Ragged Lady, Part 1

t the halls and verandas, and presently to call good night to one another. Then she lighted her lamp, and put the slippers back into the box and wrapped it up in the nice paper it had come in, an

o the office with it. There seemed to be nobody there, but at the noise of her step

xon?" he asked, with his

I can do

nly in the eyes and laid the parcel down

out of it, as they had with Clementina. He ran with them behind the letter-box frame, and held them

suppose this

y. "They're the slippers she got to-d

them because she though

never did it," said

said Gregory.

ou

that she wanted them that day when the shoe pe

es

rs of him. I wanted to give them to her then, but I resisted, and I thought I should never give them. To-day,

ess. "If she'd known it was you,

never meant her to know, but she must, beca

, and to get the whole bearing of the incident in his mind. In the end his attempt

lf; and I can see that it was my own pleasure I had in mind.

t I should keep it

sk anythin

r can care for me; and-there's my hand with my word, if you want it." Gregory silently took the hand stretched toward him and Fan

perhaps to come yet. He could not hope to see the girl before morning, and then, what should he say to her? At sight of a lamp burning in Mrs. Atwell's room, which was on a level with the veranda where he was walking, it came to him that first of all he ought to go to her, and confess the whole affair; if her husband were with her, he ought to confess before him; they were there in the place of the child's father and mother, an

he wished to speak to her about that, and she wanted to hear what he would say. She had been waiting

h me a moment. There is something I must tell you at o

etween the hotel and the river. There were still people about, late smokers singly, and in groups

ind the letter boxes when you came in, and I know that you left these shoes because you thought he sent them to you. He didn't send them."

now," she said, and s

ne else now, for what you thoug

p in her breast, and she coul

to send them to you anonymously, then. I had committed one error in acting upon impulse-my rashness is my besetting sin-and I wished to add a species of deceit to that. But I was kept from it until-t

but Clementina could only sa

ld be punishment enough for me.

thought it was so very bad, it must be something much more serious than she had imagined. She said, "I don't see why you wanted to do i

youth loves mystery, and Clementina was very young. "I did it," said Gregory solemnly, and he felt that now he was acting

tina, and she sta

explain what I did. I couldn't help doing it. But now if you can forget it, and never

t it was wrong for him to have spoken so, it must be wrong. She did not wish him to feel badly, even if he had done wron

sh, very thoughtless. We are both too young. I

Clementina. She said, "I do

regory. "I am going awa

I can arrange-as so

a in her agitation put

I can't bear to

m not crying! But I wish I h

At her words Gregory suddenly pulled the box from under his arm, and flung it into the stream as far as he could.

ementina

ck?" he demanded. "I

But it seemed

o the hotel. At Mrs. Atwell's door, he spoke. "Try

Gregory. You mustn't