The Town Traveller

Battersea Park, and there treated herself to tea and cakes at a little round table in the open air. Mrs. Clover, though the quarrel was p

he poverty of home sent her, a little girl, to be "trotter" in a workroom? But she soon found her way out of that. A sharp tongue, a bold eye, and a brilliant complexion helped her on, step by step, or jump

watch, carelessly drawn out and returned to its pocket. "Now what do you think I am? A real lady, I'll bet!" She caught a whisper about her hair. Red, indeed! Didn't they wish they had an

rt, and turned her bac

y high collar, who was, she saw, terribly tempted to address her, but, happily for himself, could not pluck up

em made it possible that she would have to leave, and she had been thinking to-day that she could very well afford a room in a better neighbourhood; not that, all things considered, she desired to quit this house, but Mrs. Bubb took too much upon herself. Mrs. Bubb was the widow of a police officer; one of her children was in the Police Or

arrived for her. Yes, there was one addressed in a careless hand to "Miss Robinson." This, in another obscure street hard by she opened. On half a sheet of notepaper wa

fter evening, and must have seen the present piece a hundred times or so, gave her half a crown, weeping copiously from nervousness as he touched her hand. He looked

proximity Miss Sparkes was well aware, though she seemed not to have noticed him-a slim, narrow-shouldered, high-hatted figure, with the commonest of well-meaning faces set just now in a tremulously e

ly to meet y

en waiting?" she ask

ou didn't mind, yo

ghed. "If you've nothing be

ing to ask you"-he panted-"if you'd come and h

u know you ca

e well. It would be

omfortable, whilst the young man-his name was Christopher Parish-nervously scanned a bill of fare. As his bearing proved, Mr. Parish was not quite at home amid these splendours. As his voice and costume indicated, he belonged to the great order of minor clerks, and would probably go dinnerless on the morrow to pay for this e

ristopher ate without consciousness of what was before him, and talked ceaselessly of his good f

ight hundred pounds a year! Could you believe it? Three thousand eight hundred pounds! A

Two or three hun

s face shone

undred-and forty-two!

olly replied, wit

t? Why, it's like

exactitude, but the mere thought of what such a total must be all but overcame him. Personally he profited by his connexion with the great firm to the extent of

rked Polly, with facetious malice in her eye. "B

quavered into sudden despondency. "Just

ind-Gorg

e tooth. A rapid calculation told him that he must dine at the Aerated Bread Shop for several days to come. Whilst he was thus c

" she remarked airi

rofoundest gloom he led the way to the exit, walking like a shamefaced plebeian who had got into the room by mistake. P

t me to git ru

satisfaction, but wit

f this crowd-bea

I like it when I've s

st what you like. What time did

gettin' 'ome. There'll

ing to walk," urged

st as well-if you'

r glanced at the one which held complete possession of Christopher's mind. Many times he brought himself all but to the point of mentioning it, yet his courage invariably fail

or a week," said Polly when

y n

so-that's eno

ay-P

not to say 'Polly,'" s

y good, you kn

nd; tell me nex

what was the use of life. On the whole Mr. Parish found life decidedly agreeable, and after a night's rest, a little worry notwithstanding, he could

. and Mrs. Cheeseman, her first-floor lodgers. Miss Sparkes passed her disdainfully, and entered with the aid of a la

the booze

the pots

e boss is a b

the pub

in at the Cheesemans' sitting-room and enjoyed ha