LORD，howshehasBLED！Didyoueverseesomuch——
that’smurder——that’scold-bloodedmurder。He’skilledher。Say，wemustgetapoliceman。Comeon。“
Theyturnedbackthroughthehouse。Halfadozenpeople——
thewild-gamepeddler，themanwiththebroad-brimmedhat，thewashwoman，andthreeothermen——wereinthefrontroomofthejunkshop，abankofexcitedfacessurgedatthedoor。Beyondthis，outside，thecrowdwaspackedsolidfromoneendofthealleytotheother。OutinPolkStreetthecablecarswerenearlyblockedandwerebuntingawayslowlythroughthethrongwithclangingbells。Everywindowhaditsgroup。AndasTrinaandtheharness-makertriedtoforcethewayfromthedoorofthejunkshopthethrongsuddenlypartedrightandleftbeforethepassageoftwoblue-coatedpolicemenwhocloveapassagethroughthepress，workingtheirelbowsenergetically。Theywereaccompaniedbyathirdmanincitizen’sclothes。
HeiseandTrinawentbackintothekitchenwiththetwopolicemen，thethirdmanincitizen’sclothesclearedtheintrudersfromthefrontroomofthejunkshopandkeptthecrowdback，hisarmacrosstheopendoor。
“Whew！“whistledoneoftheofficersastheycameoutintothekitchen，“cuttingscrape？ByGeorge！SOMEBODY’S
beenusinghisknifeallright。“Heturnedtotheotherofficer。“Bettergetthewagon。There’saboxonthesecondcornersouth。Now，then，“hecontinued，turningtoTrinaandtheharness-makerandtakingouthisnote-bookandpencil，“Iwantyournamesandaddresses。“
Itwasadayoftremendousexcitementfortheentirestreet。
Longafterthepatrolwagonhaddrivenaway，thecrowdremained。Infact，untilseveno’clockthateveninggroupscollectedaboutthedoorofthejunkshop，whereapolicemanstoodguard，askingallmannerofquestions，advancingallmannerofopinions。
“Doyouthinkthey’llgethim？“askedRyerofthepoliceman。
Adozenneckscranedforwardeagerly。
“Hoh，we’llgethimallright，easyenough，“answeredtheother，withagrandair。
“What？What’sthat？Whatdidhesay？“askedthepeopleontheoutskirtsofthegroup。Thoseinfrontpassedtheanswerback。
“Hesaysthey’llgethimallright，easyenough。“
Thegrouplookedatthepolicemanadmiringly。
“He’sskippedtoSanJose。“
Wheretherumorstarted，andhow，nooneknew。ButeveryoneseemedpersuadedthatZerkowhadgonetoSanJose。
“Butwhatdidhekillherfor？Washedrunk？“
“No，hewascrazy，Itellyou——crazyinthehead。Thoughtshewashidingsomemoneyfromhim。“
Frennadidabigbusinessalldaylong。Themurderwastheonesubjectofconversation。Littlepartiesweremadeupinhissaloon——partiesoftwosandthrees——togooverandhavealookattheoutsideofthejunkshop。HeisewasthemostimportantmanthelengthandbreadthofPolkStreet；almostinvariablyheaccompaniedtheseparties，tellingagainandagainoftheparthehadplayedintheaffair。
“Itwasabouteleveno’clock。Iwasstandinginfrontoftheshop，whenMrs。McTeague——youknow，thedentist’swife——
camerunningacrossthestreet，“andsoonandsoon。
Thenextdaycameafreshsensation。PolkStreetreadofitinthemorningpapers。TowardsmidnightonthedayofthemurderZerkow’sbodyhadbeenfoundfloatinginthebaynearBlackPoint。Nooneknewwhetherhehaddrownedhimselforfallenfromoneofthewharves。Clutchedinbothhishandswasasackfullofoldandrustypans，tindishes——fullyahundredofthem——tincans，andironknivesandforks，collectedfromsomedumpheap。
“Andallthis，“exclaimedTrina，“onaccountofasetofgolddishesthatneverexisted。“
CHAPTER17
Oneday，aboutafortnightafterthecoroner’sinquesthadbeenheld，andwhentheexcitementoftheterribleaffairwascalmingdownandPolkStreetbeginningtoresumeitsmonotonousroutine，OldGrannissatinhisclean，well-keptlittleroom，inhiscushionedarmchair，hishandslyingidlyuponhisknees。Itwasevening；notquitetimetolightthelamps。OldGrannishaddrawnhischairclosetothewall——
