Whenhehadpaidtheyfollowedhimout。Atthecurbstonehesaid，“Keeptogethersomewhereroundthewharf-boat。Solong。”
Heliftedthebatteredhathewaswearing，smiledatSusan。
“Cheerup，MissSackville。We”lldown”emyet！“Andawayhewent——astrangefigure，hisburlyframesqueezedintoadingyoldfrocksuitfromamongTempest”scostumes。
Adrearytwohours，thelasthalf-hourinadrizzlingrainfromwhichthenarroweavesofthenowclosedandlockedwharf-boatshelteredthemonlyalittle。“Therehecomes！“criedSusan；andsureenough，Burlinghamseparatedfromthecrowdstreamingalongthestreetatthetopofthelevee，andbegantodescendtheslopetowardthem。Theyconcentratedonhisface，hopingtogetsomeindicationofwhattoexpect；butheneverpermittedhisfacetobetrayhismind。Hestrodeuptheplankandjoinedthem。
“Tempestcome？“heasked。
“Tempest！“criedMabel。“Haven”tItoldyouhe”sjumped？Don”tyousuppose__I__knowhim？“
“Andyoubroughthimintothecompany，“ragedViolet。
“Burlinghamdidn”twanttotakehim。Helookedthefoolandjackassheis。Whydidn”tyouwarnushewasarottenthief，too？“
“Wasn”titforshopliftingyouservedsixmonthsinJoliet？“
retortedMabel。
“Youlie——youstreetwalker！“screamedViolet。
“Ladies！Ladies！“saidEshwell。
“That”swhat__I__say，“observedPat。
“I”mnolady，“repliedMabel。“I”manactress。”
“Anactress——he-he！“jeeredViolet。“Anactress！“
“Shutup，allofyou，“commandedBurlingham。“I”vegotsomemoney。Isettledforcash。”
“Howmuch？“criedMabelandVioletinthesamebreath，theirquarrelnotmerelyfinishedbutforgotten。
“Threehundreddollars。”
“Fortheboatandall？“demandedEshwell。“Why，Bob——”
“Theythinkitwasforboatandall，“interruptedBurlinghamwithhiscynicalsmile。“Theysetouttobullyandcheatme。
TheyknewIcouldn”tgetjustice。SoIlet”embelieveIownedtheboat——andI”vegotfiftyapieceforus。”
“Sixty，“saidViolet。
“Fifty。Therearesixofus。”
“Youdon”tcountinthislittleJonahhere，doyou？“criedViolet，scowlingevillyatSusan。
“No——no——don”tcountmein，“beggedSusan。“Ididn”tloseanything。”
Mabelpinchedherarm。“You”reright，Mr。Burlingham，“saidshe。“MissSackvilleoughttoshare。We”reallinthesamebox。”
“MissSackvillewillshare，“saidBurlingham。“There”sgoingtobenoskunkingaboutthis，aslongasI”mincharge。”
EshwellandPatsidedwithViolet。Whiletherainstreamed，thefive，withSusanahorrifiedonlooker，foughtonandonaboutthedivisionofthemoney。Theirvoicesgrewlouder。Theyhurledthemostfrightfulepithetsatoneanother。VioletseizedMabelbythehair，andthemeninterfered，allbutcomingtoblowsthemselvesinthemelee。Thewharfmasterrushedfromhisoffice，drovethemofftothelevee。Theycontinuedtoyellandcurse，evenBurlinghamlosingcontrolofhimselfandreleasingalltherewasofthetoughandtheblackguardinhisnature。Twopolicemencame，calmedthemwiththreatofarrest。AtlastBurlinghamtookfromhispocketoneatatimethreesmallrollsofbills。Heflungoneateachofthethreewhowereopposinghisdivision。“Takethat，youdirtycurs，“hesaid。“AndbegladI”mgivingyouanythingatall。Mostmanagerswouldn”thavecomeback。Comeon，MissSackville。Comeon，Mabel。”Andthetwofollowedhimupthelevee，leavingtheotherscountingtheirshares。
AtthestreetcornertheywentintoageneralstorewhereBurlinghamboughttwoninety-eight-centumbrellas。HegaveMabelone，heldtheotheroverSusanandhimselfastheywalkedalong。
“Well，ladies，“saidhe，“webeginlifeagain。Acleanslate，afreshstart——asifnothinghadeverhappened。”
Susanlookedathimtotrytogivehimagratefulandsympatheticsmile。Shewassurprisedtoseethat，sofarasshecouldjudge，hehadreallymeantthewordshehadspoken。
“Yes，Imeanit，“saidhe。“Alwayslookatlifeasitis——asagame。Witheverydeal，whetheryouwinorlose，yourstakegrows——foryourstake”syourwits，andyouaddto”embylearningsomethingwitheachdeal。Whatareyougoingtodo，Mabel？“
“Getsomeclothes。Thewaterwreckedmineandthisrainhasfinishedmyhat。”
“We”llgotogether，“saidBurlingham。
TheytookacarforLouisville，descendedbeforeadepartmentstore。Burlinghamhadtofithimselffromtheskinout；Mabelhadunderclothes，neededahat，adress，summershoes。Susanneededunderclothes，shoes，ahat，forshewasbareheaded。Theyarrangedtomeetatthefirstentrancedownthesidestreet；
BurlinghamgaveSusanandMabeleachtheirfiftydollarsandwenthisway。Whentheymetagaininanhourandahalf，theyburstintosmilesofdelight。Burlinghamhadtransformedhimselfintoajaunty，fashionableyoungmiddle-agedman，withanairofsuccessachievedandprosperityassured。Hehadputthefinefinishingtouchtohistransformationbygettingahaircutandashave。Mabellookedlikeashowychorusgirl，inastripedblueandwhitelinensuit，abigbefloweredhat，andafluffyblouseofwhitechiffon。SusanhadresistedMabel”sentreaties，hadgotaplain，sensiblelinenblouseofakindthatonapinchmightbewashedoutandwornwithoutironing。Hernewhatwasasimplebluesailorwithadarkbluebandthatmatchedherdress。
“Ispentthirty-sixdollars，“saidBurlingham。
“Ionlyspenttwenty-two，“declaredMabel。“Andthischildhereonlypartedwithsevenofherdollars。
Ihadnoideashewassothrifty。“
“Andnow——what？“saidBurlingham。
“I”mgoingroundtoseeafriendofmine，“repliedMabel。“She”sonthestage，too。There”ssuretobesomethingdoingatthesummerplaces。MaybeIcanringMissSackvillein。Thereoughttobeagoodlivinginthoseeyesofhersandthosefeetandankles。I”msureIcanputhernexttosomething。”
“Thenyoucangiveheryouraddress，“saidBurlingham。
“Why，she”sgoingwithme，“criedMabel。“Youdon”tsupposeI”dleavethechildadrift？“
“No，she”sgoingwithmetoaboardinghouseI”llfindforher，“
saidBurlingham。
IntoMabel”sfaceflashedtheexpressionofthesuspicionsuchastatementwouldatoncearouseinamindtrainedashershadbeen。Burlingham”slookdrovetheexpressionoutofherface，andsuspicionatleastintothebackground。“She”snotgoingwithyourfriend，“saidBurlingham，ahintofsternnessinhisvoice。“That”sbest——isn”tit？“
MissConnemora”seyesdropped。“Yes，Iguessitis，“repliedshe。“Well——Iturndownthisway。”
“We”llkeeponandgooutChestnutStreet，“saidBurlingham。
“Youcanwritetoher——ortome——careoftheGeneralDelivery。”
“That”sbest。YoumayhearfromTempest。Youcanwritemethere，too。”Mabelwasconstrainedandembarrassed。“Good-by，MissSackville。”
Susanembracedandkissedher。Mabelbegantoweep。“Oh，it”sallsosudden——andfrightful，“shesaid。“Dotrytobegood，Lorna。YoucantrustBob。”Shelookedearnestly，appealingly，athim。“Yes，I”msureyoucan。And——he”srightaboutme。Good-by。”
Shehurriedaway，notbeforeSusanhadseenthetearsfallingfromherkind，fast-fadingeyes。
Susanstoodlookingafterher。Andforthefirsttimethetruthaboutthecatastrophecametoher。SheturnedtoBurlingham。
“Howbraveyouare！“shecried。
“Oh，what”dbetheuseindroppingdownandhowlinglikeadog？“
repliedhe。“Thatwouldn”tbringtheboatback。Itwouldn”tgetmeajob。”
“Andyousharedequally，whenyoulostthemostofall。”
Theywerewalkingon。“Theboatwasmine，too，“saidheinadryreflectivetone。“Itold”emitwasn”twhenwestartedoutbecauseIwantedtogetagoodshareforrentandsoon，withoutanykickingfromanybody。”
Thelossdidnotappealtoher；itwastheliehehadtold。Shefeltherconfidenceshaking。“Youdidn”tmeanto——to——”shefaltered，stopped。
“Tocheatthem？“suggestedhe。“Yes，Idid。So——tosortofbalancethingsupIdividedequallyallIgotfromthetugpeople。What”reyoulookingsounhappyabout？“
