Ridge. Methuen & Ca. Cototat ation "The Happy Recruit Pett, This is a tale of & small waif abandoned in London town. Taken in hand by Mre. Maynard, whose husband does little burgling in his happier moments, the boy Carl Tearns English at an East End board school, only dimly remembering his old home in East Europe, his mysterious father, and "the police." Mr. Pett Ridge has the instinct of hitting off the quaint phrasing of Wapping es learnt ey Continental, without resorting 10 the tricks of spelling that make most books of that type so wearisome, The undesirable alien's favourite occupation, that of waiter, is adopted by Carl when he leaves school; from Siemens his name becomes Simmons, and from being "happy recruit" he becomes an. other naturalized Englishman. Laura, his baby sister; his several sweethearts, among whom, more by Tuck than love he chooses the right one, or rather the one who wants him; and & man on a paper who had @ friend in the halls, all walk on and off, while Carl—he ie Charles now—keeps in the spotlight till toe curtain drops.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.