From a Bench in Our Square

r bent for ingenious mischief, her broad and catholic disrespect for law, conventions, proprieties and persons, and the glint of the devil i

ging "The Cork Leg" and MacLachan (sober) repenting thereof; of Bartholomew Storrs offering samples of his mortuary poesy to a bereaved second-cousin; and, having decked out her chin in cotton-batten whiskers (limb of Satan!), of myself proffering sage counsel and pious admonitions to Our Square at large. Having concluded, she sat down on a bench and coughed. And the Little Red Doctor, who, from the shelter of a shrub had observed her presentation of his little idiosyncrasies, drew nearer

th the brusque informality of one assured of his pl

't," she drawled, "it ain't for la

the Little Red Doctor i

t with you? Why, y

sed Mayme. "I'm old en

'm too

u've got," said the Li

one at home. Like t

fice and let's look at

d Doctor,

which comes early, in self-protection, to girls of her environment, t

t means anythi

thing. I couldn't tel

nquired the c

r in a good cause. "No charge for firs

ed Doctor looked professionally non-comm

aunt. 'Round

do yo

he great and still fashionable downtown dep

quit. As soo

my delicate

thing about y

I quit eatin'. And that's b

condition by no means unprecedented in local practi

for in

knew any one i

walkin'?" a

ed Doctor, "seeing" again. "Anywa

morning, right here in Our

lungs full of it for an hour every da

ar, and delicately pl

the Little Red Doctor

you think you are; Bellevue

d Doctor frow

ace hurt you?" asked

'" began the offended pract

ured him. "I wouldn't call you 'Doc' myself if I d

ad sport yourself," he admitted. "Well, we'll call this a deal. But if I see you in the Square and

right," she agreed at length.

hearted practitioner, and the impish and lovable little store-girl. Also

ing to give him a fight. She's clear grit, that youngster is. She's got a philosophy of life, too.

think you safeguarded,

you solemn

ed Doctor scornfully. "A poor, little, monkey

ces, by ox-eyed-Juno faces, by vivid blond faces, by dreamy, poetic faces, by passionate Southern faces, but for real power of catastrophe, for earthquake and eclipse, for red ruin and the breaking up of laws, commend me to the humanized, feminized monkey face. I'll wager that when Antony first set eyes on Cleopatra, he said, 'And which cocoa palm d

could," said the

ed, startled. "Is

tter. How's your

r unlaid memories. I take mine out for the earl

do what you can to prevent that busy

with her thin shoulders flung back and the chest filling with deep, slow breaths, she would pay me a call or await one from me and we would exchange theories and opinions and argue

n of nature. The interloper was young and quite exquisite of raiment, which alone would have marked him for an outlander. His elbows were propped on his knees, his fists supported his cheekbones, his whole figure was in a slump of

shaking terror, and been visited by Death. They have shivered to the passion of cursing men and weeping women. But never before had any of their ilk h

e vague look, and reverted to his former posture. Mayme stopped laughin

said. "It ain't as ba

oice. Then the head lifted aga

aid Mayme reassuringly.

lite nor explanatory. "D--n

uked Mayme. "Somebody's sister been putt

austion in which revelation of one's intimate troubles to the fi

became grave

nt," said she.

I don'

? What's she don

e special night sal

n' me! In the

ut it? My God! Is it

t that pinch. Swell young married lady. Say," she added,

coming? H

be dumb

. Those who live in the close, rough intimacy of the slums

s?" queried the

ght, you poor boob," re

let her off wi

o you

n. Dolan ought to be canned for makin'

"It'll be in all the papers and I'll be ruined. M

the old town!" besought the sardonic M

new, precariously held acquaintances would drop them. In his petulant grief he did an amazing thing; he produced a bunch of clippings from the local society columns, setting forth, in the printed company of the

y and anxiously for their names to appear.) She perceived-not knowing that the advertising leverage of the Berthelin Loan Agency had forced those insecure portals of print for the entry of Mrs.

ation-house," said she.