“Iwishyouhadn”ttoldme，“shesaidmiserably。“Idon”tseewhyyoudid。”
“BecauseIdon”twantyoumakingmeintoasaint。I”mliketherestyouseeaboutinpants，cheatingandlying，withorwithoutpretendingtothemselvesthatthey”rehonest。Don”ttrustanybody，mydear。Thesooneryougetoverthehabit，thesooneryou”llceasetotemptpeopletobehypocrites。AlltheserioustroubleI”veevergotintohascomethroughtrustingorbeingtrusted。”
Helookedgravelyather，burstoutlaughingatherperplexed，alarmedexpression。“Oh，Lord，itisn”tasbadasallthat，“
saidhe。“Therain”sstopped。Let”shavebreakfast。Then——anewdeal——witheverythingtogainandnothingtolose。It”sagreatadvantagetobeinapositionwhereyou”vegotnothingtolose！“
CHAPTERXVI
BURLINGHAMfoundforheracomfortableroominaflatinWestChestnutStreet——arespectablemiddle-classneighborhoodwiththreechurchesinfullviewandthespiresoftwoothersvisibleoverthehousetops。HerlandladywasMrs。Redding，asimple-hearted，deafoldwidowwithbrightkindeyesbeamingguilelessnessthroughsteel-framedspectacles。Mrs。Reddinghadonlyrecentlybeenreducedtothenecessityoflettingaroom。
Shestatedhermoderateprice——sevendollarsaweekforroomandboard——asifsheexpectedtobearrestedforattemptedextortion。“Igivegoodmeals，“shehastenedtoadd。“Idothecookingmyself——andbuythebest。I”mnohandforcannedstuff。
Asforthattherecoldstorage，it”snobetter”nslowpoison，andnotsoterribleslowatthat。AnythingyourdaughterwantsI”llgiveher。”
“She”snotmydaughter，“saidBurlingham，anditwashisturntoberedandflustered。“I”msimplylookingafterher，asshe”saloneintheworld。I”mgoingtolivesomewhereelse。ButI”llcomehereformeals，ifyou”rewilling，ma”am。”
“I——I”dhavetomakethatextry，I”mafraid，“pleadedMrs。Redding。
“Rather！“exclaimedBurlingham。“IeatlikeapairofPercherons。”
“Howmuchdidyoucalculatetopay？“inquiredthewidow。Heroneeffortatpricefixing，thoughentirelysuccessful，hadexhaustedhercourage。
Burlinghamwasclearoutofhisclassinthoseidyllicdaysofprotectorofinnocence。Heproceededtobemorethanhonest。
“Oh，sayfiveaweek。”
“Gracious！That”stoomuch，“protestedshe。“Ihatetochargeabodyforfood，somehow。Itdon”tseemtobeaccordin”towhatGodtellsus。ButIdon”tseenowayout。”
“I”llcomeforfivenotacentless，“insistedBurlingham。“I
wanttofeelfreetoeatasmuchasIlike。”Anditwassoarranged。Awayhewenttolookuphisacquaintances，whileSusansatlisteningtothewidowandtryingtoconvinceherthatsheandMr。Burlinghamdidn”twantandcouldn”tpossiblyeatallthethingsshesuggestedassuitableforanicesupper。Susanhadbeenlearningrapidlysinceshejoinedthetheatricalprofession。Shesawwhythisfineoldwomanwasgettingpoorersteadily，wasarrangingtospendherlastyearsinanalmshouse。
Whataqueerworlditwas！WhatastrangewayforagoodGodtoorderthings！Thebetteryouwere，theworseoffyouwere。NodoubtitwasBurlingham”slifelonggoodnessofheartasshowninhisgenerositytoher，thathadkepthimdown。Itwasthesamewaywithherdeadmother——shehadbeenlovingandtrusting，hadgivengenerouslywithoutthoughtofself，withgenerousconfidenceinthemansheloved——andhadpaidwithreputationandlife。
ShecompelledBurlinghamtotakewhatwasleftofherfiftydollars。“Youwouldn”tliketomakemefeelmean，“wastheargumentsheused。“ImustputinwhatI”vegot——thesameasyoudo。Now，isn”tthatfair？“Andashewasdeadbrokeandhadbeenunabletoborrow，hedidnotopposevigorously。
Sheassumedthatafteradayortwospentingettinghisbearingshewouldtakeherwithhimashewentlooking。Whenshesuggestedit，hepromptlyvetoedit。“Thatisn”tthewaybusinessisdoneintheprofession，“saidhe。“Thestar——you”rethestar——keepsinthebackground，andhermanager——that”smedoesthehustling。”
Shehadeveryreasonforbelievingthis；butasthedayspassedwithnoresults，sittingaboutwaitingbegantogetuponhernerves。Mrs。Reddinghadtheremnantofherdeadhusband”slibrary，andhehadbeenamanofbroadtasteinliterature。ButSusan，ardentreaderthoughshewas，couldnotoftenloseherselfinbooksnow。Shewastooimpatientforrealities，tooanxiousaboutthem。
Burlinghamremainedequable，neitherhopefulnorgloomy；hemadeherfeelthathewasstrong，anditgaveherstrength。Thusshewasnotdepressedwhenonthelastdayoftheirweekhesaid：“I
thinkwe”dbetterpushontoCincinnatitomorrow。There”snothinghere，andwe”vegottogetplacedbeforeourcashgivesout。InCincinnatithereareadozenplacestooneinthissnidetown。”
TheideaofgoingtoCincinnatigaveheraqualmoffear；butitpassedawaywhensheconsideredhowshehaddroppedoutoftheworld。“TheythinkI”mdead，“shereflected。“Anyhow，I”dneverbelookedforamongthekindofpeopleI”minwithnow。”
Thepastwithwhichshehadbrokenseemedsofarawayandsodimtoherthatshecouldnotbutfeelitmustseemsotothosewhoknewherinherformerlife。Shehadsuchasenseofherowninsignificance，nowthatsheknewsomethingofthevastnessandbusinessoftheworld，thatshewaswithoutasuspicionofthehugescandalandexcitementherdisappearancehadcausedinSutherland。
ToCincinnatitheywentnextdaybytheL。andN。andtooktwotinyroomsinthedingyoldWalnutStreetHouse，ataspecialrate——fivedollarsaweekforthetwo，asaconcessiontotheprofession。“We”lleatincheaprestaurantsandspreadourcapitalout，“saidBurlingham。“Iwantyoutogetplaced_right_，notjustplaced。”Heboughtaboxofblackingandabrush，instructedherinthesubtleartofmakingafront——anartwhereofhewaspastmaster，asSusanhadlongsincelearned。
“Neverletyourselflookpoororactpoor，untilyousimplyhavetothrowupthesponge，“saidhe。“Theworldjudgesbyappearances。Putyourfirstmoneyandyourlastintoclothes。
Andnever——never——tellahard-luckstory。Alwaysseemtobedoingwellandcomfortablylookingoutforachancetodobetter。Thewholeworldrunsfromseedypeopleandwhimperers。”
“AmI——thatway？“sheaskednervously。
“Notabit，“declaredhe。“ThedayyoucameuptomeinCarrolltonIknewyouwereplayinginthehardestkindofhardluckbecauseofwhatIhadhappenedtoseeandhear——andguess。
Butyouweren”tlookingforpity——andthatwaswhatIliked。Anditmademefeelyouhadthestuffinyou。I”dnotwastebreathteachingawhineroracheapskate。Youcouldn”tbecheapifyoutried。ThereasonItalktoyouaboutthesethingsissoyou”lllearntoputtheartistictouchesbyinstinctintowhatyoudo。”
“You”vetakentoomuchtroubleforme，“saidthegirl。
“Don”tyoubelieveit，mydear，“laughedhe。“IfIcandowithyouwhatIhope——I”veaninstinctthatifIwinoutforyou，I”llcomeintomyownatlast。”
“You”vetaughtmealot，“saidshe。
“Iwonder，“repliedhe。“Thatis，Iwonderhowmuchyou”velearned。Perhapsenoughtokeepyou——nottokeepfrombeingknockeddownbyfate，buttogetonyourfeetafterward。Ihopeso——Ihopeso。”
Theydroppedcoffee，boughtmilkbythebottle，hesmugglingittotheirroomsdisguisedasarollofnewspapers。Theycarriedinrollsalso，andcutdowntheirrestaurantmealstosupperwhichtheygotfortwenty-fivecentsapieceatabakeryrestaurantinSeventhStreet。Thereisawayofresortingtotheselittleeconomies——asnobbish，self-despairingway——thatmakesthemsordidandmakesthepersonindulginginthemsinklowerandlower。ButBurlinghamcouldnothavetakenthatway。
