Martha By-the-Day

, even strides that covered so much ground, and Claire fell into a steady pony-trot that made her breath come short and quick, her heart beat fast. She dimly wondered what was going

use Martha pa

rt to butt in (if you'll pardon the liberty), no matter what I say. I'm goin' to be a perfect lady, never fear. I know my pla

below, and rang the basement bell. A moment and an inner door was unlocked, flung open, and a voi

ld say, is this the lad

was deep, blan

t, yes, if that'

n' I come to see you on a little matter of business connected

"Come in," she said, in a changed voice, endeavoring to inf

rs. Slawson passed through the area gateway into the malodorous basement hall, and so to the dingy dining-room beyond. Here a group of grimy-clothed tables seemed to hav

d Mrs. Daggett. "It's quarter of an hour before dinne

ourself. I'm not particular where I am." Unbidden, she drew out a chair from its place beside

gett, surprised, seeing her youn

ng, an' I brought her with me, th

ed the owner of t

dn't believe my ears when she told me she was goin' to be-to be turned out, if she didn't pay up to-

apitalist. I'm not keeping a boarding-house for my health, you

e to you, open an' honest, an' said she hadn't the price by her just at present, but she would have it soon

r Miss Lang, I thought 'twas to settle what she owes. If it ain't-I'm a busy woman. I'm needed in the kitchen this minute, to see to the dishing-up. Have the

reproach as she settled down on it with a sort

ady (who any one with a blind eye can see she's quality), I understand you to say, that if sh

a wry smile, bridling with the sense that she was about to say something she consid

ink o' that!" ejacu

nd now, if that's all you've got to suggest, why, I'm sure it's all I have, and s

Slawson d

ughter of your own. He wouldn't trust the keepin' of a child's body, not to speak of her soul, to such as you. That is, He wouldn't if He could help Himself. But, thanks be! Miss Lang ain't dependent. She's well an' able to pay all she owes. Supposin' she has been kinder strapped for a little while back, an' had to economize by comin' to such a place as this! I've knowed others, compelled to economize with three trunks alongside a hall-bedroom wall, for a while, too, an' by an' by their circumstances was such that they had money to

Martha Slawson proceeded to count it out in slow, deliberate

ding-house keeper nervously fussed about, searching for a scrap of paper, hunting for a pen, trying to unearth, from t

have you to come here

n way of d

Nobody else'd recognize it. I'd like to bet, you don't giv

account the amount on

authorit

t belongin's you have, that this generous lady ain't stripped off'n you, to hold for security, as she calls it, we'll be goin'. An expressman will be 'round here the f

aturating one to the skin. Of fierce blasts that seemed to lurk around every corner. Of street-lamps gleaming meaninglessly out of the murk, curiously suggesting blinking eyes s

hick and fast, causing feet to run and hands to fly, causing curiosity to give instant way

for a spell, that's fixin' for chills or somethin', onless she can be kep' warm an' comfortable, an' the radianator in the boarder's room don't send out much heat to speak of. Talk up polite, Sammy; d'you hear me? An' be sure you don't let on Snyder might be keepin' a better fire in his furnace if he didn't begrutch the coal so. It's gospel truth, o' course, but landlords is supposed to have feelin's, same as t

. He uttered no complaint because his dinner was delayed, and he, hungry as a bear, was made to wait till a stranger was served and fed.

amb, mother?" he

rset-lamb, used to eat out o' your hand, with a blue ribbon round its neck. Goin' to be sent out to her death-or worse, by a sharp-fangled wolf of a boardin'-hous