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ld sell them again； and so on。 Once or twice he asked Mary if she did not want to sell the clock … the one that her late husband had made for his mother； but Mary shrank from the thought of selling this； until at last there was nothing else left that Didlum would buy； and one week； when Mary was too ill to do any needlework … it had to go。 He gave them ten shillings for it。
Mary had expected the old woman to be heartbroken at having to part with this clock； but she was surprised to see her almost indifferent。 The truth was； that lately both the old people seemed stunned； and incapable of taking an intelligent interest in what was happening around them； and Mary had to attend to everything。
From time to time nearly all their other possessions … things of inferior value that Didlum would not look at； she carried out and sold at small second…hand shops in back streets or pledged at the pawn…broker's。 The feather pillows； sheets； and blankets： bits of carpet or oilcloth； and as much of their clothing as was saleable or pawnable。 They felt the loss of the bedclothes more than anything else； for although all the clothes they wore during the day； and all the old clothes and dresses in the house； and even an old coloured tablecloth； were put on the beds at night； they did not compensate for the blankets； and they were often unable to sleep on account of the intense cold。
A lady district visitor who called occasionally sometimes gave Mary an order for a hundredweight of coal or a shillingsworth of groceries； or a ticket for a quart of soup； which Elsie fetched in the evening from the Soup Kitchen。 But this was not very often； because； as the lady said； there were so many cases similar to theirs that it was impossible to do more than a very little for any one of them。
Sometimes Mary became so weak and exhausted through overwork； worry； and lack of proper food that she broke down altogether for the time being； and positively could not do any work at all。 Then she used to lie down on the bed in her room and cry。
Whenever she became like this； Elsie and Charley used to do the housework when they came home from school； and make tea and toast for her； and bring it to the bedside on a chair so that she could eat lying down。 When there was no margarine or dripping to put on the toast； they made it very thin and crisp and pretended it was biscuit。
The children rather enjoyed these times； the quiet and leisure was so different from other days when their mother was so busy she had no time to speak to them。
They would sit on the side of the bed； the old grandmother in her chair opposite with the cat beside her listening to the conversation and purring or mewing whenever they stroked it or spoke to it。 They talked principally of the future。 Elsie said she was going to be a teacher and earn a lot of money to bring home to her mother to buy things with。 Charley was thinking of opening a grocer's shop and having a horse and cart。 When one has a grocer's shop； there is always plenty to eat； even if you have no money； you can take as much as you like out of your shop … good stuff； too； tins of salmon； jam； sardines； eggs； cakes； biscuits and all those sorts of things … and one was almost certain to have some money every day； because it wasn't likely that a whole day would go by without someone or other coming into the shop to buy something。 When delivering the groceries with the horse and cart； he would give rides to all the boys he knew； and in the summertime； after the work was done and the shop shut up； Mother and Elsie and Granny could also come for long rides into the country。
The old grandmother … who had latterly become quite childish … used to sit and listen to all this talk with a superior air。 Sometimes she argued with the children about their plans； and ridiculed them。 She used to say with a chuckle that she had heard people talk like that before … lots of times … but it never came to nothing in the end。
One week about the middle of February； when they were in very sore straits indeed； old Jack applied to the secretary of the Organized Benevolence Society for assistance。 It was about eleven o'clock in the morning when he turned the corner of the street where the office of the society was situated and saw a crowd of about thirty men waiting for the doors to be opened in order to apply for soup tickets。 Some of these men were of the tramp or the drunken loafer class； some were old； broken…down workmen like himself； and others were labourers wearing corduroy or moleskin trousers with straps round their legs under their knees。
Linden waited at a distance until all these were gone before he went in。 The secretary received him sympathetically and gave him a big form to fill up； but as Linden's eyes were so bad and his hand so unsteady the secretary very obligingly wrote in the answers himself； and informed him that he would inquire into the case and lay his application before the committee at the next meeting； which was to be held on the following Thursday … it was then Monday。
Linden explained to him that they were actually starving。 He had been out of work for sixteen weeks； and during all that time they had lived for the most part on the earnings of his daughter…in…law； but she had not done anything for nearly a fortnight now； because the firm she worked for had not had any work for her to do。 There was no food in the house and the children were crying for something to eat。 All last week they had been going to school hungry； for they had had nothing but dry bread and tea every day： but this week … as far as he could see … they would not get even that。 After some further talk the secretary gave him two soup tickets and an order for a loaf of bread； and repeated his promise to inquire into the case and bring it before the committee。
As Jack was returning home he passed the Soup Kitchen； where he saw the same lot of men who had been to the office of the Organized Benevolence Society for the soup tickets。 They were waiting in a long line to be admitted。 The premises being so small； the proprietor served them in batches of ten at a time。
On Wednesday the secretary called at the house； and on Friday Jack received a letter from him to the effect that the case had been duly considered by the committee； who had come to the conclusion that as it was a ‘chronic' case they were unable to deal with it； and advised him to apply to the Board of Guardians。 This was what Linden had hitherto shrunk from doing； but the situation was desperate。 They owed five weeks' rent； and to crown their misfortune his eyesight had become so bad that even if there had been any prospect of obtaining work it was very doubtful if he could have managed to do it。 So Linden； feeling utterly crushed and degraded； swallowed all that remained of his pride and went like a beaten dog to see the relieving officer； who took him before the Board； who did not think it a suitable case for out…relief； and after some preliminaries it was arranged that Linden and his wife were to go into the workhouse； and Mary was to be allowed three shillings a week to help her to support herself and the two children。 As for Linden's sons； the Guardians intimated their Intention of compelling them to contribute towards the cost of their parents' maintenance。
Mary accompanied the old people to the gates of their future dwelling…place； and when she returned home she found there a letter addressed to J。 Linden。 It was from the house agent and contained a notice to leave the house before the end of the ensuing week。 Nothing was said about the rent that was due。 Perhaps Mr Sweater thought that as he had already received nearly six hundred pounds in rent from Linden he could afford to be generous about the five weeks that were still owing … or perhaps he thought there was no possibility of getting the money。 However that may have been； there was no reference to it in the letter … it was simply a notice to clear out； addressed to Linden； but meant for Mary。
It was about half past three o'clock in the afternoon when she returned home and found this letter on the floor in the front passage。 She was faint with fatigue and hunger； for she had had nothing but a cup of tea and a slice of bread that day； and her fare had not been much better for many weeks past。 The children were at school； and the house … now almost destitute of furniture and without carpets or oilcloth on the floors … was deserted and cold and silent as a tomb。 On the kitchen table were a few cracked cups and saucers； a broken knife； some lead teaspoons； a part of a loaf； a small basin containing some dripping and a brown earthenware teapot with a broken spout。 Near the table were two broken kitchen chairs； one with the top cross…piece gone from the back； and the other with no back to the seat at all。 The bareness of the walls was relieved only by a coloured almanac and some paper pictures which the children had tacked upon them； and by the side of the fireplace was the empty wicker chair where the old woman used to sit。 There was no fire in the grate； and the cold hearth was untidy with an accumulation of ashes； for during the trouble of these last few days she had not had time or heart to do