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〃Why； I believe the child's sca'ed of me！ But you needn't be。 Don't you
suppose I know how you feel？ You set down in that chai'a there； and I'll
tell you how you feel。 I guess we've been pooa； tooI don't mean
anything that a'n't exactly rightand I guess I've had the same
feelin's。 You think it's demeanin' to you to take it。 A'n't that it？〃
Clementina sank provisionally upon the edge of the chair。 〃Well； it did
use to be so consid'ed。 But it's all changed； nowadays。 We travel
pretty nee' the whole while； Mr。 Lander and me； and we see folks
everywhere； and it a'n't the custom to refuse any moa。 Now； a'n't there
any little thing for your own room； there in your nice new house？ Or
something your motha's got her heat set on？ Or one of your brothas？ My；
if you don't have it； some one else will！ Do take it！〃
The girl kept slipping toward the door。 〃I shouldn't know what to tell
them； when I got home。 They would think I must beout of my senses。〃
〃I guess you mean they'd think I was。 Now； listen to me a minute！〃
Mrs。 Lander persisted。
〃You just take this money； and when you get home； you tell your mother
every word about it； and if she says； you bring it right straight back
to me。 Now； can't you do that？〃
〃I don't know but I can；〃 Clementina faltered。 〃Well； then take it！〃
Mrs。 Lander put the bills into her hand but she did not release her at
once。 She pulled Clementina down and herself up till she could lay her
other arm on her neck。 〃I want you should let me kiss you。 Will you？〃
〃Why； certainly；〃 said Clementina； and she kissed the old woman。
〃You tell your mother I'm comin' to see her before I go； and I guess；〃
said Mrs。 Lander in instant expression of the idea that came into her
mind； 〃we shall be goin' pretty soon； now。〃
〃Yes'm；〃 said Clementina。
She went out； and shortly after Lander came in with a sort of hopeful
apathy in his face。
Mrs。 Lander turned her head on her pillow； and so confronted him。
〃Albe't； what made you want me to see that child？〃
Lander must have perceived that his wife meant business； and he came to
it at once。 〃I thought you might take a fancy to her； and get her to
come and live with us。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃We're both of us gettin' pretty well on； and you'd ought to have
somebody to look after you ifI'm not around。 You want somebody that
can do for you； and keep you company； and read to you； and talk to you
well； moa like a daughta than a suvvantsomebody that you'd get attached
to； maybe〃
〃And don't you see；〃 Mrs。 Lander broke out severely upon him； 〃what a
ca'e that would be？ Why； it's got so already that I can't help thinkin'
about her the whole while； and if I got attached to her I'd have her on
my mind day and night； and the moa she done for me the more I should be
tewin' around to do for her。 I shouldn't have any peace of my life any
moa。 Can't you see that？〃
〃I guess if you see it； I don't need to；〃 said Lander。
〃Well； then； I want you shouldn't eva mention her to me again。 I've had
the greatest escape！ But I've got her off home； and I've give her money
enough！ had a time with her about itso that they won't feel as if we'd
made 'em trouble for nothing； and now I neva want to hear of her again。
I don't want we should stay here a great while longer； I shall be
frettin' if I'm in reach of her； and I shan't get any good of the ai'a。
Will you promise？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Well； then！〃 Mrs。 Lander turned her face upon the pillow again in the
dramatization of her exhaustion； but she was not so far gone that she was
insensible to the possible interest that a light rap at the door
suggested。 She once more twisted her head in that direction and called；
〃Come in！〃
The door opened and Clementina came in。 She advanced to the bedside
smiling joyously； and put the money Mrs。 Lander had given her down upon
the counterpane。
〃Why； you haven't been home； child？〃
〃No'm；〃 said Clementina； breathlessly。 〃But I couldn't take it。 I knew
they wouldn't want me to； and I thought you'd like it better if I just
brought it back myself。 Good…mo'ning。〃 She slipped out of the door。
Mrs。 Lander swept the bank…notes from the coverlet and pulled it over her
head； and sent from beneath it a stifled wail。 〃Now we got to go！ And
it's all youa fault； Albe't。〃
Lander took the money from the floor； and smoothed each bill out； and
then laid them in a neat pile on the corner of the bureau。 He sighed
profoundly but left the room without an effort to justify himself。
V。