Hewastheadventurerborn，wasahardyseasonedcampaignerwhohadneverlookedonlifeinthesnob”sway，hadneverfelttheimpulsetoapologizeforhisdefeatsortogrowhaughtyoverhissuccesses。Susanwasanaptpupil；andforthecareerthatlaybeforeherhisinstructionswereinvaluable。Hewasteachingherhowtokeepthecraftafloatandshipshapethroughtheworstweatherthatcansweeptheseaoflife。
“Howdoyoumakeyourselflookalwaysneatandclean？“heasked。
Sheconfessed：“Iwashoutmythingsatnightandhangthemontheinsideoftheshutterstodry。They”rereadytowearagaininthemorning。”
“Gettingon！“criedhe，fullofadmiration。“Theysimplycan”tdownus，andtheymightaswellgiveuptrying。”
“ButIdon”tlookneat，“sighedshe。“Ican”tiron。”
“No——that”sthedevilofit，“laughedhe。Hepulledasidehiswaistcoatandshesawhewaswearingadickey。“Andmycuffsarepinnedin，“hesaid。“Ihavetobecarefulaboutraisingandloweringmyarms。”
“Can”tIwashoutsomethingsforyou？“shesaid，thenhurriedontoputitmorestrongly。“Yes，givethemtomewhenwegetbacktothehotel。”
“Itdoeshelpamantofeelhe”scleanunderneath。Andwe”vegotnothingtowasteonlaundries。”
“IwishIhadn”tspentthatfifteencentstohavemyheelsstraightenedandnewsteelsputinthem。”Shehadsatinacobbler”swhilethisrepairtothepartofherpersonshewasmostinsistentuponhadbeeneffected。
Helaughed。“Agoodinvestment，that，“saidhe。“I”vebeennoticinghowyoualwayslookniceaboutthefeet。Keepitup。
Thesurestsignofaslovenandafailure，ofamoral，mental，andphysicalno-goodisdown-at-the-heel。Alwayskeepyourheelsstraight，Lorna。”
Andneverhadhegivenherapieceofadvicemoretoherliking。
Shethoughtsheknewnowwhyshehadalwaysbeensoparticularaboutherbootsandshoes，herslippersandherstockings。Hehadgivenheranewconfidenceinherself——inastrengthwithinhersomewherebeneaththeweaknessshewasalwaysseeingandfeeling。
Notuntilshethoughtitoutafterwarddidsherealizewhattheywerepassingthrough，whatfrightfuldaysoffailurehewasenduring。Heactedlikethesteady-nervedgambleratlifethathewas。Hewasnotoneofthosemoreorlessweakloserswhohavetomakedesperateeffortstoconcealafaintingheart。Hisheartwasnotfainting。Hesimplyplayedcalmlyon，feelingthatthenextthrowwasaslikelytobeforasagainsthim。Shekeptclosetoherroom，walkingaboutthere——shehadneverbeenmuchofasitter——thinking，practicingthenewsongshehadgotforher——charactersongsinwhichhetrainedheraswellashecouldwithoutmusicorcostumeoranyoftheaccessories。Healsohadanideaforachurchscene，withherinachoirboy”scostume，singingthemostmovingofthesimplereligioussongstoorganmusic。Shefromtimetotimeurgedhimtotakeherontheroundswithhim。Buthestoodfirm，givingalwaysthesamereasonofthecustomintheprofession。Gradually，perhapsbysomeformofthatcuriousprocessofinfiltrationthatgoesonbetweentwomindslonginintimatecontact，theconvictioncametoherthatthereasonheallegedwasnothisrealreason；butasshehadabsoluteconfidenceinhimshefeltthattherewassomegoodreasonorhewouldnotkeepherinthebackground——andthathissilenceaboutitmustberespected。Soshetriedtohidefromhimhowwearyandheartsickinactionwasmakingher，howharditwasforhertostayalonesomanyhourseachday。
Ashewatchedherclosely，itsoondawnedonhimthatsomethingwaswrong，andafteradayorsoheworkedouttheexplanation。
Hefoundaremedy——thereadingroomofthepubliclibrarywhereshecouldmakeherselfalmostcontentthewholedaylong。
Hebegantohaveahaggardlook，andshesawhewassick，waskeepinguphisstrengthwithwhisky。“It”sonlythisinfernalsummercoldIcaughtinthesmashup，“heexplained。“Ican”tshakeit，butneithercanitgetmedown。I”dnotdarefallsick。What”dbecomeof_us_？“
Sheknewthat“us“meantonlyherself。Hermindhadbeenagingrapidlyinthoselongperiodsofunbrokenreflection。Todevelopahumanbeing，leavehimorheralonemostofthetime；itistoomuchcompany，toolittletimetodigestandassimilate，thatkeepusthoughtlessandunformeduntillifeishalfover。Sheastonishedhimbysuddenlyannouncingoneevening：
“Iamadragonyou。I”mgoingtotakeaplaceinastore。”
Heaffectedanindignationsoartisticthatitoughttohavebeenconvincing。“I”mashamedofyou！“hecried。“Iseeyou”relosingyournerve。”
Thiswasingenious，butitdidnotsucceed。“Youcan”tdeceivemeanylonger，“washersteadyanswer。“Tellmehonest——couldn”tyouhavegotsomethingtodolongago，ifithadn”tbeenfortryingtodosomethingforme？“
“Sure，“repliedhe，toocannytodenytheobvious。“Butwhathasthattodowithit？IfI”dhadalivingoffer，I”dhavetakenit。Butatmyageamandoesn”tdaretakecertainkindsofplaces。It”dsettlehimforlife。AndI”mplayingforareallybigstakeandI”llwin。WhenIgetwhatIwantforyou，we”llmakeasmuchmoneyamonthasIcouldmakeayear。Trustme，mydear。”
Itwasplausible；andher“lossofnerve“wasvisiblyaggravatinghiscondition——thetwitchingofhandsandface，theterrifyingbrightnessofhiseyes，ofthecolorinthedeephollowsunderhischeekbones。Butshefeltthatshemustpersist。“Howmuchmoneyhavewegot？“sheasked。
“Oh——agreatdealenough。”
“Youmustplaysquarewithme，“saidshe。“I”mnotababy，butawoman——andyourpartner。”
“Don”tworryme，child。We”lltalkaboutittomorrow。”
“Howmuch？You”venorighttohidethingsfromme。You——hurtme。”
“Elevendollarsandeightycents——whenthisbillforsupper”spaidandthewaitresstipped。”
“I”lltryforaplaceinastore，“saidshe。
“Don”ttalkthatwayorthinkthatway，“criedheangrily。
“There”swheresomanypeoplefailinlife。Theydon”tsticktotheirgame。IwishtoGodI”dhadsenseenoughtobreakstraightforChicagoorNewYork。Butit”stoolatenow。WhatIlackisnerve——nervetodothebig，boldthingsmybrainsshowmeIought。”
Hisdistresswassoobviousthatsheletthesubjectdrop。Thatnightshelayawakeasshehadfallenintothehabitofdoing。
Butinsteadofpurposeless，ramblingthoughts，shewastryingdefinitelytoplanasearchforwork。Towardthreeinthemorningsheheardhimtossingandmuttering——forthewallbetweentheirroomswasmerelyplasteredlathscoveredwithpaper。Shetriedhisdoor；itwaslocked。Sheknocked，gotnoanswerbutincoherentravings。Sherousedtheoffice，andthenightporterforcedthedoor。Burlingham”sgaswaslighted；hewassittingupinbed——ahaggard，disheveled，insaneman，ravingonandon——namesofmenandwomenshehadneverheard——oaths，disjointedsentences。
“Brainfever，Ireckon，“saidtheporter。“I”llcalladoctor。”
InafewminutesSusanwasgladdenedbythesightofayoungmanwearingthefamiliarpointedbeardandbearingthefamiliarblackbag。Hemadeacarefulexamination，askedhermanyquestions，finallysaid：
“Yourfatherhastyphoid，Ifear。Hemustbetakentoahospital。”
“Butwehaveverylittlemoney，“saidSusan。
“Iunderstand，“repliedthedoctor，marvelingatthecalmnessofonesoyoung。“ThehospitalImeanisfree。I”llsendforanambulance。”
WhiletheywerewaitingbesideBurlingham，whomthedoctorhaddruggedintounconsciousnesswithahypodermic，Susansaid：“CanIgotothehospitalandtakecareofhim？“
“No，“repliedthedoctor。“Youcanonlycallandinquirehowheis，untilhe”swellenoughtoseeyou。”
“Andhowlongwillthatbe？“
“Ican”tsay。”Hehadn”tthecouragetotellheritwouldbethreeweeksatleast，perhapssixorseven。
HegotleaveoftheambulancesurgeonforSusantoridetothehospital，andhewentalonghimself。Astheambulancespedthroughthedimlylightedstreetswithclangingbellandheavypoundingofthehorse”shoofsonthegranitepavement，SusankneltbesideBurlingham，holdingoneofhishothands。Shewasrememberinghowshehadsaidthatshewoulddieforhim——andhereitwashethatwasdyingforher。Andherheartwasheavywithaloadofguilt，theheaviestshewasevertofeelinherlife。
