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morning； like the hymns and shouts of a saturnalian rout going in holiday
processional to sacrifice to their gods。 Words of fierce Hebrew poetry
burned in his thought； the warnings and the accusals and the
condemnations of the angry prophets； and he stood rapt from his own time
and place in a dream of days when the Most High stooped to commune face
to face with His ministers； while the young voices of those forgetful or
ignorant of Him； called to his own youth； and the garlanded chariots；
with their banners and their streamers passed on the road beneath him and
out of sight in the shadow of the woods beyond。
When the prize was given to the Middlemount coach at the Center the
landlord took the flag； and gallantly transferred it to Mrs。 Milray； and
Mrs。 Milray passed it up to Clementina； and bade her； 〃Wave it； wave it！〃
The village street was thronged with people that cheered； and swung their
hats and handkerchiefs to the coach as it left the judges' stand and
drove under the triumphal arch； with the other coaches behind it。 Then
Atwell turned his horses heads homewards； and at the brisker pace with
which people always return from festivals or from funerals； he left the
village and struck out upon the country road with his long escort before
him。 The crowd was quick to catch the courteous intention of the
victors； and followed them with applause as far beyond the village
borders as wind and limb would allow； but the last noisy boy had dropped
off breathless before they reached a half…finished house in the edge of
some woods。 A line of little children was drawn up by the road…side
before it； who watched the retinue with grave eagerness； till the
Middlemount coach came in full sight。 Then they sprang into the air； and
beating their hands together； screamed； 〃Clem！ Clem！ Oh it's Clem！〃
and jumped up and down； and a shabby looking work worn woman came round
the corner of the house and stared up at Clementina waving her banner
wildly to the children； and shouting unintelligible words to them。 The
young people on the coach joined in response to the children； some
simply； some ironically； and one of the men caught up a great wreath of
flowers which lay at Clementina's feet； and flung it down to them； the
shabby woman quickly vanished round the corner of the house again。 Mrs。
Milray leaned over to ask the landlord； 〃Who in the world are
Clementina's friends？〃
〃Why don't you know？〃 he retorted in abated voice。 〃Them's her brothas
and sistas。〃
〃And that woman？〃
〃The lady at the conna？ That's her motha。〃
When the event was over； and all the things had been said and said again；
and there was nothing more to keep the spring and summer months from
going up to their rooms to lie down； and the fall and winter months from
trying to get something to eat； Mrs。 Milray found herself alone with
Clementina。
The child seemed anxious about something； and Mrs。 Milray； who wanted to
go and lie down； too； asked a little impatiently； 〃What is it；
Clementina？〃
〃Oh； nothing。 Only I was afraid maybe you didn't like my waving to the
children； when you saw how queea they looked。〃 Clementina's lips
quivered。
〃Did any of the rest say anything？〃
〃I know what they thought。 But I don't care！ I should do it right over
again！〃
Mrs。 Milray's happiness in the day's triumph was so great that she could
indulge a generous emotion。 She caught the girl in her arms。 〃I want to
kiss you； I want to hug you； Clementina！〃
The notion of a dance for the following night to celebrate the success of
the house in the coaching parade came to Mrs。 Milray aver a welsh…rarebit
which she gave at the close of the evening。 The party was in the charge
of Gregory； who silently served them at their orgy with an austerity that
might have conspired with the viand itself against their dreams； if they
had not been so used to the gloom of his ministrations。 He would not
allow the waitresses to be disturbed in their evening leisure； or kept
from their sleep by such belated pleasures； and when he had provided the
materials for the rarebit； he stood aloof； and left their combination to
Mrs。 Milray and her chafing…dish。
She had excluded Clementina on account of her youth； as she said to one
of the fall and winter months； who came in late； and noticed Clementina's
absence with a 〃Hello！ Anything the matter with the Spirit of Summer？〃
Clementina had become both a pet and a joke with these months before the
parade was over； and now they clamored together； and said they must have
her at the dance anyway。 They were more tepidly seconded by the spring