The Landers had been gone a week before Clementina's mother decided that
she could spare her to Mrs。 Atwell for a while。 It was established that
she was not to serve either in the dining…room or the carving room； she
was not to wash dishes or to do any part of the chamber work； but to
carry messages and orders for the landlady； and to save her steps； when
she wished to see the head…waiter； or the head…cook； or to make an excuse
or a promise to some of the lady…boarders； or to send word to Mr。 Atwell
about the buying； or to communicate with the clerk about rooms taken or
left。
She had a good deal of dignity of her own and such a gravity in the
discharge of her duties that the chef； who was a middle…aged Yankee with
grown girls of his own； liked to pretend that it was Mrs。 Atwell herself
who was talking with him； and to discover just as she left him that it
was Clementina。 He called her the Boss when he spoke of her to others in
her hearing； and he addressed her as Boss when he feigned to find that it
was not Mrs。 Atwell。 She did not mind that in him； and let the chef have
his joke as if it were not one。 But one day when the clerk called her
Boss she merely looked at him without speaking； and made him feel that he
had taken a liberty which he must not repeat。 He was a young man who
much preferred a state of self…satisfaction to humiliation of any sort；
and after he had endured Clementina's gaze as long as he could； he said；
〃Perhaps you don't allow anybody but the chef to call you that？〃
She did not answer； but repeated the message Mrs。 Atwell had given her
for him； and went away。
It seemed to him undue that a person who exchanged repartees with the
young lady boarders across his desk； when they came many times a day to
look at the register； or to ask for letters； should remain snubbed by a
girl who still wore her hair in a braid； but he was an amiable youth； and
he tried to appease her by little favors and services； instead of trying
to bully her。
He was great friends with the head…waiter； whom he respected as a college
student； though for the time being he ranked the student socially。 He
had him in behind the frame of letter…boxes； which formed a sort of
little private room for him； and talked with him at such hours of the
forenoon and the late evening as the student was off duty。 He found
comfort in the student's fretful strength； which expressed itself in the
pugnacious frown of his hot…looking young face； where a bright sorrel
mustache was beginning to blaze on a short upper lip。
Fane thought himself a good…looking fellow； and he regarded his figure
with pleasure； as it was set off by the suit of fine gray check that he
wore habitually； but he thought Gregory's educational advantages told in
his face。 His own education had ended at a commercial college； where he
acquired a good knowledge of bookkeeping； and the fine business hand he
wrote； but where it seemed to him sometimes that the earlier learning of
the public school had been hermetically sealed within him by several
coats of mathematical varnish。 He believed that he had once known a
number of things that he no longer knew； and that he had not always been
so weak in his double letters as he presently found himself。
One night while Gregory sat on a high stool and rested his elbow on the
desk before it； with his chin in his hand； looking down upon Fane； who
sprawled sadly in his chair； and listening to the last dance playing in
the distant parlor； Fane said。 〃Now； what'll you bet that they won't
every one of 'em come and look for a letter in her box before she goes to
bed？ I tell you； girls are queer； and there's no place like a hotel to
study 'em。〃
〃I don't want to study them；〃 said Gregory； harshly。
〃Think Greek's more worth your while； or know 'em well enough already？〃
Fane suggested。
〃No； I don't know them at all；〃 said the student。
〃I don't believe；〃 urged the clerk； as if it were relevant； 〃that there's
a girl in the house that you couldn't marry； if you gave your mind to
it。〃
Gregory twitched irascibly。 〃I don't want to marry them。〃
〃Pretty cheap lot； you mean？ Well； I don't know。〃
〃I don't mean that；〃 retorted the student。 〃But I've got other things to
think of。〃
〃Don't you believe；〃 the clerk modestly urged； 〃that it is natural for a
manwell； a young manto think about girls？〃
〃I suppose it is。〃
〃And you don't consider it wrong？〃
〃How； wrong？〃
〃Well； a waste of time。 I don't know as I always think about wanting to
marry 'em； or be in love； but I like to let my mind run on 'em。 There's
something about a girl that； well； you don't know what it is； exactly。
Take almo