Shecouldnotknowhowmisfortuneisreallythelotofhumanbeings；itseemedtoherthataspecialcurseattendedher，strikingdownallwhobefriendedher。
Theydasheduptogreatopendoorsofthehospital。Burlinghamwaslifted，wascarriedswiftlyintothereceivingroom。Susanwithtearlesseyesbentover，embracedhimlingeringly，kissedhisfierybrow，hiswastedcheeks。Oneofthesurgeonsinwhiteducktouchedheronthearm。
“Wecan”tdelay，“hesaid。
“Noindeed，“shereplied，instantlydrawingback。
Shewatchedthestretcheronwheelsgonoiselesslydownthecorridortowardtheelevatorandwhenitwasgoneshestillcontinuedtolook。“Youcancomeatanyhourtoinquire，“saidtheyoungdoctorwhohadaccompaniedher。“Nowwe”llgointotheofficeandhavetheslipmadeout。”
Theyenteredasmallroom，dividedunequallybyabarrierdesk；
behinditstoodalean，coffee-sallowedyoungmanwithascrawnyneckdisplayedtotheuttermostbyastandingcollarscarcelytallerthanthebandofashirt。HedirectedatSusanoneofthoseobtrusivelyshrewdglanceswhichshallowpeoplepracticeandaffecttocreatetheimpressionthattheyhaveageniusforcharacterreading。Hedrewapadofblankformstowardhim，wipedapenonthematintowhichhismouse-coloredhairwasroachedabovehisrighttemple。“Well，miss，what”sthepatient”sname？“
“RobertBurlingham。”
“Age？“
“Idon”tknow。”
“Aboutwhat？“
“I——Idon”tknow。Iguessheisn”tveryyoung。ButIdon”tknow。”
“Putdownforty，Sim，“saidthedoctor。
“Verywell，DoctorHamilton。”ThentoSusan：“Colorwhite，I
suppose。Nativity？“
SusanrecalledthatshehadheardhimspeakofLiverpoolashisbirthplace。“English，“saidshe。
“Profession？“
“Actor。”
“Residence？“
“Hehasn”tany。ItwassunkatJeffersonville。WestopattheWalnutStreetHouse。”
“WalnutStreetHouse。Washemarriedorsingle？“
“Single。”Thensherecalledsomeofthedisconnectedravings。
“I——I——don”tknow。”
“Single，“saidtheclerk。“No，IguessI”llputitwidower。Nextfriendorrelative？“
“Iam。“
“Daughter。Firstname？“
“Iamnothisdaughter。“
“Oh，niece。Fullname，please。”
“Iamnorelation——justhis——hisfriend。”
Simtheclerklookedupsharply。Hamiltonreddened，gloweredathim。“Iunderstand，“saidSim，leeringather。Andinatonethatreekedinsinuationwhichquiteescapedher，hewenton，“We”llputyournamedown。Whatisit？“
“LornaSackville。”
“Youdon”tlookEnglish——notatalltheEnglishstyleofbeauty，eh——Doctor？“
“That”sall，MissSackville，“saidHamilton，withascowlattheclerk。SusanandhewentoutintoTwelfthStreet。Hamiltonfromtimetotimestoleaglanceofsympathyandinquiryintothesadyoungface，asheandshewalkedeastwardtogether。“He”sastrongmanandsuretopullthrough，“saidthedoctor。“Areyoualoneatthehotel？“
“I”venobodybuthimintheworld，“repliedshe。
“Iwasabouttoventuretoadvisethatyougotoaboardinghouse，“pursuedtheyoungman。
“Thankyou。I”llsee。”
“There”soneoppositethehospital——areasonableplace。”
“I”vegottogotowork，“saidthegirl，toherselfratherthantohim。
“Oh，youhaveaposition。”
Susandidnotreply，andheassumedthatshehad。
“Ifyoudon”tmind，I”dliketocallandsee——Mr。Burlingham。
Thephysiciansatthehospitalareperfectlycompetent，asgoodasthereareinthecity。ButI”mnotverybusy，andI”dbegladtogo。”
“Wehaven”tanymoney，“saidthegirl。“AndIdon”tknowwhenweshallhave。Idon”twanttodeceiveyou。”
“Iunderstandperfectly，“saidtheyoungman，lookingatherwithinterestedbutrespectfuleyes。“I”mpoor，myself，andhavejuststarted。”
“Willtheytreathimwell，whenhe”sgotnomoney？“
“Aswellasifhepaid。”
“Andyouwillgoandseethateverything”sallright？“
“It”llbeapleasure。”
Underagaslamphetookoutacardandgaveittoher。Shethankedhimandputitinthebosomofherblousewherelayallthemoneytheyhad——theelevendollarsandeightycents。Theywalkedtothehotel，ascarswerefewatthathour。Hedidallthetalking——assurancesthather“father“couldnotfailtogetwell，thattyphoidwasn”tanythingliketheseriousdiseaseitusedtobe，andthatheprobablyhadalightformofit。Thegirllistened，butherheartcouldnotgrowlessheavy。Ashewasleavingheratthehoteldoor，hehesitated，thenaskedifshewouldn”tlethimcallandtakehertothehospitalthenextmorning，or，rather，laterthatsamemorning。Sheaccepted，shehopedthat，ifhewerewithher，shegratefully；wouldbeadmittedtoseeBurlinghamandcouldassureherselfthathewaswelltakencareof。
Thenightportertriedtodetainherforalittlechat。“Well，“
saidhe，“it”sagoodhospital——foryoufolkswithmoney。Ofcourse，foruspoorpeopleit”sdifferent。Youcouldn”thire_me_
togothere。”
Susanturneduponhim。“Whynot？“sheasked。
“Oh，ifaman”spoor，orcan”tpayfornicequarters，theytreathimanyoldway。Yes，they”regooddoctorsandallthat。Butthey”relikeeverybodyelse。Theydon”tgiveadarnforpoorpeople。Butyouruncle”llbeallrightthere。”
ForthefirsttimeinherlifeSusandidnotclosehereyesinsleep。
Theyoungdoctorwassomovedbyherwornappearancethatheimpulsivelysaid：“Haveyousometroublesyou”vesaidnothingabout？Pleasedon”thesitatetotellme。”
“Oh，youneedn”tworryaboutme，“repliedshe。“Isimplydidn”tsleep——that”sall。Dotheytreatcharitypatientsbadlyatthehospital？“
“Certainlynot，“declaredheearnestly。“Ofcourse，acharitypatientcan”thavearoomtohimself。Butthat”snodisadvantage。”
“Howmuchisaroom？“
“Thecheapestaretendollarsaweek。Thatincludesprivateattendance——alittlebetternursingthanthepublicpatientsget——perhaps。But，really——MissSackville——”
“Hemusthavearoom，“saidSusan。
“Youaresureyoucanaffordit？Thedifferenceisn”t——”
“Hemusthavearoom。”Sheheldoutaten-dollarbill——tendollarsoftheelevendollarsandeightycents。“This”llpayforthefirstweek。Youfixit，won”tyou？“
YoungDoctorHamiltonhesitatinglytookthemoney。“Youarequite，quitesure，MissSackville？——Quitesureyoucanaffordthisextravagance——foritisanextravagance。”
“Hemusthavethebestwecanafford，“evadedshe。
ShewaitedintheofficewhileHamiltonwentup。Whenhecamedownafterperhapshalfanhour，hehadanairofcheerfulness。
“Everythinggoingnicely，“saidhe。
Susan”sviolet-grayeyesgazedstraightintohisbrowneyes；andthebrowneyesdropped。“Youarenottellingmethetruth，“saidshe。
“I”mnotdenyinghe”saverysickman，“protestedHamilton。
“Ishe——”
Shecouldnotpronouncetheword。
“Nothinglikethat——believeme，nothing。Hehasthechancesallwithhim。”
AndSusantriedtobelieve。“Hewillhavearoom？“
“Hehasaroom。That”swhyIwassolong。AndI”mgladhehas——for，tobeperfectlyhonest，theattendance——notthetreatment，buttheattendance——ismuchhetterforprivatepatients。”
Susanwaslookingatthefloor。Presentlyshedrewalongbreath，rose。“Well，Imustbegoing，“saidshe。Andshewenttothestreet，heaccompanyingher。
“Ifyou”regoingbacktothehotel，“saidhe，“I”mwalkingthatway。”
“No，I”vegottogothisway，“repliedshe，lookingupElmStreet。
