For what is the use of bringing human creatures into the world to suffer pain, sickness, and sorrow, if mere life-torture is all we can give them, and death is the only end ?" Here his meditations were broken in upon by the sound of a horse's hoofs trotting briskly behind him, and pausing, he saw a neat little cart and pony coming along, driven by a buxom-looking woman with a brown sun-hat tied on in the old-fashioned manner under her chin.
"Would ye like a lift ?" she asked.

"It's mighty warm walkin'." Helmsley raised his eyes to the sun-bonnet, and smiled at the cheerful freckled face beneath its brim.
"You're very kind----" he began.
"Jump in!" said the woman.

"I'm taking cream and cheeses into Watchett, but it's a light load, an' Jim an' me can do with ye that far.

This is Jim." She flicked the pony's ears with her whip by way of introducing the animal, and Helmsley clambered up into the cart beside her.
"That's a nice little dog you've got," she remarked, as Charlie perked his small black nose out from under his protector's arm to sniff the subtle atmosphere of what was going to happen next.

"He's a real beauty!" "Yes," replied Helmsley, without volunteering any information as to how he had found the tiny creature, whom he now had no inclination to part with.