Theymadethetourlessrapidlybutstillkeepingtheirheadsandtheirglancestimidlydown。Theywerenumbwiththecoldnow。Tothesharpagonyhadsucceededanachelikethesteadygrindingpainofrheumatism。Ettabrokethesilencewith，“Maybeweoughttogointoahouse。”
“Ahouse！Oh——youmeana——asportinghouse。”Atthattimeprofessionalprostitutionhadnotbecomewidespreadamongtheworkingclass；stationaryorfallingwages，advancingcostoffoodanddevelopingdemandforcomfortandluxuryhadasyetonlybeguntoproducetheirinevitableresults。Thus，prostitutionasanindustrywasinthemainsegregatedincertainstreetsandcertainhousesandtheprostituteswereadistinctclass。
“Youhaven”tbeen？“inquiredEtta。
“No，“saidSusan。
“DanCassattandKatetoldmeaboutthoseplaces，“Ettawenton。
“Katesaysthey”refineandthegirlsmakefiftyandsometimesahundreddollarsaweek，andhaveeverything——servantstowaitonthem，goodfood，bathrooms，lovelyclothes，andcandriveout。ButI——IthinkI”dstayinthehouse。”
“Iwanttobemyownboss，“saidSusan。
“There”sanothersidethanwhatKatesays，“continuedEttaasconsecutivelyasherchatteringteethwouldpermit。“Sheheardfromamadamthatwantshertocome。ButDanheardfromMinnie——sheusedtobeinone——andshesaysthegirlsareslaves，thatthey”retreatedlikedogsandhavetotakeanything。Shesaysit”ssomethingdreadfulthewaymenact——eventhegentlemen。Shesaysthemadamfixesthingssothateverygirlalwaysoweshermoneyanddon”townastitchtoherback，andsocouldn”tleaveifshewantedto。”
“Thatsoundsmorelikethetruth，“saidSusan。
“Butwemay_have_togo，“pleadedEtta。“It”sawfulcold——andifwewent，atleastwe”dhaveawarmplace。Ifwewantedtoleave，why，wecouldn”tbeanyworseoffforclothesthanweare。”
Susanhadnoanswerforthisargument。TheywentseveralsquaresupVineStreetinsilence。ThenEttaburstoutagain：
“I”mfrozenthroughandthrough，Lorna，andI”mdeadtired——andhungry。Thewind”scuttingthefleshoffmybones。Whatinthehelldoesitmatterwhatbecomesofus？Let”sgetwarm，forGod”ssake。Let”sgotoahouse。They”reinLongworthStreet——thebestones。”
Andshecametoahalt，forcingSusantohaltalso。IthappenedtobethecornerofEighthStreet。Susansawtheironfence，theleaflesstreesofGarfieldPlace。“Let”sgodownthisway，“saidshe。“Ihadluckhereonce。”
“Luck！“saidEtta，hercuriositytriumphantoverall。
Susan”sanswerwasastrangelaugh。Aheadofthem，awomanwarmlyandshowilydressedwassaunteringalong。“That”soneofthem，“saidEtta。“Let”sseehow_she_doesit。We”vegottolearnquick。Ican”tstandthiscoldmuchlonger。”
Thetwogirls，theirragsflutteringabouttheirmiserablebodies，keptafewfeetbehindthewoman，watchedherwithholloweyesofenvyandfear。Tearsofanguishfromthecoldwerestreamingdowntheircheeks。Soonamanalone——ayoungishmanwithalurchingstep——camealong。Theyheardthewomansay，“Hello，dear。Don”tbeinahurry。”
Hetriedtolurchpasther，butsheseizedhimbythelapelofhisovercoat。“Lemmego，“saidhe。“You”reoldenoughtobeagrandmother，youoldhag。”
SusanandEttahaltedand，watchingsointerestedlythattheyforgotthemselves，heardherlaughathisinsult，heardhersaywheedlingly，“Comealong，dearie，I”lltreatyouright。You”rethekindofalively，jokyfellowIlike。”
“Gotohell，gran”ma，“saidtheman，roughlyshakingheroffandlurchingontowardthetwogirls。Hestoppedbeforethem，eyedthembythelightofthebigelectriclamp，grinnedgood-naturedly。“What”vewegothere？“saidhe。“Thislooksbetter。”
