05-25-2021, 02:27 PM
Nat had been taking out the trash. She had gotten a bit of a job helping clean out some empty flats in the building behind her that had been left without paying rent before being kicked out by the owner. The place had been filthy and Mr. Warren had not wanted to deal with it. Hiring the "kid" to do it had seemed a solution to his situation. He had told Nat that 'he' would get a shilling to clean up the whole place and could keep anything she wanted inside. He didn't figure there would be anything worth his effort even looking inside. He rented the flats to those too poor to afford decent flats elsewhere.
Nat had taken several putrid bags of trash that had been left in the two-room flat. She didn't think the previous renters had taken out the trash since they moved in. So far, she hadn't found anything worth keeping, but a shilling would be hard-earned by the time she got done. She was small even for a girl, but strong after her last several years of living on herself, and she was a hard worker. So, with the boy's clothing, manner, and short haircut, she was easily made out to be a boy of about age 13.
Seeing the man coming in and obviously hiding from someone, she picked up the box of trash she had recently brought out and moved over to put it next to the bin as the constables came in view. Nat had done her share of running and hiding when she had picked up something that wasn't hers, especially when she had first started. Now, she was better at it, but when an honest job came about she prefers doing that.
One of the constables went over to Nat. "Where did the bloke that just ran through go, boy?"
Nat looked up with a dirty face, from the cleaning she had been doing, and raised a brow. "Men go through here all the time, do you think I know them all?" She shrugged. "Though if you had lost a few pence..."
The constable gave a raised hand as if to smack her for her smarting off and trying to get paid for the information. She ducked getting just bopped on the top of her head lightly. "Fine, I saw some bloke going faster than most go through here going through that way." She pointed along an alley to where there were several pubs and frequented by the prostitutes a way past it.
The constables headed quickly that way. Nat rubbed her head and then moved the box over to the side so that the man inside the bin wouldn't fall into it when he got out. Once she was sure the constables were out of range, she spoke to the bin. "Their gone, mister."
Nat had taken several putrid bags of trash that had been left in the two-room flat. She didn't think the previous renters had taken out the trash since they moved in. So far, she hadn't found anything worth keeping, but a shilling would be hard-earned by the time she got done. She was small even for a girl, but strong after her last several years of living on herself, and she was a hard worker. So, with the boy's clothing, manner, and short haircut, she was easily made out to be a boy of about age 13.
Seeing the man coming in and obviously hiding from someone, she picked up the box of trash she had recently brought out and moved over to put it next to the bin as the constables came in view. Nat had done her share of running and hiding when she had picked up something that wasn't hers, especially when she had first started. Now, she was better at it, but when an honest job came about she prefers doing that.
One of the constables went over to Nat. "Where did the bloke that just ran through go, boy?"
Nat looked up with a dirty face, from the cleaning she had been doing, and raised a brow. "Men go through here all the time, do you think I know them all?" She shrugged. "Though if you had lost a few pence..."
The constable gave a raised hand as if to smack her for her smarting off and trying to get paid for the information. She ducked getting just bopped on the top of her head lightly. "Fine, I saw some bloke going faster than most go through here going through that way." She pointed along an alley to where there were several pubs and frequented by the prostitutes a way past it.
The constables headed quickly that way. Nat rubbed her head and then moved the box over to the side so that the man inside the bin wouldn't fall into it when he got out. Once she was sure the constables were out of range, she spoke to the bin. "Their gone, mister."