soclose，infact，thathecouldhearMissBaker’sgrenadinebrushingagainsttheothersideofthethinpartition，athisveryelbow，whilesherockedgentlybackandforth，acupofteainherhands。
OldGrannis’soccupationwasgone。Thatmorningthebook-
sellingfirmwherehehadboughthispamphletshadtakenhislittlebindingapparatusfromhimtouseasamodel。Thetransactionhadbeenconcluded。OldGrannishadreceivedhischeck。Itwaslargeenough，tobesure，butwhenallwasover，hereturnedtohisroomandsattheresadandunoccupied，lookingatthepatterninthecarpetandcountingtheheadsofthetacksinthezincguardthatwasfastenedtothewallbehindhislittlestove。ByandbyheheardMissBakermovingabout。Itwasfiveo’clock，thetimewhenshewasaccustomedtomakehercupofteaand“keepcompany“withhimonhersideofthepartition。OldGrannisdrewuphischairtothewallnearwhereheknewshewassitting。Theminutespassed；sidebyside，andseparatedbyonlyacoupleofinchesofboard，thetwooldpeoplesattheretogether，whiletheafternoongrewdarker。
ButforOldGrannisallwasdifferentthatevening。Therewasnothingforhimtodo。Hishandslayidlyinhislap。
Histable，withitspileofpamphlets，wasinafarcorneroftheroom，and，fromtimetotime，stirredwithanuncertaintrouble，heturnedhisheadandlookedatitsadly，reflectingthathewouldneveruseitagain。Theabsenceofhisaccustomedworkseemedtoleavesomethingoutofhislife。ItdidnotappeartohimthathecouldbethesametoMissBakernow；theirlittlehabitsweredisarranged，theircustomsbrokenup。Hecouldnolongerfancyhimselfsoneartoher。Theywoulddriftapartnow，andshewouldnolongermakeherselfacupofteaand“keepcompany“withhimwhensheknewthathewouldneveragainsitbeforehistablebindinguncutpamphlets。Hehadsoldhishappinessformoney；hehadbarteredallhistardyromanceforsomemiserablebanknotes。Hehadnotforeseenthatitwouldbelikethis。Avastregretwelledupwithinhim。Whatwasthatonthebackofhishand？Hewipeditdrywithhisancientsilkhandkerchief。
OldGrannisleanthisfaceinhishands。Notonlydidaninexplicableregretstirwithinhim，butacertaingreattendernesscameuponhim。Thetearsthatswaminhisfadedblueeyeswerenotaltogetherthoseofunhappiness。No，thislong-delayedaffectionthathadcomeuponhiminhislateryearsfilledhimwithajoyforwhichtearsseemedtobethenaturalexpression。Forthirtyyearshiseyeshadnotbeenwet，buttonighthefeltasifhewereyoungagain。
Hehadneverlovedbefore，andtherewasstillapartofhimthatwasonlytwentyyearsofage。Hecouldnottellwhetherhewasprofoundlysadordeeplyhappy；buthewasnotashamedofthetearsthatbroughtthesmarttohiseyesandtheachetohisthroat。Hedidnothearthetimidrappingonhisdoor，anditwasnotuntilthedooritselfopenedthathelookedupquicklyandsawthelittleretireddressmakerstandingonthethreshold，carryingacupofteaonatinyJapanesetray。Sheheldittowardhim。
“Iwasmakingsometea，“shesaid，“andIthoughtyouwouldliketohaveacup。“
Neveraftercouldthelittledressmakerunderstandhowshehadbroughtherselftodothisthing。Onemomentshehadbeensittingquietlyonhersideofthepartition，stirringhercupofteawithoneofherGorhamspoons。Shewasquiet，shewaspeaceful。Theeveningwasclosingdowntranquilly。Herroomwasthepictureofcalmnessandorder。
Thegeraniumsbloominginthestarchboxesinthewindow，theagedgoldfishoccasionallyturninghisiridescentflanktocatchasuddenglowofthesettingsun。Thenextmomentshehadbeenalltrepidation。ItseemedtoherthemostnaturalthingintheworldtomakeasteamingcupofteaandcarryitintoOldGrannisnextdoor。Itseemedtoherthathewaswantingher，thatsheoughttogotohim。Withthebrusqueresolveandintrepiditythatsometimesseizesuponverytimidpeople——thecourageofthecowardgreaterthanallothers——shehadpresentedherselfattheoldEnglishman’shalf-opendoor，and，whenhehadnotheededherknock，hadpusheditopen，andatlast，afteralltheseyears，stooduponthethresholdofhisroom。Shehadfoundcourageenoughtoexplainherintrusion。