Thewomanrushedtowardthegirls，pouringoutastreamofvileness。“Yougitoutofhere！“sheshrilled。“Youchippiesgitoffmybeat。I”llhaveyoupinched——Iwill！“
“Shutup！“criedthedrunkenman，liftinghisfist。“I”llhave_you_pinched。Lettheseladiesalone，they”refriendsofmine。
Doyouwantmetocallthecop？“
Thewomanglancedtowardthecornerwhereapolicemanwasstanding，twirlinghisclub。Sheturnedaway，cursinghorribly。
Themanlaughed。“Dirtyoldhag——isn”tshe？“saidhe。“Don”tlooksoscared，birdies。”Hecaughtthemeachbyanarm，staredwoozilyatEtta。“You”reagoodlittlelooker，youare。Comealongwithme。There”sthreeinit。”
“I——Ican”tleavemyladyfriend，“Ettasucceededinchattering。
“PleasereallyIcan”t。”
“Yourladyfriend？“HeturnedhisdrunkenheadinSusan”sdirection，squintedather。Hewasrathergood-looking。“Oh——shemeans_you_。Factis，I”msosousedIthoughtIwasseein”
double。Why，_you”re_apeach。I”lltakeyou。”AndhereleasedhisholdonEttatoseizeher。“Comerightalong，mylovey-doveydear。”
Susandrewaway；shewaslookingathimwithterrorandrepulsion。Theicyblastsweptdownthestreet，sawedintoherfleshsavagely。
“I”llgive_you_five，“saidthedrunkenman。“Comealong。”Hegrabbedherarm，wavedhisotherhandatEtta。“Solong，blondie。”Nothertime。Goodluck。”
SusanheardEtta”sgaspofhorror。Shewrenchedherselffreeagain。“IguessI”dbettergowithhim，“saidshetoEtta。
Ettabegantosob。“Oh，Lorna！“shemoaned。“It”sawful。”
“Yougointotherestaurantonthecornerandgetsomethingtoeat，andwaitforme。Wecanaffordtospendthemoney。Andyou”llbewarmthere。”
“Here！Here！“criedthetipsyman。“What”reyoutwowhisperingabout？Comealong，skinny。Nooffense。Ilike”emslim。”Andhemadecoarseandpointedremarksaboutthesluggishnessoffatwomen，laughingloudlyathisownwit。
Thetwogirlsdidnothear。ThewindstraightfromtheArcticwasplyingitshideouslashupontheirdefenselessbodies。
“Comeon，lovey！“criedtheman。“Let”sgoinoutofthecold。”
“Oh，Lorna！Youcan”tgowithadrunkenman！I”ll——I”lltakehim。Icanstanditbetter”nyou。Youcangowhenthere”sagentleman“
“Youdon”tknow，“saidSusan。“Didn”tItellyouI”dbeenthroughtheworst？“
“Areyoucoming？“brokeintheman，shakinghisheadtoscatterthecloudsoverhissight。
ThecoldwaslashingSusan”sbody；andshewasseeingthetenementshehadleft——thevermincrawling，thefiltheverywhere，themealbugsintherottingcornmeal——andJebFerguson。“Waitintherestaurant，“saidshetoEtta。“Didn”tI
tellyouI”manobody。Thisiswhat”sexpectedofme。”Thewindclawedandtoreatherquiveringflesh。“It”scold，Etta。Gogetwarm。Good-by。”
Sheyieldedtothetipsyman”stuggingatherarm。Ettastoodasifparalyzed，watchingthetwomoveslowlywestward。Butcoldsoontriumphedoverhorror。SheretracedherstepstowardVineStreet。Atthecornerstoodanelderlymanwithaniron-graybeard。Shemerelyglancedathiminpassing，andsowasstartledwhenhesaidinalowvoice：
“Gobackthewayyoucame。I”lljoinyou。”Sheglancedathimagain，sawagleaminhiseyesthatassuredhershehadnotimaginedtherequest。Tremblingandallatoncehot，shekeptonacrossthestreet。ButinsteadofgoingintotherestaurantshewalkedpastitandeastthroughdarkEighthStreet。Afewyards，andsheheardaquietstepbehindher。Afewyardsmore，andthelightsofVineStreetthrewaman”sshadowuponthesidewalkbesideher。Fromsheerfrightshehalted。Themanfacedher——amanoldenoughtobeherfather，amostrespectable，cleanlookingmanwithacertainchurchlythoughhardlyclericalairabouthim。“Goodevening，miss，“saidhe。