ck of his companion with growing interest. She was decidedly not pretty. Just as decidedly she was quaint and piquant and quite new to his jejune but also somewhat bored experience. From the opening passage of their first conversation he deduced, lacking the insight to discriminate between honest frankness and im

breath that he hadn't been invited to censor her behavior which was entirely her own affair, and in the next-with his hand caught between hers and her voice low and caressing-declared that he was the best little old Doc in the world and there was nothing to worry about, either as to health or conduct. Indeed, her condition seemed to be improving. I dare say young Mr. Berthelin's expensive food was one of the things she needed. Furthermore, she ceased to be the raggle-taggle, hoydenishly clad Mayme of the cash department, and, having

de, the Little Red Doctor said. On the debit side-well, to me was deputed the unwelcome task of conveying the solemn, and, as it were, official protest and warning of Our Square. Of course I di

how is the a

sh in her big, shadowed eyes: "Di

"Has he chan

lf away, if that'

t that wo

to take a trip to

ot as surprising or unexpected as Mayme appeared

him," said M

r reason fo

id: he don't kn

t you know better, after this, than

ht, Dominie. It's no good, his kind of game. Not for girls like me." She looked up

d, "I hope it isn't

" said Mayme McC

t say that he looked pretty when, a few days later, he invaded Our Square in search of a Mayme who had vanished beyond his ken (she had kept her tenement domicile a secret from him), and, addressing me as "you white-whiskered old goat," accused me of havi

yours, Red-Head?" counte

sp of a man of twice his power?), to a brilliant and convincing summary of his cha

rm," argued the Scion suavely

gain and I'll break every bone in your b

ybody. I guess you don't own it," s

Mayme's, that she had been met at closing time by a swell young guy in a cherry-colored rattler, who took her away to dine with him. Catechized upon the point, later on, by a self-appointed committ

e affair. War loomed imminently before us. It was only a question of the fitting time to strike; and Our Square was feverishly reckoning up

sternly conveyed to a detested bath. She suggested a vivified bouquet of artificial flowers. We hastily rallied our forces to meet her; the Little Red Doctor, the Bonnie Lassie, and myself. Mrs. Berthelin opened her exordium in a tone of high philippic, not even awaiting the formalities of introduction. But when I insisted upon these, and she learned that the Bonnie Lassie was Mrs. Cyrus Staten, she cringed. Despite a desire to keep out of the s

to regale us with a history and forecast of his career, beginning with his precocious infant lispings and terminating w

ral in the army yet, ma'am?" inqu

York so that he could live at home in the comfort and luxury suitable to his wealth and condition. And what she wanted us to understand clearly was that no designing little gutter-snipe was to

The front door had been left ajar, and, seeing the Berthelins' mono

ey steadily. "I'm as straight a gi

ay not be ladylike, but it can be extremely e

!" he g

elin. "And this is the girl?" She looked Mayme up a

frozen-stare trick," said the irrepressible Mayme at

e Lassie's eyelids quiver, but her face was co

ery damaging statements, before witnesses, about

er!" almost yelled the mo

ther lie,"

lf that he was go

wouldn't marry him with a

't what?" demanded the mothe

e the family-what I've seen of them," observ

d into view. "I'm not," he

afety first! When half the little fifteen-per tape-snippers in the Emporium are breakin

is feet, and his pretty fa

of here,"

s mother. "Where

enli

as a shriek.

wil

't let

can g

. "Cut out the rough stuff. You better go home and t

f mine dead than a comm

the

said. "At once. Think yourself fortunate that I cannot bring myself

od and aggrieved pet. "You think I'm no good. I'll show you, Mayme

d Doctor. "It'll all have oozed out o

llenged the boy. "And," he added with a m

you. But they won't take me." He bestowed a b

e by an exhibition of hysterics involving language not at all in a

s return. He came back alone. I thought that I detected a p

ctor. And I was sorry for him, so much

him your bless

in that boy, if it weren't for the old hell-cat of a mother

id Mayme in a curio

report to me fro

asn't there

," answered the Little Red D

over and put her arms

n't do. It really wouldn't. He isn't

rrowful little girl. "Only, it-it isn't goin' to be as easy as