and summer months； and Mrs。 Milray said； 〃Well； then； you'll have to all
subscribe and get her a pair of dancing slippers。〃 They pressed her for
her meaning； and she had to explain the fact of Clementina's destitution；
which that additional fold of cheese…cloth had hidden so well in the
coaching tableau that it had never been suspected。 The young men
entreated her to let them each buy a pair of slippers for the Spirit of
Summer； which she should wear in turn for the dance that she must give
each of them； and this made Mrs。 Milray declare that； no； the child
should not come to the dance at all； and that she was not going to have
her spoiled。 But； before the party broke up； she promised that she would
see what could be done； and she put it very prettily to the child the
next day； and waited for her to say； as she knew she must； that she could
not go； and why。 They agreed that the cheese…cloth draperies of the
Spirit of Summer were surpassingly fit for the dance； but they had to
agree that this still left the question of slippers untouched。 It
remained even more hopeless when Clementina tried on all of Mrs。 Milray's
festive shoes； and none of her razorpoints and high heels would avail。
She went away disappointed； but not yet disheartened； youth does not so
easily renounce a pleasure pressed to the lips； and Clementina had it in
her head to ask some of the table girls to help her out。 She meant to
try first with that big girl who had helped her put on the shoeman's
bronze slippers； and she hurried through the office； pushing purblindly
past Fane without looking his way； when he called to her in the deference
which he now always used with her； 〃Here's a package here for you；
ClementinaMiss Claxon；〃 and he gave her an oblong parcel； addressed in
a hand strange to her。 〃Who is it from？〃 she asked； innocently； and Fane
replied with the same ingenuousness： 〃I'm sure I don't know。〃 Afterwards
he thought of having retorted； 〃I haven't opened it；〃 but still without
being certain that he would have had the courage to say it。
Clementina did not think of opening it herself； even when she was alone
in her little room above Mrs。 Atwell's； until she had carefully felt it
over； and ascertained that it was a box of pasteboard； three or four
inches deep and wide； and eight or ten inches long。 She looked at the
address again； 〃Miss Clementina Claxon；〃 and at the narrow notched ribbon
which tied it； and noted that the paper it was wrapped in was very white
and clean。 Then she sighed； and loosed the knot； and the paper slipped
off the box； and at the same time the lid fell off； and the shoe man's
bronze slippers fell out upon the floor。
Either it must be a dream or it must be a joke； it could not be both real
and earnest； somebody was trying to tease her； such flattery of fortune
could not be honestly meant。 But it went to her head； and she was so
giddy with it as she caught the slippers from the floor； and ran down to
Mrs。 Atwell； that she knocked against the sides of the narrow staircase。
〃What is it？ What does it mean？ Who did it？〃 she panted； with the
slippers in her hand。 〃Whe'e did they come from？〃 She poured out the
history of her trying on these shoes； and of her present need of them and
of their mysterious coming； to meet her longing after it had almost
ceased to be a hope。 Mrs。 Atwell closed with her in an exultation hardly
short of a clapping the hands。 Her hair was gray； and the girl's hair
still hung in braids down her back； but they were of the same age in
their transport； which they referred to Mrs。 Milray； and joined with her
in glad but fruitless wonder who had sent Clementina the shoes。 Mrs。
Atwell held that the help who had seen the girl trying them on had
clubbed together and got them for her at the time； and had now given them
to her for the honor she had done the Middlemount House in the parade。
Mrs。 Milray argued that the spring and summer months had secretly
dispatched some fall and winter month to ransack the stores at
Middlemount Centre for them。 Clementina believed that they came from the
shoe man himself； who had always wanted to send them； in the hope that
she would keep them； and had merely happened to send them just then in
that moment of extremity when she was helpless against them。 Each
conjecture involved improbabilities so gross that it left the field free
to any opposite theory。
Rumor of the fact could not fail to go through the house； and long before
his day's work was done it reached the chef； and amused him as a piece of
the Boss's luck。 He was smoki