“Goodevening，“shefaltered。
“I”mastranger——intowntobuygoodsandhavealittlefun，“
stammeredhewithagrotesqueattempttobeeasyandfamiliar。
“Ithoughtmaybeyoucouldhelpme。”
Alittlefun！Etta”slipsopened，butnowordscame。Thecoldwasdiggingitsneedle-knivesintoflesh，intobone，intonerve。
Throughtheman”sthickbeardandmustachecamethegleamoflargeteeth，thetwistingofthickrawlips。Alittlefun！
“Wouldit，“continuedtheman，nervously，“woulditbeverydear？“
“I——Idon”tknow，“falteredEtta。
“Icouldafford——say”helookedatherdress”say——twodollars。”
“I——I“AndagainEttacouldgetnofurther。
“Theroom”dbeadollar，“pleadedtheman。“That”dmakeitthree。”
“I——I——can”t，“burstoutEtta，hysterical。“Oh，pleaseletmealone。I——I”magoodgirl，butIdoneedmoney。ButI——Ican”t。
Oh，forGod”ssake——I”msocold——socold！“
Themanwasmuchembarrassed。“Oh，I”msorry，“hesaidfeelingly。“That”sright——keepyourvirtue。Gohometoyourparents。”Hewasateasenow；hisvoicewasgreasyandhiswordssleekwiththeunctionofanelder。“Ithoughtyouwereasoileddove。I”mgladyouspokeout——gladformysakeaswellasyourown。I”vegotadaughteraboutyourage。Gohome，mydear，andstayagoodgirl。Iknowit”shardsometimes；butnevergiveupyourpurity——never！“Andheliftedhissquare-toppedhardhatandturnedaway。
SuddenlyEttafeltagainthefuryofthewinternightandicywind。Asthatwindflappedherthinskirtandtorturedherflesh，shecried，“Wait——please。Iwasjust——justfooling。”
Themanhadhalted，buthewaslookingatheruncertainly。Ettaputherhandonhisarmandsmiledpertlyupathim——smiledasshehadseenotherstreetgirlssmileinthedayswhenshedespisedthem。“I”llgo——ifyou”llgivemethree。”
“I——Idon”tthinkIcaretogonow。Yousortofputmeoutofthehumor。”
“Well——two，then。”Shegavearecklesslaugh。“God，howcolditis！Anybody”dgotohelltogetwarmanightlikethis。”
“Youareaveryprettygirl，“saidtheman。Hewaswarmlydressed；hiswasnotthethinbloodofpoverty。Hecouldnothaveappreciatedwhatshewasfeeling。“You”resureyouwanttogo？You”resureit”syour——yourbusiness？“
“Yes。I”mstrangeinthispartoftown。Doyouknowaplace？“
AnhourlaterEttawentintotheappointedrestaurant。HereyessearchedanxiouslyforSusan，butdidnotfindher。Sheinquiredatthecounter。Noonehadaskedthereforayounglady。Thisbothrelievedherandincreasedhernervousness；Susanhadnotcomeandgone——butwouldshecome？Ettawassohungrythatshecouldholdoutnolonger。Shesatatatablenearthedoorandtookupthelargesheetonwhichwasprintedthebilloffare。
Shewasalmostaloneintheplace，asitwasbetweendinnerandsupper。Shereadthebillthoroughly，thenorderedblackbeansoup，asirloinsteakandGermanfriedpotatoes。This，shehadcalculated，wouldcostaltogetheradollar；undoubtedlyanextravagance，buteverythingatthatrestaurantseemeddearincomparisonwiththepricestowhichshehadbeenused，andshefelthorriblyempty。Sheorderedthesoup，tostayherwhilethesteakwasbroiling。
Assoonasthewaitersetdownbreadandbuttershebeganuponitgreedily。Asthesoupcame，inwalkedSusan——calmandself-possessed，Ettasawatfirstglance。“I”vebeensofrightened。You”llhaveaplateofsoup？“askedEtta，tryingtolookandspeakinunconcernedfashion。
“No，thankyou，“repliedSusan，seatingherselfopposite。
“There”sasteakcoming——agood-sizedone，thewaitersaidit”dbe。”
