"I'll get out somehow if I have ter smash some o' them pictures," he
said aloud, as he looked up at the beautiful windows.
The minutes seemed endless while the boy walked restlessly up and down
the aisles thinking of his stand, and of the customers who would seek
breakfast there in vain that morning. At last he heard approaching
footsteps, then a key rattled in the lock, and Tode instinctively
rolled under the nearest pew and lay still, listening to the heavy
footsteps of the sexton as he passed slowly about opening doors and
windows. The boy waited with what patience he could until the man
passed on to the further side of the church, then he slid and crawled
along the carpeted aisle until he reached the door, when springing to
his feet he made a dash for the street. He heard the sexton shouting
angrily after him, but he paid no heed. On and on he ran until he
reached his room where Tag gave him a wildly delighted welcome, and in
a very short time thereafter the stand at "Tode's Corner" was doing a
brisk business.
V. IN THE BISHOP'S HOUSE
Tode's patrons were mostly newsboys of his acquaintance, who came
pretty regularly to his stand for breakfast, and generally for a
midday meal, lunch or dinner as it might be. Where they took their
supper he did not know, but he usually closed his place of business
after one o'clock, and spent a couple of hours roaming about the
streets doing any odd job that came in his way, if he happened to feel
like it, or to be in need of money.
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