sewing-machine in front of the back room window. The evening sun danced on the crowded rooftops of Walworth.

Chapter Six
    THE BALMY MAY evening had brought Boots and Mr Finch out into the garden. Boots, having finished mowing the lawn, put the machine away in the shed. At the same time, his stepfather finished his diligent work with a hoe, and they sat down together at the garden table. They both looked as if physical exercise in the open air agreed with them, although it hadn’t done very much for their gardening clothes. Ancient trousers, suffering wear and tear, stayed up as much by force of habit as by such help as old belts were able to give. And their open-necked shirts looked long past retiring age.
    Rosie appeared on cue, carrying a tray on which stood two bottles of light ale and two glass tumblers.
    ‘Refreshments, Daddy, with Mummy’s compliments,’ she said, placing the tray on the table. ‘She says you’re both deserving, but I have to tell you that Nana says you both look sights.’
    ‘We’ve all got problems,’ said Boots, ‘but take a bow for bringing the refreshments, poppet.’
    ‘Oh, I’ll make do with five bob extra pocket money for next month,’ said Rosie.
    ‘Sounds a reasonable offer, Rosie,’ said Mr Finch.
    ‘Five bob’s reasonable?’ said Boots.
    ‘Yes, aren’t you lucky I’m not a grasping girl?’ said Rosie. ‘Shall I undo the beer stoppers for you?’
    ‘Not if you’re going to charge me for that as well,’ said Boots.
    ‘Should I charge him, Grandpa?’ asked Rosie.
    ‘Why not?’ smiled Mr Finch, thinking the girl a picture in the warm evening light. Rosie, he thought, would be a quite beautiful young woman by the time she was nineteen. And her personality was totally engaging. There she was, a teasing smile on her face. She had combed out her wavy hair to let it hang down her back, a blue ribbon around it. Her attire was simple, a white button-up blouse and a short blue skirt. Rosie would always go for simplicity, not frills and flounces. ‘It’s an art, Rosie, freeing stoppers from beer bottles. Yes, you should charge.’
    ‘All right, say another five bob, Daddy,’ she said.
    ‘Hold on,’ said Boots, ‘it’s your granddad’s turn to fork out.’
    ‘No, this is just between you and me,’ said Rosie, picking up one of the bottles. ‘Another five bob will make it ten bob in all. No, say seven-and-six, then you’ll make a profit of two-and-six. That’ll mean we’ll both be in the money. Can’t say fairer, can I? There.’ She twisted the stopper free, and did the same with the second bottle. Froth rose and put a light brown foamy cap on each bottle. ‘Shall I pour, Grandpa?’
    ‘Don’t say yes, Edwin,’ said Boots, ‘or it’ll cost me another five bob. Go and help yourself to a lemonade, Rosie, then