“Iwasmakingsometea，andIthoughtyouwouldliketohaveacup。“
OldGrannisdroppedhishandsuponeitherarmofhischair，and，leaningforwardalittle，lookedatherblankly。Hedidnotspeak。
Theretireddressmaker’scouragehadcarriedherthusfar；
nowitdesertedherasabruptlyasithadcome。Hercheeksbecamescarlet；herfunnylittlefalsecurlstrembledwithheragitation。Whatshehaddoneseemedtoherindecorousbeyondexpression。Itwasanenormity。Fancy，shehadgoneintohisroom，INTOHISROOM——MisterGrannis’sroom。
Shehaddonethis——shewhocouldnotpasshimonthestairswithoutaqualm。Whattodoshedidnotknow。Shestood，afixture，onthethresholdofhisroom，withoutevenresolutionenoughtobeataretreat。Helplessly，andwithalittlequaverinhervoice，sherepeatedobstinately：
“Iwasmakingsometea，andIthoughtyouwouldliketohaveacupoftea。“Heragitationbetrayeditselfintherepetitionoftheword。Shefeltthatshecouldnotholdthetrayoutanotherinstant。Alreadyshewastremblingsothathalftheteawasspilled。
OldGrannisstillkeptsilence，stillbendingforward，withwideeyes，hishandsgrippingthearmsofhischair。
Thenwiththetea-traystillheldstraightbeforeher，thelittledressmakerexclaimedtearfully：
“Oh，Ididn’tmean——Ididn’tmean——Ididn’tknowitwouldseemlikethis。Ionlymeanttobekindandbringyousometea；andnowitseemsSOimproper。I——I——I’mSO
ashamed！Idon’tknowwhatyouwillthinkofme。I——“shecaughtherbreath——“improper“——shemanagedtoexclaim，“unlady-like——youcanneverthinkwellofme——I’llgo。I’llgo。“Sheturnedabout。
“Stop，“criedOldGrannis，findinghisvoiceatlast。MissBakerpaused，lookingathimoverhershoulder，hereyesverywideopen，blinkingthroughhertears，foralltheworldlikeafrightenedchild。
“Stop，“exclaimedtheoldEnglishman，risingtohisfeet。
“Ididn’tknowitwasyouatfirst。Ihadn’tdreamed——I
couldn’tbelieveyouwouldbesogood，sokindtome。Oh，“
hecried，withasuddensharpbreath，“oh，youAREkind。
I——I——youhave——havemademeveryhappy。“
“No，no，“exclaimedMissBaker，readytosob。“Itwasunlady-like。Youwill——youmustthinkillofme。“Shestoodinthehall。Thetearswererunningdownhercheeks，andshehadnofreehandtodrythem。
“Letme——I’lltakethetrayfromyou，“criedOldGrannis，comingforward。Atremulousjoycameuponhim。Neverinhislifehadhebeensohappy。Atlastithadcome——comewhenhehadleastexpectedit。Thatwhichhehadlongedforandhopedforthroughsomanyyears，behold，itwascometo-
night。Hefelthisawkwardnessleavinghim。Hewasalmostcertainthatthelittledressmakerlovedhim，andthethoughtgavehimboldness。Hecametowardherandtookthetrayfromherhands，and，turningbackintotheroomwithit，madeasiftosetituponhistable。Butthepilesofhispamphletswereintheway。Bothofhishandswereoccupiedwiththetray；hecouldnotmakeaplaceforitonthetable。Hestoodforamomentuncertain，hisembarrassmentreturning。
“Oh，won’tyou——won’tyouplease——“Heturnedhishead，lookingappealinglyatthelittleolddressmaker。
“Wait，I’llhelpyou，“shesaid。Shecameintotheroom，uptothetable，andmovedthepamphletstooneside。
“Thanks，thanks，“murmuredOldGrannis，settingdownthetray。
“Now——now——nowIwillgoback，“sheexclaimed，hurriedly。
“No——no，“returnedtheoldEnglishman。“Don’tgo，don’tgo。
I’vebeensolonelyto-night——andlastnighttoo——allthisyear——allmylife，“hesuddenlycried。
“I——I——I’veforgottenthesugar。“
“ButInevertakesugarinmytea。“
“Butit’srathercold，andI’vespilledit——almostallofit。“
“I’lldrinkitfromthesaucer。“OldGrannishaddrawnuphisarmchairforher。
“Oh，Ishouldn’t。Thisis——thisisSO——Youmustthinkillofme。“Suddenlyshesatdown，andrestingherelbowsonthetable，hidherfaceinherhands。