Hesawshewishedtobealone，andleftherwiththepromisetoseeBurlinghamagainthatafternoonandletherknowatthehotelhowhewasgettingon。Hewenteast，shenorth。Atthefirstcornershestopped，glancedbacktomakesurehewasnotfollowing。Fromherbosomshedrewfourbusinesscards。ShehadtakenthepapersfromthepocketsofBurlingham”sclothesandfromthedrawerofthetableinhisroom，toputthemalltogetherforsafety；shehadfoundthesecards，theaddressesoftheatricalagents。Asshelookedatthem，sherememberedBurlingham”shavingsaidthatBlynn——MauriceBlynn，atVineandNinthStreets——mightgivethemsomethingatoneofthe“overtheRhine“musichalls，asalastresort。Shenotedtheaddress，putawaythecardsandwalkedon，lookingaboutforapoliceman。
Soonshecametoabridgeoveramuddystream——alittleriver，shethoughtatfirst，thenrememberedthatitmustbethecanal——theRhine，asitwascalled，becausethecity”shugeGermanpopulationlivedbeyondit，keepingupthecustomsandeventhelanguageofthefatherland。Shestoodonthebridge，watchingtherepulsivewatersfromwhicharosethestenchofsewage；watchingcanalboatsdraggeddrearilybymuleswithharness-wornhides；followedwithhermelancholyeyesthecourseofthecanalunderbridgeafterbridge，throughalaneofdirty，noisyfactoriespouringoutfromloftychimneysimmensecloudsofblacksmoke。Itoughttohavebeenabrightsummerday，butthesunshonepalelythroughthedenseclouds；asticky，sootymoisturesaturatedtheair，formedaskinofoilyblackoozeovereverythingexposedtoit。Apoliceman，abigGerman，withstupidhonestface，brutalyetkindly，cameloungingalong。
“Ibegyourpardon，“saidSusan，“butwouldyoumindtellingmewhere”shehadforgottentheaddress，fumbledinherbosomforthecards，showedhimBlynn”scard”howIcangettothis？“
Thepolicemannoddedashereadtheaddress。“Keeponthisway，lady“——hepointedhisbatonsouth”untilyou”vepassedfourstreets。Atthefifthstreetturneast。Goone——two——three——
four——fivestreetseast。Understand？“
“Yes，thankyou，“saidthegirlwiththepolitenessofdeepgratitude。
“You”llbeatVine。You”llseethenameonthestreetlamp。
Blynn”sonthesouthwestcorner。Thinkyoucanfindit？“
“I”msureIcan。”
“I”mgoingthatway，“continuedthepoliceman。
“Butyou”dbetterwalkahead。Ifyouwalkedwithme，they”dthinkyouwaspinched——andwe”dhaveacrowdafterus。”Andhelaughedwithmuchshakingofhisfat，tightlybeltedbody。
Susancontrivedtoforceasmile，thoughthesuggestionofsuchadisgracefulscenemadehershudder。“Thankyousomuch。I”msureI”llfindit。”Andshehastenedon，eagertoputdistancebetweenherselfandthatawkwardcompany。
“Don”tmentionit，lady，“thepolicemancalledafterher，tappinghisbatonontherimofhishelmet，asamarkofelegantcourtesy。
Shewasnotateaseuntil，lookingback，shenolongersawthebluecoatfortheinterveningcrowds。Afterseveralslightmistakesintheway，shedescriedaheadofheralargesignpaintedonthewallofathree-storybrickbuilding：
MAURICEBLYNN，THEATRICALAGENT
ALLKINDSOFTALENTPLACEDANDSUPPLIED
Aftersomeinvestigationshediscoveredbackofthesaloonwhichoccupiedthestreetflooragrimyandunevenwoodenstaircaseleadingtotheupperstories。Atthefirstfloorshecamefacetofacewithadoorontheglassofwhichwaspaintedthesameannouncementshehadreadfromthewall。Sheknockedtimidly，thenlouder。Ashrillvoicecamefromtheinterior：
“Thedoor”sopen。Comein。”
Sheturnedtheknobandenteredasmall，low-ceilingedroomwhosegeneralgrimewasstreakedhereandtherewithsmearsofsoot。Itcontainedasmallwoodentableatwhichsprawledafreckledandundernourishedofficeboy，andawoodenbenchwherefrettedawomanobviouslyof“theprofession。”Shewasdressedinmassesofdirtywhitefurbelows。Onherheadrearedabighat，aboveanincrediblequantityofyellowhair；onthehatwerebadlyputtogetherplumesofbadlycurledostrichfeathers。
Beneathherskirtwasvisibleoneofherfeet；itwaslargeandfat，wasthrustintoatinyslipperwithhighheelendingunderthearchofthefoot。Thefaceoftheactresswasyoungandpertlypretty，butworn，overpainted，overpowderedandunderwashed。SheeyedSusaninsolently。
“Wanttoseetheboss？“saidtheboy。
“Ifyouplease，“murmuredSusan。
“Business？“
“I”mlookingfora——foraplace。”
Theboyexaminedhercarefully。“Appointment？“
“No，sir，“repliedthegirl。
“Well——he”llseeyou，anyhow，“saidtheboy，rising。
Themassofplumesandyellowbangsandfurbelowsonthebenchbecameviolentlyagitated。“I”mfirst，“criedtheactress。
“Oh，yousittight，Mame，“jeeredtheboy。Heopenedasoliddoorbehindhim。ThroughthecrackSusansawbusilywritingatatabledeskabald，fatmanwithapastyskinandaveinedandbulbousnose。
“Ladytoseeyou，“saidtheboyinatoneloudenoughforbothSusanandtheactresstohear。
“Who？Whatname？“snappedtheman，notceasingorlookingup。
“She”syoung，andaqueen，“saidtheboy。“ShallIshowherin？“
“Yep。”
Theactressstartedup。“Mr。Blynn——”shebeganinaloud，threatening，elocutionaryvoice。
“”Lo，Mame，“saidBlynn，stillbusy。“Notimetoseeyou。
Nothingdoing。Solong。”
“But，Mr。Blynn——”
“Biteitoff，Mame，“orderedtheboy。“Walkin，miss。”
Susan，deeplycoloredfromsympathywiththehumiliatedactressandfromnervousnessinthoseforbiddingandominoussurroundings，enteredtheprivateoffice。Theboyclosedthedoorbehindher。Thepenscratchedon。Presentlythemansaid：
“Well，mydear，what”syourname？“
Withthelastword，thefaceliftedandSusansawaseamedandpittedskin，smallpaleblueeyesshowingthewhite，orratherthebloodshotyellowallroundtheiris，aheavymouthandjaw，thicklips；thelowerlipprotrudedandwasdecoratedwithablue-blackspotlikeabloodboil，asiftoindicatewheretheincessantcigarusuallyrested。AtfirstglanceintoSusan”ssweet，youngfacethesmalleyessparkledanddanced，traveledontothecurvesofherform。
“Dositdown，mydear，“saidheinagrotesquelywheedlingvoice。Shetookthechairclosetohimasitwastheonlyoneinthelittleroom。
“WhatcanIdoforyou？My，howfreshandprettyyouare！“
“Mr。Burlingham——”beganSusan。
“Oh——you”rethegirlBobwastalkingabout。”Hesmiledandnoddedather。“Nowonderhekeptyououtofsight。”Heinventoriedhercharmsagainwithhissensual，confidentglance。
“Bobcertainlyhasgotgoodtaste。”
“He”sinthehospital，“saidSusandesperately。“SoI”vecometogetaplaceifyoucanfindmeone。”
“Hospital？I”msorrytohearthat。”AndMr。Blynn”stoneshadthataccentofdeepsympathywhichgetamanorwomanwithoutfurtherevidencecreditforbeing“kind-heartedwhateverelseheis。”
“Yes，he”sveryill——withtyphoid，“saidthegirl。“Imustdosomethingrightawaytohelphim。”
“That”sfine——fine，“saidMr。Blynninthesameeffectivetone。
“Iseeyou”reassweetasyouarepretty。Yes——that”sfine——fine！“Andthemoisturewasinthelittleeyes。“Well，I
thinkIcandosomethingforyou。I_must_dosomethingforyou。
Hadmuchexperience？——Professional，Imean。”
Mr。Blynnlaughedathis，toSusan，mysteriousjoke。Susansmiledfaintlyinpoliteresponse。Herubbedhishandsandsmackedhislips，thesmalleyesdancing。Themoisturehadvanished。
“Oh，yes，Icanplaceyou，ifyoucandoanythingatall，“hewenton。“I”d”a”doneitlongago，ifBobhadletmeseeyou。
Buthewastoofoxy。Heoughttobeashamedofhimself，standinginthewayofyourgettingon，justoutofjealousy。Singordance——orboth？“
“Icansingalittle，Ithink，“saidSusan。
“Now，that”smodest。Everworntights？“
Susanshookherhead，apiteouslookinherviolet-grayeyes。
“Oh，you”llsoongetusedtothat。Andmightywellyou”lllookin”em，I”llbet，eh？WheredidBobgetyou？Andwhen？“Beforeshecouldanswer，hewenton，“Let”ssee，I”vegotadateforthisevening，butI”llputitoff。Andshe”sapeach，too。Soyouseewhatahityou”vemadewithme。We”llhaveanicelittledinnerattheHotelduRhineandtalkthingsover。”
