The Town Traveller

arefully about her to make sure that no one watched or followed her. Christopher Parish was not the only young man who had a habit of standing to wait for her at the

ith admirers Polly wished to be as far as possible gracious, never coming to extremities with one of them until she was quite certain that she thoroughly disliked him. Finding

ion he was waiting for her when she arrived. Five minutes passed-ten minutes. She grew very impatient and, as a necessary consequence, very angry. To avoid unpleasant attention from the few people who walked by, she had to pace backwards and forwards as if going about her business. When the clocks chimed the first quarter Polly was in

e. At a corner someone going in the opposite direction caught sight of her and stopped. Polly was so preoccupied that she w

Miss S

ose. Polly had her eyes fixed upon h

you mea

by w

hed; his hand dropped, an

y after me? Nast

t the least idea of anything of the kind;

just this way 'cause it's nice and convenient for Lambeth Road, ain't it? I've a g

faint in voice and utterly at a loss for protestations at all effective. "

yes, of cours

y you don't k

nd you call yourself a gentleman. Get out of my way, please. If you want to follow and spy, you're quite at liberty to do so. P'r'aps it'll ease your nasty little mind. Don't talk to me! Wh

not draw nearer than some twenty yards. At Charing Cross she stopped, and by her movements showed that she was looking for an omnibus. Parish longed to approach, quivered with the ever-recurrent impulse, but his fear prevailed. In a more lucid state of mind he would probably have remar

an were conversing genially. They nodded to Polly, but did not speak. Passing them to the head

?" asked Miss

nly Mrs. C

, a stout woman of slatternly appearance, was sitting

Mrs. Bubb, anxious to dismiss

ave a fancy for srimps I can

eeseman? I never knew a nastier-tempered girl in all my li

"Set down, do, an' tike things easy. You'll worrit your sweet sel

's often enough told me that she wants to keep her house respectable, and I'm sure she'll be glad to get rid of people as don't suit her. It's the first time I was ever told that I disgraced a 'ouse, and I hope it'll be the last time too. When I pay my rent to-m

ery high colour. The elder women looked at each other, and Mrs. Chees

all know, and you've only one fault, which there ain't no need to mention it. And

race to a decent 'ouse. D'you think I'll stand it?" Of a sudden she changed from irony to fierceness. "What do you mean by it, Mrs. Bubb? Did you never hear of peo

ped with an abruptness which did not escape her observation. No doubt, she said to herself, they had been talking about her. No doubt, too, they had their reasons for letting her go

in her cipher message; but she lingered near the College of Surgeons in vain. Polly's heart sank as she went home, for to-night there was no one to quarrel with. Mrs. Bubb and all t

strance and entreaty. He grovelled at her feet. He talked frantically of poison and the river. If she would but meet him and hea

ss-circle, having he own reason for thinking that she might discover

erself in her bedroom, reading the kind of print that interested her, or lying in sullen idleness on the bed. Numerous as were her acquaintances elsewhere, they did not compensate her for the loss of domestic habit, As the week drew on she bethought herself that she must look for new lodgings. In

his bedroom of a morning, as usual be shouted orders and questions to Moggie, but for her he had never a word. She listened for

her vision of the man defeated all such contumely. She had never disliked Mr. Gammon; oddly enough, she seemed to think of him with a more decided friendliness now that his conduct dem

leave to remain, or pack her boxes and have them removed before nightfall. Worry had ended by giving her a slight

elf, as she pulled on her boots, meaning

is door and shouted

eggs this morning with

d of the kitchen table. And to think that she might be going down t

es! The mean, s

h violence, banged it open, and slammed it to again. From the staircase window she saw that the rain was falling more

The woman grinned and turned her head away. Polly had never been so tempted to commit an assault; she thought wit

ace with Mrs. Bubb. The landlady seemed to hesitate, but before

rkes. So I s'pose we're

lied, from a parched thro

I'll put t

ur friend Mrs. Clover, you may tell her that if she wants to know where her precious 'usba

asis worthy of its significance, Polly hastened from the ho