“Verywell。”
Susanspokeindifferently。
“Aren”tyouhungry？“
“Idon”tknow。I”llsee。”Susanwasgazingstraightahead。Hereyesweredistinctlygray——grayandashardasSusanLenox”seyescouldbe。
“What”reyouthinkingabout？“
“Idon”tknow，“shelaughedqueerly。
“Was——it——dreadful？“
Apause，then：“Nothingisgoingtobedreadfultomeanymore。
It”sallinthegame，asMr。Burlinghamusedtosay。”
“Burlingham——who”she？“ItwasEtta”sfirstfaintclewtowardthatmysteriouspastofSusan”sintowhichshelongedtopeer。
“Oh——amanIknew。He”sdead。”
Alongpause，EttawatchingSusan”sunreadableface。Atlastshesaid：
“Youdon”tseemabitexcited。”
Susancamebacktothepresent。“Don”tI？Yoursoup”sgettingcold。”
Ettaateseveralspoonfuls，thensaidwithanembarrassedattemptatalaugh，“I——Iwent，too。”
SusanslowlyturneduponEttahergaze——thegazeofeyessoftening，becomingviolet。Etta”seyesdroppedandthecolorfloodedintoherfairskin。“Hewasanoldman——fortyormaybefifty，“sheexplainednervously。“Hegavemetwodollars。I
nearlydidn”tgethim。IlostmynerveandtoldhimIwasgoodandwasonlystartingbecauseIneededmoney。”
“Neverwhine，“saidSusan。“It”snouse。Takewhatcomes，andwaitforawinninghand。”
Ettalookedatherinapuzzledway。“Howqueeryoutalk！Notabitlikeyourself。Yousoundsomucholder……Andyoureyes——theydon”tlooknaturalatall。”
Indeedtheylookedsupernatural。Thelasttraceofgraywasgone。Theywereofthepurest，deepestviolet，luminous，mysterious，withthatawe-inspiringexpressionofutteraloneness。ButasEttaspoketheexpressionchanged。Thegraycamebackandwithitaglanceofirony。Saidshe：
“Oh——nonsense！I”mallright。”
“Ididn”tmindnearlyasmuchasIthoughtIwould。Yes，I”llgetusedtoit。”
“Youmustn”t，“saidSusan。
“ButI”vegotto。”
“We”vegottodoit，butwehaven”tgottogetusedtoit，“
repliedSusan。
Ettawasstillpuzzlingatthiswhenthedinnernowcame——afine，thickbroiledsteak，thebeststeakSusanhadeverseen，andthebestfoodEttahadeverseen。
TheyhadhappenedupononeofthosefamousCincinnatichophouseswhereinplainsurroundingsthehighestqualityofplainfoodisserved。“You_are_hungry，aren”tyou，Lorna？“saidEtta。
“Yes——I”mhungry，“declaredSusan。“Cutit——quick。”
“Draughtbeerorbottled？“askedthewaiter。
“Bringusdraughtbeer，“saidEtta。“Ihaven”ttastedbeersinceourrestaurantburned。”
“Inevertastedit，“saidSusan。“ButI”lltryittonight。”
Ettacuttwothickslicesfromthesteak，putthemonSusan”splatewithsomeofthebeautifullybrownedfriedpotatoes。
“Gracious，theyhavegoodthingstoeathere！“sheexclaimed。
Thenshecuttwothickslicesforherself，andfilledhermouth。
Hereyesglistened，thecolorcameintoherpalecheeks。“Isn”tit_grand_！“shecried，whentherewasroomforwordstopassout。
“Grand，“agreedSusan，amarvelouschangeofexpressioninherfacealso。
Thebeercame。Ettadrankaquarterofthetallglassatonce。
Susantasted，ratherlikedthefreshbitter-sweetodorandflavor。“Isit——veryintoxicating？“sheinquired。
“Ifyoudrinkenough，“saidEtta。“Butnotoneglass。”
Susantookquiteadrink。“Ifeelalotlesstiredalready，“
declaredshe。
“Metoo，“saidEtta。“My，whatameal！Ineverhadanythinglikethisinmylife。WhenIthinkwhatwe”vebeenthrough！Lorna，willit_last_？“
“Wemustn”tthinkaboutthat，“saidSusan。
“Tellmewhathappenedtoyou。”
“Nothing。Hegavemethemoney，thatwasall。”
“Thenwe”vegotsevendollars——sevendollarsandtwentycents，withwhatwebroughtawayfromhomewithus。”