“Couldn”tIgotoworkrightaway？“askedthegirl。
“Sure。I”llhaveyouputonatSchaumer”stomorrownight——”Helookedshrewdly，laughingly，ather，withcontractedeyelids。
“_If_everythinggoeswell。BeforeIdoanythingforyou，Ihavetoseewhatyoucandoforme。”Andhenoddedandsmackedhislips。“Oh，we”llhavealovelylittledinner！“Helookedexpectantlyather。“Youcertainlyareaqueen！Whatadaintylittlehand！“Hereachedoutoneofhishands——puffyasifithadbeenpoisoned，verywhite，withstubbyfingers。Susanreluctantlyyieldedherhandtohisclose，mushyembrace。“Norings。That”sashame，petty——”Hewastalkingasiftoababy。”That”llhavetobefixed——yes，itwill，mylittlesweetie。My，howniceandfreshyouare！“Andhisgreatnostrils，repulsivelyhairywithin，deeplypittedwithout，sniffedasifoveranodorousflower。
Susandrewherhandaway。“Whatwilltheygiveme？“sheasked。
“Howgreedyitis！“hewheedled。“Well，you”llgetplenty——plenty。”
“Howmuch？“saidthegirl。“Isitasalary？“
“Ofcourse，there”stheregularsalary。Butthatwon”tamounttomuch。Youknowhowthosethingsare。”
“Howmuch？“
“Oh，sayadollaranight——untilyoumakeahit。”
“Sixdollarsaweek。”
“Seven。ThisisaSundaytown。Sunday”sthebigday。You”llhaveWednesday，SaturdayandSundaymatinees，buttheydon”tpayforthem。”
“Sevendollarsaweek。”Andthehospitalwantedten。“Couldn”tIget——aboutfifteen——orfourteen？IthinkIcoulddoonfourteen。”
“Rather！Iwastalkingonlyofthesalary。You”llmakeagoodmanytimesfifteen——ifyouplayyourcardsright。It”strueSchaumerdrawsonlyabeercrowd。Butassoonasthewordfliesroundthat_you_”rethere，theboyswiththeboodle”llflockin。
Oh，you”llwearthesparklersallright，pet。”
RatherslowlyitwaspenetratingtoSusanwhatMr。Blynnhadinmind。“I”d——I”drathertakearegularsalary，“saidshe。“Imusthavetenaweekforhim。Icanliveanyoldway。”
“Oh，comeoff！“criedMr。Blynnwithawink。“What”syourgame？
Anyhow，don”tplayitonme。Youunderstandthatyoucan”tgetsomethingfornothing。It”sallverywelltoloveyourfriendandbetruetohim。Buthecan”texpect——he”llnotaskyoutoqueeryourself。Thatsortofthingdon”tgointheprofession……
Comenow，I”mwillingtosetyouonyourfeet，giveyouagoodstart，ifyou”llplayfairwithme——showappreciation。Willyouorwon”tyou？“
“Youmean——”beganSusan，andpausedthere，lookingathimwithgravequestioningeyes。
Hisowneyesshifted。“Yes，Imeanthat。I”mabusinessman，notasentimentalist。Idon”twantlove。I”vegotnotimeforit。
Butwhenitcomestogivingagirloftherightsortasquaredealandagoodtime，whyyou”llfindI”masgoodasthereisgoing。”Hereachedforherhandsagain，hisempty，flabbychinbagsquivering。“IwanttohelpBob，andIwanttohelpyou。”
Sheroseslowly，pushingherchairback。SheunderstoodnowwhyBurlinghamhadkeptherinthebackground，whyhisquesthadbeenvain，whyithadfrettedhimintomortalillness。
“I——couldn”tdothat，“shesaid。“I”msorry，butIcouldn”t。”
Helookedatherinapuzzledway。“YoubelongtoBob，don”tyou？“
“No。”
“Youmeanyou”restraight——agoodgirl？“
“Yes。”
Hewashalfinclinedtobelieveher，soimpressivewasherquietnaturalway，infavorablecontrasttothenoisyprotestsofwomenposingasvirtuous。“Well——ifthat”sso——whyyou”dbetterdropoutoftheprofession——andgetawayfromBobBurlingham。”
“Can”tIhaveaplacewithout——whatyousaid？“
“Notasprettyagirlasyou。Andiftheyain”tprettythepublicdon”twant”em。”
Susanwenttothedoorleadingintotheoffice。“No——theotherdoor，“saidBlynnhastily。HedidnotwishtheofficeboytoreadhisdefeatinSusan”scountenance。Hegotuphimself，openedthedoorintothehall。Susanpassedout。“Thinkitover，“saidhe，eyesandmouthfulloflonging。“Comeroundinadayortwo，andwe”llhaveanothertalk。”
“Thankyou，“saidSusan。Shefeltnoangeragainsthim。ShefeltabouthimasshehadaboutJebFerguson。Itwasnothisfault；
itwassimplythewaylifewaslived——partofthegeneralmiseryandhorroroftheestablishedorder——likemarriageandtherestofit。
“I”lltreatyouwhite，“urgedBlynn，tenderly。“I”vegotasoftheart——that”swhyI”llnevergetrich。Anyoftheothers”daskmoreandgiveless。”
Shelookedathimwithanexpressionthathauntedhimforseveralhours。“Thankyou。Good-by，“shesaid，andwentdownthenarrow，ricketystairs——andoutintotheconfusedmazeofstreetsfullofstrangers。
CHAPTERXVII
ATthehotelagain；shewenttoBurlingham”sroom，gatheredhisbelongings——hissuit，hiswell-worn，twice-tappedshoes，hisoneextrasuitofunderclothes，asoiledshirt，twodickeysandcuffs，hiswhiskbroom，toothbrush，aboxofblacking，theblackingbrush。Shemadethepackageascompactasshecould——itwasstillaformidablebundlebothforsizeandweight——andcarrieditintoherroom。Thensherolledintoasmallparcelherownpossessions——twoblouses，anundervest，apairofstockings，anightgown——reminderofBethlehemandherbriefsipatthecupofsuccess——afewtoiletarticles。Withthetwobundlesshedescendedtotheoffice。
“Icametosay，“shesaidcalmlytotheclerk，“thatwehavenomoneytopaywhatweowe。Mr。Burlinghamisatthehospital——verysickwithtyphoid。Hereisadollarandeightycents。Youcanhavethat，butI”dliketokeepit，asit”sallwe”vegot。”
Theclerkcalledthemanager，andtohimSusanrepeated。Sheusedalmostthesamewords；shespokeinthesamecalm，monotonousway。Whenshefinished，themanager，asmall，briskmanwithalargebriskbeard，said：
“No。Keepthemoney。I”dliketoaskyoutostayon。Butwerunthisplaceforaclassofpeoplewhohaven”tmuchatbestandkeepwobblingbackandforthacrosstheline。IfIbrokemyrule——”
Hemadeafuriousgesture，lookedatthegirlangrily——holdingherresponsibleforhisbeinginapositionwherehemustdoviolencetoeverydecentinstinct”MyGod，miss，I”vegotawifeandchildrentolookafter。IfIranmyhotelonsympathy，what”dbecomeofthem？“
“Iwouldn”ttakeanythingIcouldn”tpayfor，“saidSusan。“AssoonasIearnsomemoney——”
“Don”tworryaboutthat，“interruptedthemanager。Hesawnowthathewasdealingwithonewhowouldinnocircumstancesbecometroublesome；hewentoninaneasiertone：“Youcanstaytillthehousefillsup。”
“Couldyougivemeaplacetowaitontableandcleanuprooms——orhelpcook？“
“No，Idon”tneedanybody。Thetown”sfullofpeopleoutofwork。Youcan”taskmetoturnaway——”
“Please——Ididn”tknow，“criedthegirl。
“Anyhow，Icouldn”tgivebuttwelveamonthandboard，“
continuedthemanager。“Andthework——foraladylikeyou——”
Alady！Shedroppedhergazeinconfusion。Ifheknewaboutherbirth！
“I”lldoanything。I”mnotalady，“saidshe。“ButI”vegottohaveatleasttenaweekincash。”
“Nosuchplacehere。”Themanagerwasgladtofindthefaultofuppishideasinthisgirlwhowasmakingithardforhimtobebusinesslike。“Nosuchplaceanywhereforabeginner。”
“Imusthaveit，“saidthegirl。
“Idon”twanttodiscourageyou，but——”Hewasspeakinglesscurtly，forherexpressionmadehimsuspectwhyshewasbentuponthatparticularamount。“Ihopeyou”llsucceed。Only——don”tbedepressedifyou”redisappointed。”
Shesmiledgravelyathim；hebowed，avoidinghereyes。ShetookupherbundlesandwentoutintoWalnutStreet。Hemovedafewstepsinobediencetoanimpulsetofollowher，togivehercounselandwarning，tooffertohelpheraboutthelargerbundle。Buthecheckedhimselfwiththefrownofhisownnottooprosperousaffairs。
Itwasthehottestpartoftheday，andherwaylayalongunshadedstreets。Asshehadeatennothingsincethenightbefore，shefeltfaint。HerfacewasghastlywhensheenteredtheofficeofthehospitalandleftBurlingham”sparcel。TheclerkatthedesktoldherthatBurlinghamwasinthesamecondition”andthere”llbeprobablynochangeonewayortheotherforseveraldays。”
