Ragged Lady, Complete

arebit which she gave at the close of the evening. The party was in the charge of Gregory, who silently served them at their orgy with an aus

m their sleep by such belated pleasures; and when he had provided the materials for the

r of slippers for the Spirit of Summer, which she should wear in turn for the dance that she must give each of them; and this made Mrs. Milray declare that, no, the child should not come to the dance at all, and that she was not going to have her spoiled. But, before the party broke up, she promised that she would see what could be done, and she put it very prettily to the child the next day, and waited for her to say, as she knew she must, that she could not go, and why. They agreed that the cheese-cloth draperies of the Spirit of Summer were surpassingly fit for the dance; but they had to agree that this still left the question of slippers untouched. It remained even more hopeless when Clementina tried on all of Mrs. Milray's festive shoes, and none of her razorpoints and high heels would avail. She went away disa

or four inches deep and wide, and eight or ten inches long. She looked at the address again, "Miss Clementina Claxon," and at the narrow notched ribbon which tied it, and noted that the paper it was wrap

such flattery of fortune could not be honestly meant. But it went to her head, and she was so giddy with it as she caug

back, but they were of the same age in their transport, which they referred to Mrs. Milray, and joined with her in glad but fruitless wonder who had sent Clementina the shoes. Mrs. Atwell held that the help who had seen the girl trying them on had clubbed together and got them for her at the time; and had now given them to her for the honor she had done the Middlemount House in the parade. Mrs. Milray argued that the spring and summer months ha

Boss's luck. He was smoking his evening pipe at the kitchen door after supper, when Clementina passed him on one of the many errands that took her bet

he said, "Oh, yes, Mr. Mahtin! Who do you suppose sent them?" she entreated

ve a pootty good gues

hem to him, and he listened

ust told yo

said. Just that way; and he couldn'

ked him abo

and Mrs. Atwell, and Mr

r droop of one eye. "And he didn't know whe

t, but the chef smoked on as if that were all there was to say, and see

ill there. "Oh! Oh, yes! Who d' I think? Why, I k

n! If you knew how

guess I won't say anything moa. But if I was in youa place

I do i

hat he don't know ain't wo'th knowin', and I guess nobody else k

se it might not be true, but because she would not have it true. Her head drooped; she turned limp and springless away. Even t

er, too late, "I ain't go

ent to her room, and sat down in the growing

limbed to the chamber where she thought she ought to

en at sight of the dim figure she broke off: "Why, Clem! What's the ma

ementina answered,

'! Why th

twell. Don't ask me! Te

t's happened, Clementina Claxon!" Clementina suffered the woful truth to be draw

g I thought of, and the chef wouldn't

him such a goin' ova, for his teasin', as he ain't had in one whil

bit well, Mrs. Atwell! M

it-and he no business to-why don't you just go to the dance, in 'em,

y eased by the increasing difficulty Mrs. Milray had begun to find, since the way was perfectly smoothed for her, in imagining the management of Clementina at the dance: neither child nor woman, neither servant nor lady, how was she to be carried successfully through it, without sorrow to hers