Ragged Lady, Part 1

ls, any of you want to git a numba foua foot into a numba two shoe, to-day? Now's youa chance, but you got to

on, with its drawers at the rear and sides, and its buggy-hood over the seat where the shoeman lounged lazily holding t

a gen'l line, one while, of what you may call ankle-wea', such as spats, and stockin's, and gaitas, but I nova did like to

ng that his words aroused,-and let his

goin'." He made a feint of jerking his horse's reins, but fo

ey chorused in an equally histrionic alarm, and th

ella-'r some other gul's fella, I don't ca'e which. And yet that's an honest shoe, made of the best of material all the way through, and in the best manna. Just look at that shoe, ladies; ex-amine it; sha'n't cost you a cent, and I'll pay for youa lost time myself, if any complaint is made." He began to toss pairs of the shoes into the crowd of girls, who caught them from each other before t

rom in-doors. "Why my foot fee

find that lost foot in it, some'eres. Or try a little flour, and see if it won't feel more

nd with something as near like as he could hope to make serve. The tumult of talk and laughter grew till the chef put his head out of the kitchen door, and then came sauntering across the grass to the helps' piazza

s," he said. "What'

t it was one of them foreign dukes come ova he'a to marry some oua poor millionai'es daughtas." The girls cried out for joy, and the chef bore their mirth st

y-seven dollas and a

ss is sellin' at present for jus

se you a dolla and a quahta. Say

to own a hawss. You just keep right on a raisin' me, while I sell

e than one put out her foot to the clerk for his opinion of the fit, and the shoeman was mingling with the crowd, testing with his

ane, "says you can tell moa lies to the

led bronze slippers in his hand from the wagon. "Well, now, i

laughed. When he brought down his head again, it was to perceive the approach of Clementina. "Hello," he said for her to

ell wants to see you a moment, M

ntina, now, "I'll be right there." But he waited a moment, either in expression of his personal

he slippers were beautiful, and her foot thrilled w

young ye be, or how good-lookin' ye be; and I don't presume the'e's one among you that's eve' head o' dancin'." In the mirthful hooting and mocking that followed, the shoeman hedged gravely from the extreme position he had taken. "What? Well, maybe you have among some the summa folks, but we all know what summa folks ah', and I don't expect you to patte'n by t

at once, sistas! Ample time allowed for meals. That's a custom-made shoe, and if it hadn't b'en too small for the lad

rcle, and some who had pressed forward for

y addressed as Boss?" Clementina flushed, but she did not cower; the chef walked away with a laugh, and the shoeman pursued him with his voic

the clerk with ing

a'n't any of you disposed to buy 'em this aftanoon, 'and I a'n't complainin'; you done pootty well by me, already, and I don't want to uhge you; but I do want to carry away the picture, in my mind's eye-what you ma

another pleaded, "Just so he needn't tell a story

r little toe came through it, but she now folded the toe artfully down, and the big girl discovered the hole in time to abet her attempt at concealment. She caught the slipper from the shoeman and harried it on; she tied the ribbons across the instep, and then put on the other. "Now put out youa foot, Clem!

or them slippas," sai

hand helplessly to his mouth, and

efore Clementina, and who boasted that she was not afraid of the student, called saucily to him, "Come h

es, but after a faltering instant, his face reddened through

Fane turned uneasily, and said with a

d the shoeman asked with an ironical glance after G

'th," said the b

fulness which had apparently suffered no chill, but wa

in a surprise which he could no

to untie the slippers.

d the big girl. "It's a shame

ded, to Clementina, "unless you object to sleepin' in 'em. You pay me what

urged, passionately, and the res

e work of taking off the slippers in which the big girl coul

em's youa slippas, and I'll just keep 'e

her hotel he overtook the figure of a man pacing rapidly. He easily recognized G

ked round furtively, and then put his hand on the side of the

he slippers to

sell, exactly," returned

them yet?" ask

id the man. "L

ed up h

nt. Then he said, "I'd

man alertly obeyed, with some delay for

'll let you have 'em for three-if you want 'em for a present."-The shoeman was far too discreet to p

swiftly away. Before the shoeman could lock the drawer that had held the slippers,

ight well have mistaken for indignation attending the discovery of some blemish i

ay call a promise, exactly. More of a joke than anything e

manner, or by-anything-that I thought it unwise or unbecoming to buy the shoes, an

he slack of his reins to drive on, as if he tho

And shall-will you-think it necessary to spe

for subjects that I've got to tell the folks at the next stop that I sold a fellar a pair of slippas