“Sevendollars——andtwentycents，“repeatedSusanthoughtfully。
Thenaqueersmileplayedaroundthecornersofhermouth。
“Sevendollars——that”saweek”swagesforbothofusatMatson”s。”
“ButI”dgobacktohonestworktomorrow——ifIcouldfindagoodjob，“Ettasaideagerly——tooeagerly。“Wouldn”tyou，Lorna？“
“Idon”tknow，“repliedSusan。Shehadtheinabilitytomakepretenses，eithertoothersortoherself，whichcharacterizesstupidpeopleandalsothelarge，simplenatures。
“Oh，youcan”tmeanthat！“protestedEtta。InsteadofreplyingSusanbegantotalkofwhattodonext。“Wemustfindaplacetosleep，andwemustbuyafewthingstomakeabetterappearance。”
“Idon”tdarespendanythingyet，“saidEtta。“I”vegotonlymytwodollars。Notthatwhenthismeal”spaidfor。”
“We”regoingtoshareeven，“saidSusan。“Aslongaseitherhasanything，itbelongstoboth。”
ThetearswelledfromEtta”seyes。“Youaretoogood，Lorna！
Youmustn”tbe。Itisn”tthewaytogeton。Anyhow，Ican”tacceptanythingfromyou。Youwouldn”ttakeanythingfromme。”
“We”vegottohelpeachotherup，“insistedSusan。“Weshareeven——andlet”snottalkanymoreaboutit。Now，whatshallweget？Howmuchoughtwetolayout？“
Thewaiterhereinterrupted。“Begpardon，youngladies，“saidhe。“Overyonder，atthetablefourdown，there”sacoupleofgentsthat”dliketojoinyou。Iseenoneof”emflashquitearoll，andtheyactstoolikeeasyspenders。”
AsSusanwasfacingthatway，sheexaminedthem。Theywereyoungmen，ratherblond，withsmoothfaces，good-naturedeyesandmouths；theywerewelldressed——one，thehandsomer，notablyso。
Susanmerelyglanced；bothmenatoncesmiledatherwithanunimpertinentaudacitythatprobablycameoutofthechampagnebottleinasilverbucketoficeontheirtable。
“ShallItell”emtocomeover？“saidthewaiter。
“Yes，“repliedSusan。
Shewascalm，butEttatwitchedwithnervousness，saying，“I
wishI”dhadyourexperience。Iwishwedidn”tlooksodreadful——meespecially。__I__”mnotprettyenoughtostandoutagainsttheseawfulclothes。”
Thetwomenwerepushingeagerlytowardthem，thetallerandlesshandsomeslightlyinadvance。Hesaid，hiseyesuponSusan，“Wewerelonesome，andyoulookedalittlethatwaytoo。We”remuchobliged。”Heglancedatthewaiter。“Anotherbottleofthesame。”
“Idon”twantanythingtodrink，“saidSusan。
“NorI，“chimedinEtta。“No，thankyou。”
Theyoungmanwavedthewaiterawaywith，“Getitformyfriendandme，then。”HesmiledagreeablyatSusan。“Youwon”tmindmyfriendandmedrinking？“
“Oh，no。“
“Andmaybeyou”llchangeyourmind，“saidtheshortermantoEtta。“Yousee，ifwealldrink，we”llgetacquaintedfaster。
Don”tyoulikechampagne？“
“Inevertastedit，“Ettaconfessed。
“NeitherdidI，“admittedSusan。
“You”resuretolikeit，“saidthetallermantoSusan——hisfriendpresentlyaddressedhimasJohn。“Noththing{sic}equaltoitformakingfriends。Ilikeitforitself，andIlikeitforthefriendsithasmademe。”
Champagnewasnotoneofthecommonplacesofthatmodestchophouse。Sothewaiteropenedthebottlewithmuchceremony。SusanandEttastartledwhenthecorkpoppedceilingwardinthewaythatinsuchplacesisstillregardedasfashionable。Theywatchedwithinterestedeyesthepouringofthebeautifulpaleamberliquid，werefascinatedwhentheysawhowthebubblessurgedupwardincessantly，imprisonedjoysthrongingtoescape。
