his face, then moved it away again as he said, "There's a name been burnt in the bottom of it though. Me eyes aren't very good."
He passed the box over to Katie, and she had to look closely at it before she read out, "This box is the property of Eliza Fair ... child'. And she repeated the name, " Eliza Fairchild. Born, 1841'.
"Is that all it says?"
She nodded from one to the other.
"But 1841, that's last century."
"It doesn't say when she died, miss?"
Katie looked at Sep, and said, "No, Sep, it doesn't say when she died.
But she herself must have burnt that in because if somebody else had done it they would likely have said when she died. "
"It's a very nice box." Sammy was now holding it.
"I... I think it's teak. It's a pity the lock's broken, because, perhaps, it could have been of some value. People collect things like this, you know."
"Collect boxes?"
Sammy nodded towards the man at the other end of the table now, saying, "Oh yes, they collect all kinds of things. But because her name's been burnt in, it would make it valuable, I think ... well, of some interest to somebody."
"Mr. Slater, in the junk shop, you know. Da, he's good at fixing things.
He used to be a joiner or something at one time. We could take it down there and see what he says. And he sells all bits of things an' all. "
"Yes, you're right, Frank." His father was nodding at him.
"We'll do that. But whatever it goes for, little or much, and I should imagine it'll be little, it's the hairns'. You understand?"
"Oh, aye. Da. Oh aye. I'm not out for anything. Aye, it's their's."
"I think the shell could be worth something."
The attention was on Willie now. And Daisy, looking at him, said, "What makes you think that?"
"Because of the mother-of-pearl, I'm sure. Some people collect shells, as others do coins and stamps. What d'you think, Sammy?" He now handed the shell to Sammy, and he said, "Well, I don't know very much, in fact, I know nothing about mother-of-pearl, only that when you do hear it mentioned, it seems it could be expensive. I wouldn't take it to any junk shop. I would give it another good wash and get somebody . well, say you yourself, Mrs.
Gallagher, to go to a jeweller's and ask its value."
"You think so, lad? It may be ..."
"I don't know. But as Willie here said, Mrs. B ..." he smiled now, 'that's what I call his mother, she has a trinket box inlaid with the same stuff.
I've seen it. What d'you think, Katie? "
"Yes, Mother has a mother-of-pearl trinket box. But I wouldn't know its value. I've never taken much notice of it. She keeps odds and ends of
brooches and ear-rings and things in it."
"Well, I can tell you from experience," again Sammy had their attention, and he went on, 'what I know of Mrs. B, she wouldn't have anything cheap on her dressing table. So, I'd have that valued. "
"Oh, well then," Len Gallagher drew in a long breath. Then, putting his hand out, he patted first his young son and then his daughter, saying, "Your journey has not been in vain." Bending down to the two smiling faces he went into a sort of rhyme and song, singing,
"He raced across the open space, But never reached the end, For he fell down a cliff And was found there stiff, For he forgot to take the bend."
The two children had joined him in singing the last line; and, again patting their heads, Len turned from them and looked at Katie, who sat staring at him.
"It's like a lot of us, isn't it?" he said.
"We forget to take the bend, and although we're alive, we lie stiff at the bottom of the cliff." He smiled wryly now and, jerking his head towards where his wife was thrusting the two children into the scullery, he said,
"They like that one. They don't know what it means, but they like the sound of it." Then, in turn scrutinising her, he said, "It's been a funny afternoon. Just afore you came I thought to me self what else is there for me but to go and lie down? But in you three come; hauled in by the wife of the demon barber." He
He passed the box over to Katie, and she had to look closely at it before she read out, "This box is the property of Eliza Fair ... child'. And she repeated the name, " Eliza Fairchild. Born, 1841'.
"Is that all it says?"
She nodded from one to the other.
"But 1841, that's last century."
"It doesn't say when she died, miss?"
Katie looked at Sep, and said, "No, Sep, it doesn't say when she died.
But she herself must have burnt that in because if somebody else had done it they would likely have said when she died. "
"It's a very nice box." Sammy was now holding it.
"I... I think it's teak. It's a pity the lock's broken, because, perhaps, it could have been of some value. People collect things like this, you know."
"Collect boxes?"
Sammy nodded towards the man at the other end of the table now, saying, "Oh yes, they collect all kinds of things. But because her name's been burnt in, it would make it valuable, I think ... well, of some interest to somebody."
"Mr. Slater, in the junk shop, you know. Da, he's good at fixing things.
He used to be a joiner or something at one time. We could take it down there and see what he says. And he sells all bits of things an' all. "
"Yes, you're right, Frank." His father was nodding at him.
"We'll do that. But whatever it goes for, little or much, and I should imagine it'll be little, it's the hairns'. You understand?"
"Oh, aye. Da. Oh aye. I'm not out for anything. Aye, it's their's."
"I think the shell could be worth something."
The attention was on Willie now. And Daisy, looking at him, said, "What makes you think that?"
"Because of the mother-of-pearl, I'm sure. Some people collect shells, as others do coins and stamps. What d'you think, Sammy?" He now handed the shell to Sammy, and he said, "Well, I don't know very much, in fact, I know nothing about mother-of-pearl, only that when you do hear it mentioned, it seems it could be expensive. I wouldn't take it to any junk shop. I would give it another good wash and get somebody . well, say you yourself, Mrs.
Gallagher, to go to a jeweller's and ask its value."
"You think so, lad? It may be ..."
"I don't know. But as Willie here said, Mrs. B ..." he smiled now, 'that's what I call his mother, she has a trinket box inlaid with the same stuff.
I've seen it. What d'you think, Katie? "
"Yes, Mother has a mother-of-pearl trinket box. But I wouldn't know its value. I've never taken much notice of it. She keeps odds and ends of
brooches and ear-rings and things in it."
"Well, I can tell you from experience," again Sammy had their attention, and he went on, 'what I know of Mrs. B, she wouldn't have anything cheap on her dressing table. So, I'd have that valued. "
"Oh, well then," Len Gallagher drew in a long breath. Then, putting his hand out, he patted first his young son and then his daughter, saying, "Your journey has not been in vain." Bending down to the two smiling faces he went into a sort of rhyme and song, singing,
"He raced across the open space, But never reached the end, For he fell down a cliff And was found there stiff, For he forgot to take the bend."
The two children had joined him in singing the last line; and, again patting their heads, Len turned from them and looked at Katie, who sat staring at him.
"It's like a lot of us, isn't it?" he said.
"We forget to take the bend, and although we're alive, we lie stiff at the bottom of the cliff." He smiled wryly now and, jerking his head towards where his wife was thrusting the two children into the scullery, he said,
"They like that one. They don't know what it means, but they like the sound of it." Then, in turn scrutinising her, he said, "It's been a funny afternoon. Just afore you came I thought to me self what else is there for me but to go and lie down? But in you three come; hauled in by the wife of the demon barber." He
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