The Ragged Orphan by Lindsey Hutchinson

Author:Lindsey Hutchinson [Hutchinson, Lindsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books

25

McGuire was waiting in the yard when the carts came in and cast an eye over each as the bundles were dragged off.

‘How did you get on today, Jared?’ he asked, spying the box.

‘Good, Mr McGuire. A lady asked me to shift this for her but I didn’t pay out. If we can’t do anything with it, I’ll take it home and dispose of it from there.’

McGuire nodded as he sifted through the box. The movement told Jared all he needed to know.

‘Mr McGuire, how is Seth doing?’ Jared asked.

‘Improving every day, Jared. I’ll tell him you were asking after him.’

‘Is he coming back to work?’

‘It’s a bit early to say yet. I think a lot will depend on whether we can find the person we’re looking for.’ McGuire’s eyes slid sideways to where the sorters were busy and who were not privy to the secret.

‘I understand,’ Jared said as he picked up the box. ‘I’ll feed Bess and then head home. See you in the morning, Mr McGuire.’ Placing the box by the gates, Jared then went to the stables.

Once work there was finished, Jared collected his box and after being joined by the other boys, he set off home.

‘What’s in there?’ Dan asked.

Jared told his friends the story about the woman who wanted rid of her junk, and amid taunts of being a soft touch, the little group walked on, laughing happily.

Once he was back at home, Jared sorted through the box, pulling out a plaster statue of a shepherdess, a broken brooch, a pair of woollen gloves with holes in them, a rag doll missing an arm, and at the bottom, a tin box. Intrigued, Jared prised open the rusty lid and lifted out some photographs. Gazing at the pictures, Jared could see they were of the woman who had given him the box, but the photos were from her younger days. The image of the girl looked back at him, the hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth. A small hat adorned her hair, which was piled up in neat curls, and her high-neck blouse had a lace trim.

Jared wondered why the woman was discarding the photographs or even if she realised they were in the box when she handed it over to him. As he stared at the pretty face, he debated returning them to her the next day in case she wanted to keep them after all.

Replacing the pictures in the tin box, Jared set it to one side. The rest of the junk he put outside the back door to be thrown out later.

Making himself a meal of cold meat, tomatoes, cheese and bread with hot tea, Jared’s thoughts moved to Seth and what was to become of him. There was part of Jared that hoped Seth would not be returning to the yard, for in his absence things had settled into an easy-going routine and the tension in the group had gone. If he did come back, Seth could upset the balance again with his disruptive attitude.

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