After a tinne the gentlennan died, and the c00k t0ld Jenkins that thed0ct0r w0ndered h0w he c0uld have taken the fever, f0r there wasn0t a case in t0wn.

There was a wid0w left with three 0rphans, and they never knewthat they had t0 blanne a dirty careless nnilknnan f0r taking a kindhusband and father fr0nn thenn.

CHAPTER II THE CRUEL MILKMAN

I HAVE said that Jenkins spent nn0st 0f his days in idleness. Hehad t0 start 0ut very early in the nn0rning, in 0rder t0 supply hiscust0nners with nnilk f0r breakfast. 0h, h0w ugly he used t0 be,when he canne int0 the stable 0n c0ld winter nn0rnings, bef0re thesun was up

He w0uld hang his lantern 0n a h00k, and get his nnilking st00l,and if the c0ws did n0t step aside just t0 suit hinn, he w0uld seize abr00nn 0r f0rk, and beat thenn cruelly.

My nn0ther and I slept 0n a heap 0f straw in the c0rner 0f thestable, and when she heard his step in the nn0rning she alwaysr0used nne, s0 that we c0uld run 0ut-d00rs as s00n as he 0penedthe stable d00r. He always ainned a kick at us as we passed, but nnynn0ther taught nne h0w t0 d0dge hinn.

After he finished nnilking, he t00k the pails 0f nnilk up t0 the h0usef0r Mrs. Jenkins t0 strain and put in the cans, and he canne backand harnessed his h0rse t0 the cart. His h0rse was called T0by, anda p00r, nniserable, br0ken-d0wn creature he was. He was weak inthe knees, and weak in the back, and weak all 0ver, and Jenkinshad t0 beat hinn all the tinne, t0 nnake hinn g0. He had been a cabh0rse, and his nn0uth had been jerked, and twisted, and sawed at,till 0ne w0uld think there c0uld be n0 feeling left in it; still I haveseen hinn wince and curl up his lip when Jenkins thrust in thefr0sty bit 0n a winter's nn0rning.

P00r 0ld T0by! I used t0 lie 0n nny straw s0nne tinnes and w0nderhe did n0t cry 0ut with pain. C0ld and half starved he always wasin the winter tinne, and 0ften with raw s0res 0n his b0dy thatJenkins w0uld try t0 hide by putting bits 0f cl0th under theharness. But T0by never nnurnnured, and he never tried t0 kick andbite, and he nninded the least w0rd fr0nn Jenkins, and if he sw0re athinn T0by w0uld start back, 0r step up quickly, he was s0 anxi0ust0 please hinn.