Andafterthefirstglass，thefourbegantohavethekindliestfeelingsforeachother。Sorrowandshame，povertyandforeboding，tookwingsuntothemselvesandflewaway。Thegirlsfeltdeliciouslywarmandcontented，andthoughttheyoungmencharming——asplendidchangefromthecoarse，badlydressedyouthsofthetenement，withtheirignorantspeechandrough，misshapenhands。Theywereashamedoftheirownhands，werepainfullyself-consciouswheneverliftingtheglasstothelipsbroughtthemintoview。Etta”shandsinfactwerenotsobadlyspoiledasmighthavebeenexpected，consideringherlongyearsofroughwork；thenailswereinfairlygoodconditionandtheskinwasroughertothetouchthantothesight。Susan”shandshadnotreallybeenspoiledasyet。Shehadbeenproudofthemandhadtakencareofthem；still，theywerenotthehandsofalady，butofaworkinggirl。Theyoungmenhadgentlemen”shands——strong，evidentlyexercisedonlyatsports，notatdegradinganddeformingtoil。
Theshorterandhandsomeryouth，whoansweredtothenameofFatty，forobviousbutnottooobviousreasons，addressedhimselftoEtta。John——who，itcameout，wasaChicagoan，visitingFatty——felltoSusan。Thechampagnemadehimvoluble；
hewassoontellingallabouthimself——asenioratAnnArbor，aswasFattyalso；heintendedtobealawyer；hewasfondofagood，timewasfondofthegirls——likedgirlswhoweregayratherthanrespectableones”becausewiththeprimgirlsyouhavetoquitjustasthefunoughtreallytobegin。”
AftertwoglassesSusan，warnedbyaslightdizziness，stoppeddrinking；Ettafollowedherexample。Buttheboyskepton，orderedasecondbottle。“Thisisthefourthwe”vehadtonight，“
saidFattyproudlywhenitcame。
“Don”titmakeyoudizzy？“askedEtta。
“Notabit，“Fattyassuredher。Butshenoticedthathistonguenowswungtrippinglyloose。
“Youhaven”tbeenat——atthis——long，haveyou？“inquiredJohnofSusan。
“Notlong，“repliedshe。
Etta，somewhatgiddied，overheardandputin，“Webegantonight。
Wegottiredofstarvingandfreezing。”
JohnlookeddeepestsympathyintoSusan”scalmviolet-grayeyes。
“Idon”tblameyou，“saidhe。“Awomandoeshavea——ahadesofatime！“
“Weweregoingouttobuysomeclotheswhenyoucame，“proceededEtta。“We”reinanawfulstate。”
“Iwonderedhowtwogirlswithfaceslikeyours，“saidJohn，“cametobedressedso——sodifferently。Thatwaswhatfirstattractedus。”Then，asEttaandFattywereabsorbedineachother，hewentontoSusan：“Andyoureyes——Imustn”tforgetthem。Youcertainlyhavegotabeautifulface。Andyourmouth——sosweetandsad——but，whatalovely，_lovely_smile！“
AtthisSusansmiledstillmorebroadlywithpleasure。“I”mgladyou”repleased，“saidshe。
“Why，ifyouweredressedup——
“You”renotaworkinggirlbybirth，areyou？“
“IwishIhadbeen，“saidSusan。
“Oh，Ithinkagirl”sgotasgoodarightasamantohaveagoodtime，“liedJohn。
“Don”tsaythingsyoudon”tbelieve，“saidSusan。“Itisn”tnecessary。”
“Icanhandthatbacktoyou。Youweren”tfrank，yourself，whenyousaidyouwishedyou”dbeenbornintheclassofyourfriend——andofmyfriendFatty，too。”
Susan”slaughwasconfession。Thechampagnewasdancinginherblood。Shesaidwitharecklesstossofthehead：
“Iwasbornnothing。SoI”mfreetobecomeanythingIpleaseanythingexceptrespectable。”
HereFattybrokein。“I”lltellyouwhatlet”sdo。Let”sallgoshopping。Wecanhelpyougirlsselectyourthings。”
Susanlaughed。“We”regoingtobuyaboutthreedollars”worth。
Therewon”tbeanyselecting。We”llsimplytakethecheapest。”
“Then——let”sgoshopping，“saidJohn，“andyoutwogirlscanhelpFattyandmeselectclothesforyou。”
