Going up the sunny street of the little town, he felt as if all the folk he met said to themselves: "He's going to the Co-op.
reading-room to look in the papers for a place.

He can't get a job.

I suppose he's living on his mother." Then he crept up the stone stairs behind the drapery shop at the Co-op., and peeped in the reading-room.
Usually one or two men were there, either old, useless fellows, or colliers "on the club".

So he entered, full of shrinking and suffering when they looked up, seated himself at the table, and pretended to scan the news.

He knew they would think: "What does a lad of thirteen want in a reading-room with a newspaper ?" and he suffered.
Then he looked wistfully out of the window.