Shereturnedtothestreet，wanderedaimlesslyabout。Sheknewsheoughttoeatsomething，buttheideaoffoodrevoltedher。
Shewasfightingthetemptationtogotothe_Commercial_office，RoderickSpenser”soffice。Shehadnotasuspicionthathiskindnessmighthavebeenimpulse，longsincerepentedof，perhapsrepentedofassoonashewasawayfromher。Shefeltthatifshewenttohimhewouldhelpher。“ButImustn”tdoit，“shesaidtoherself。“NotafterwhatIdid。”No，shemustnotseehimuntilshecouldpayhimback。Also，anddeeper，therewasafeelingthattherewasacurseuponher；hadnoteveryonewhobefriendedhercometogrief？Shemustnotdrawanyoneelseintotrouble，mustnottangleothersinthemeshesofhermisfortunes。Shedidnotreasonthisout，ofcourse；butthefeelingwasnotthelessstrongbecausethereasonsforitwerevagueinhermind。Andtherewasnothingvagueabouttheresolvetowhichshefinallycame——thatshewouldfightherbattleherself。
Herunheedingwanderingsledherafteranhourorsotoabigdepartmentstore。Crowdsofshoppers，mussy，hot，andcross，werepushingrudelyinandoutofthedoors。Sheentered，approachedawell-dressed，bareheadedoldgentleman，whomsherightlyplacedasfloorwalker，inquiredofhim：
“Wheredotheyaskforwork？“
Shehadbeenattractedtohimbecausehiswastheonefacewithinviewnotsuggestingtemperoratleastbadhumor。Itwasmorethanpleasant，itwasbenign。HeinclinedtowardSusanwithanairthatinvitedconfidenceandapplicationforbalmforawoundedspirit。Theinstantthenatureofherinquirypenetratedthroughhisposetothemanhimself，therewasaswiftchangetoloftydisdain——thefamiliarattitudeofworkerstowardfellow-workersofwhattheyregardasalowerclass。Evidentlyheresentedherhavingbeguiledhimbythefalseairofyoungladyintowastinguponher，mereservilitylikehimself，adisplayreservedexclusivelyforpatrons。ItwasSusan”sfirstexperienceofthissnobbishness；itatoncehumbledherintothedust。Shehadbeenputinherplace，andthatplacewasnotamongpeopleworthyofciviltreatment。Agirlofhisownclasswouldhaveflashedathim，probablywouldhave“jawed“him。
Susanmeeklysubmitted；shewasoncemoreremindedthatshewasanoutcast，oneforwhomtherespectableworldhadnoplace。Hemadesomesortofreplytoherquestion，inthetonetheusherofafashionablechurchwouldusetoastrangerobviouslynotinthesamesetasthehabitues。Sheheardthetone，butnotthewords；sheturnedawaytoseekthestreetagain。Shewanderedon——throughthelabyrinthofstreets，throughthecrowdsoncrowdsofstrangers。
Tendollarsaweek！Sheknewlittleaboutwages，butenoughtorealizethehopelessnessofherquest。Tendollarsaweek——andherownkeepbeside。Thefacesofthecrowdspushingpastherandjostlinghermadeherheartsick。Somuchsickness，andharassment，anddiscontent——somuchunhappiness！Surelyallthesesadheartsoughttobekindtoeachother。Yettheywerenot；eachsoulwentselfishlyalone，thinkingonlyofitsownburden。
Shewalkedonandon，thinking，inthisdisconnectedwaycharacteristicofagoodintelligencethathasnotyetdevelopedorderandsequence，atheoryoflifeandapurpose。Ithadalwaysbeenherhabittowalkaboutratherthantosit，whetherindoorsorout。Shecouldthinkbetterwheninmotionphysically。Whenshewassotiredthatshebegantofeelweak，shesawashadedsquare，withbenchesunderthetrees。Sheentered，satdowntorest。Shemightapplytotheyoungdoctor。
But，no。Hewaspoor——andwhatchancewasthereofherevermakingthemoneytopayback？No，shecouldnottakealms；thanalmstherewasnolowerwayofgettingmoney。ShemightreturntoMr。Blynnandaccepthisoffer。Themaninallhisphysicalhorrorrosebeforeher。No，shecouldnotdothat。Atleast，notyet。Shecouldentertaintheideaasapossibilitynow。Sherememberedherwedding——theafternoon，thenight。Yes，Blynn”sofferinvolvednothingsohorribleasthat——andshehadlivedthroughthat。Itwouldbecowardice，treachery，toshrinkfromanythingthatshouldprovenecessaryindoingthesquarethingbythemanwhohaddonesomuchforher。ShehadsaidshewoulddieforBurlingham；sheowedeventhattohim，ifherdeathwouldhelphim。Hadshethenmeantnothingbutmerelyingwordsofpretendedgratitude？ButBlynnwasalwaysthere；somethingelsemightturnup，andherdollarandeightycentswouldlastanotherdayorso，andthetendollarswerenotdueforsixdays。No，shewouldnotgotoBlynn；shewouldwait，wouldtakehisadvice”thinkitover。”
Amanwaswalkingupanddowntheshadedalley，passingandrepassingthebenchwhereshesat。Sheobservedhim，sawthathewaswatchingher。Hewasayoungman——averyyoungman——ofmiddleheight，stronglybuilt。Hehadcrisp，shortdarkhair，adarkishskin，amiableblue-grayeyes，pleasingfeatures。Shedecidedthathewasofgoodfamily，washomefromsomecollegeonvacation。Hewaswearingasilkshirt，stripedflanneltrousers，athinsergecoatofanattractiveshadeofblue。Shelikedhislooks，likedthewayhedressed。Itpleasedherthatsuchamanshouldbeinterestedinher；hehadafrankandfriendlyair，andhersadyoungheartwashorriblylonely。Shepretendednottonoticehim；butafterawhilehewalkeduptoher，liftinghisstrawhat。
“Goodafternoon，“saidhe。Whenheshowedhisstrongsharpteethinanamiablesmile，shethoughtofSamWright——onlythismanwasnotweakandmeanlooking，likeherlastandtruestmemorypictureofSam——indeed，theonlyoneshehadnotlost。
“Goodafternoon，“repliedshepolitely。ForinspiteofBurlingham”sexplanationsandcautioningsshewasstillthesmall-towngirl，unsuspicioustowardcourtesyfromstrangemen。
Also，shelongedforsomeonetotalkwith。IthadbeenweekssinceshehadtalkedwithanyonenearerthanBurlinghamtoherownageandbreeding。
“Won”tyouhavelunchwithme？“heasked。“Ihatetoeatalone。”
She，faintfromhunger，simplycouldnothelpobvioushesitationbeforesaying，“Idon”tthinkIcareforany。”
“Youhaven”thadyours——haveyou？“
“No。”
“MayIsitdown？“
Shemovedalongthebenchtoindicatethathemight，withoutdefinitelycommittingherself。
Hesat，tookoffhishat。Hehadaclean，freshlookabouttheneckthatpleasedher。Shewaswearyofseeinggrimy，sweatypeople，andofsmellingthem。Also，excepttheyoungdoctor，sinceRoderickSpenserleftheratCarrolltownshehadtalkedwithnooneofherownageandclass——theclassinwhichshehadbeenbroughtup，theclassthat，aftermakingheroneofitself，hadcastheroutforeverwithitsmarkofshameuponher。Itsmarkofshame——burningandstingingagainasshesatbesidethisyoungman！
“You”resadaboutsomething？“suggestedhe，himselfnearlyasembarrassedasshe。
“Myfriend”sill。He”sgottyphoid。”
“Thatisbad。Buthe”llgetallright。Theyalwayscuretyphoid，nowadays——ifit”stakenintimeandthenursing”sgood。
Everythingdependsonthenursing。Ihaditacoupleofyearsago，andpulledthrougheasily。”
Susanbrightened。Hespokesoconfidentlythattheappealtoheryoungcredulitytowardgoodnewsandthehopeful，cheerfulthingwasirresistible。“Oh，yes——he”llbeoveritsoon，“theyoungmanwenton，“especiallyifhe”sinahospitalwherethey”vegotthefacilitiesfortakingcareofsickpeople。Whereishe？“
“Inthehospital——upthatway。”Shemovedherheadvaguelyinthedirectionofthenorthwest。
“Oh，yes。It”sagoodone——forthepaypatients。Isupposeforthepoordevilsthatcan”tpay“——heglancedwithcarelesssympathyatthedozenorsotrampsonbenchesnearby”it”slikealltherestof”em——likethewholeworld，forthatmatter。Itmustbeawfulnottohavemoneyenoughtogetonwith，Imean。
I”mtalkingaboutmen。”Hesmiledcheerfully。“Withawoman——ifshe”spretty——it”sdifferent，ofcourse。”
Thegirlwassoagitatedthatshedidnotnoticethesly，ifshy，hintintheremarkanditsaccompanyingglance。Saidshe：
“Butit”sagoodhospitalifyoupay？“
“Nonebetter。Maybeit”sgoodstraightthrough。I”veonlyheardtheservants”talk——andservantsaresuchliars。Still——I”dnotwanttotrustmyselftoahospitalunlessIcouldpay。Iguessthecommonpeoplehavegoodreasonfortheirhorroroffreewards。Nothingfreeisevergood。”
Thegirl”sfacesuddenlyandstartlinglygrewalmosthard，sofiercewastheresolvethatformedwithinher。Themoneymustbegot——_must！_——andwould。Shewouldtryeverywayshecouldthinkofbetweennowandto-morrow；then——ifshefailedshewouldgotoBlynn。
Theyoungmanwassaying：“You”reastrangerintown？“
“Iwaswithatheatricalcompanyonashowboat。Itsank。”
Hisembarrassmentvanished。Shesaw，butshedidnotunderstandthatitwasbecausehethoughthehad“placed“her——andthatherplacewaswherehehadhoped。
“You_are_upagainstit！“saidhe。“Comehavesomelunch。You”llfeelbetter。”
Thegoodsenseofthiswasunanswerable。Susanhesitatednolonger，wonderedwhyshehadhesitatedatfirst。“Well——IguessIwill。”Andsherosewithafrank，childlikealacritythatamusedhimimmensely。
“Youdon”tlookit，butyou”vebeenaboutsome——haven”tyou？“
“Rather，“repliedshe。
“Isomehowthoughtyouknewathingortwo。”
TheywalkedwesttoRaceStreet。Theywereaboutthesameheight。Hercostumemighthavebeenfresher，mighthavesuggestedtoanexperteyethepassed-onclothesofaricherrelative；buthercarriageandthefinelookofskinandhairandfeaturesmadethedefectsofdressunimportant。Sheseemedofhisclass——oftheclasscomfortable，welleducated，andwell-bred。Ifshehadbeenmoreexperienced，shewouldhaveseenthathewassatisfiedwithherappearancedespitethecuriouslookinglittlepackage，andwouldhavebeenflattered。Asitwas，herinterestwasabsorbedinthingsapartfromherself。Hetalkedaboutthetown——theamusements，thegoodtimestobehadattheover-the-Rhinebeerhalls，atthehilltopgardens，atthedancesinthepavilionoutattheZoo。Hedrewalivelyandcharmingpicture，onethatappealedtoherhealthyyouth，toherunsatisfiedcuriosity，toherpassionatedesiretolivethegay，freecitylifeofwhichthesmalltownreadsanddreams。
“YouandIcangoroundtogether，can”twe？Ihaven”tgotmuch，butI”llnottrytotakeyourtimefornothing，ofcourse。Thatwouldn”tbesquare。I”msureyou”llhavenocausetocomplain。
Whatdoyousay？“
“Maybe，“repliedthegirl，allatonceabsentminded。Herbrainwaswildlybusywithsomeideasstartedtherebyhissignificantwords，byhisflirtatiousglancesather，byhiswayoftouchingherwheneverhecouldmakeopportunity。EvidentlytherewasanalternativetoBlynn。
“Youlikeagoodtime，don”tyou？“saidhe。
“Rather！“exclaimedshe，thevioleteyessuddenlyveryvioletindeedandsparkling。Herspiritshadsuddenlysoared。Shewasactinglikeoneofherage。Withthatblessedhappyhopefulnessofhealthyyouth，shehadputasidehersorrows——notbecauseshewasfrivolousbutforthebestofallreasons，becauseshewasyoungandsuperblyvital。Saidshe：“I”mcrazyaboutdancing——andmusic。”
“Ionlyneededtolookatyourfeet——andankles——toknowthat，“
venturedhethe“ankles“beingespeciallyaudacious。
Shewaspleased，andinyouth”sfoolishwaytriedtohideherpleasurebysaying，“Myfeetaren”texactlysmall。”
“Ishouldsaynot！“protestedhewithenergy。“Littlefeetwouldlooklikethemischiefonagirlastallasyouare。Yes，wecanhavealotoffun。”
Theywentintoalargerestaurantwithflyfansspeeding。Susanthoughtitverygrand——anditwasthegrandestrestaurantshehadeverbeenin。Theysatdown——inadelightfullycoolplacebyawindowlookingoutonalittleplotofgreenwithacolladium，afountain，someoleandersinfullandfragrantbloom；theyoungmanordered，withaneasethatfascinatedher，anelaboratelunch——soup，achicken，withsalad，icecream，andfreshpeaches。Susanhadamenuinherhandandasheorderedshenotedtheprices。Shewasdazzledbyhisextravagance——dazzledandfrightened——and，inacurious，vague，unnervingway，fascinated。Money——thethingshemusthaveforBurlinghaminwhosecase“everythingdependedonthenursing。”Inthebrieftimethisboyandshehadbeentogether，he，withoutmakinganefforttoimpress，hadgivenherthefeelingthathewasofthebestcityclass，thatheknewtheworld——thehighworld。Thus，shefeltthatshemustbecarefulnottoshowher“greenness。”
Shewouldhavelikedtoprotestagainsthisextravagance，butsheventuredonlythetimidremonstrance，“Oh，I”mnotabithungry。”
Shethoughtshewasspeakingthetruth，fortheideaswhirlingsofastthattheyweredimquitetookawaythesenseofhunger。
Butwhenthefoodcameshediscoveredthatshewas，onthecontrary，ravenous——andsheatewithrisingspirits，withafeelingofcontentandhope。Hehadurgedhertodrinkwineorbeer，butsherefusedtotakeanythingbutaglassofmilk；andheendedbytakingmilkhimself。Hewaslookingmoreandmoreboldlyandardentlyintohereyes，andshereceivedhisglancessmilingly。Shefeltthoroughlyateaseandathome，asifshewerebackoncemoreamongherownsortofpeople——withsomeelementofdisagreeableconstraintleftout。
Sinceshewasanoutcast，sheneednotbotheraboutthesmallrestraintsthegirlsfeltcompelledtoputuponthemselvesinthecompanyofboys。Nobodyrespecteda“bastard，“astheycalledherwhentheyspokefrankly。Sowithnothingtoloseshecouldatleastgetwhatpleasuretherewasinfreedom。Shelikedit，havingthishandsome，well-dressedyoungmanmakinglovetoherinthisgrandrestaurantwherethingsweresogoodtoeatandsoexcitinglyexpensive。Hewouldnotregardherasfittoassociatewithhisrespectablemotherandsisters。Inthecastsofrespectability，herplacewaswithJebFerguson！Shewasbetteroff，clearofthewholeunjustandhorriblebusinessofrespectablelife，clearofitandfree，franklyintheoutcastclass。Shehadnotrealized——andshedidnotrealize——thatassociationwiththeplayersoftheshowboathadmadeanyespecialchangeinher；infact，ithadloosenedtothesloughingpointthewholeskinofherconventionaltraining——thatsurfaceskinwhichseemspartoftheveryessenceofourbeinguntilsomethinghappenstoforceustoshedit。
Crises，catastrophes，mayscratchthatskin，orcutclearthroughit；butonlythegentle，steady，everywhere-actingprying-looseofdayandnightassociationcanchangeitfromaskintoalooseenvelopereadytobeshedatanymoment。
“Whatareyougoingtodo？“askedtheyoungman，whentheacquaintancehadbecomeafriendship——whichwasbeforethepeachesandicecreamwereserved。
“Idon”t，know“saidthegirl，withthesecretiveinstinctofself-reliancehidingtheunhappinesshisabruptquestionsettothrobbingagain。
“Honestly，I”venevermetanyonethatwassocongenial。Butmaybeyoudon”tfeelthatway？“
“ThenagainmaybeIdo，“rejoinedshe，forcingamerrysmile。
Hisfaceflushedwithembarrassment，buthiseyesgrewmoreardentashesaid：“Whatwereyoulookingfor，whenIsawyouinGarfieldPlace？“
“WasthatGarfieldPlace？“sheasked，inevasion。
“Yes。”Andheinsisted，“Whatwereyoulookingfor？“
“Whatwere_you_lookingfor？“
“Foraprettygirl。”Theybothlaughed。“AndI”vefoundher。I”msuitedifyouare……Don”tlooksoserious。Youhaven”tansweredmyquestion。”
“I”mlookingforwork。”