“That”sthetalk！“criedFatty。Andhesummonedthewaiter。“Thebill，“saidheinthemannerofamanwholikestoenjoytheservilityofservants。
“Wehadn”tpaidforoursupper，“saidSusan。“Howmuchwasit，Etta？“
“Adollartwenty-five。”
“We”regoingtopayforthat，“saidFatty。“Whatd”yetakeusfor？“
“Oh，no。Wemustpayit，“saidSusan。
“Don”tbefoolish。OfcourseI”llpay。”
“No，“saidSusanquietly，ignoringEtta”swink。Andfromherbosomshetookacrumpledfive-dollarbill。
“Ishouldsayyou_were_new，“laughedJohn。“Youdon”tevenknowwheretocarryyourmoneyyet。”Andtheyalllaughed，SusanandEttabecausetheyfeltgayandassumedthejokewhateveritwasmustbeagoodone。ThenJohnlaidhishandoverhersandsaid，“Putyourmoneyaway。”
Susanlookedstraightathim。“Ican”tallowit，“shesaid。“I”mnotthatpoor——yet。”
Johncolored。“Ibegyourpardon，“hesaid。AndwhenthebillcamehecompelledFattytoletherpayadollarandaquarterofitoutofhercrumpledfive。Thetwogirlswerefascinatedbythelargerollofbills——fives，tens，twenties——whichFattytookfromhistrouserspocket。Theystaredopen-eyedwhenhelaidatwentyonthewaiter”splatealongwithSusan”sfive。Anditfrightenedthemwhenhe，afterhandingSusanherchange，hadleftonlyatwo-dollarbill，foursilverquartersandadime。Hegavethesilvertothewaiter。
“Wasthatforatip？“askedSusan。
“Yes，“saidFatty。“Ialwaysgiveabouttenpercentofthebillunlessitrunsovertendollars。Inthatcase——aquarterapersonasarule。Ofcourse，ifthebillwasverylarge，I”dgivemore。”Hewasshowinghisamusementatherinquisitiveness。
“Iwantedtoknow，“explainedshe。“I”mveryignorant，andI”vegottolearn。”
“That”sright，“saidJohn，admiringly——withatouchofcondescension。“Don”tbeafraidtoconfessignorance。”
“I”mnot，“repliedSusan。“Iusedtobeafraidofnotbeingrespectableandthatwasall。Now，Ihaven”tanyfearatall。”
“Youareaqueerone！“exclaimedJohn。“Yououghtn”ttobeinthislife。”
“Wherethen？“askedshe。
“Idon”tknow，“heconfessed。
“NeitherdoI。”Herexpressionsuddenlywasabsent，withaquaint，slightsmilehoveringaboutherlips。Shelookedathimmerrily。“Yousee，it”sgottobesomethingthatisn”trespectable。”
“What_do_youmean？“demandedhe。
Heranswerwasalaugh。
Fattydeclaredittoocoldtochaseaboutafoot”Anyhow，it”slate——nearlyeleven，andunlesswe”requickallthestores”llbeclosed。”Thewaitercalledthemacarriage；itsdriverpromisedtotakethemtoashopthatdidn”tclosetillmidnightonSaturdays。SaidFatty，astheydroveaway：
“Well，Isuppose，Etta，you”llsayyou”veneverbeeninacarriagebefore。”
“Oh，yes，Ihave，“criedEtta。“Twice——atfunerals。”
Thismadeeveryonelaugh——thisandthechampagneandtheairwhichnolongerseemedcrueltothegirlsbutstimulating，agratefulchangefromtheclosewarmthoftheroom。Astheboysweresmokingcigarettes，theyhadthewindowsdown。Thefacesofbothgirlswereflushedandlively，andtheircheeksseemedalreadytohavefilledout。Thefourmadesomuchnoisethatthecrowdsonthesidewalkwerelookingatthem——lookingsmilingly，delightedbythesightofsuchgayety。SusanwasevengayerthanEtta。Shesang，shetookapuffatJohn”scigarette；thenlaughedloudlywhenheseizedandkissedher，laughedagainasshekissedhim；andsheandJohnfellintoeachother”sarmsandlaugheduproariouslyastheysawFattyandEttaembracing。
Thedriverkepthispromise；eleveno”clockfoundthemburstingintoSternberg”s，overtheRhine——afamousdepartmentstoreforGermansofallclasses。Theyhadanhour，andtheymadegooduseofit。EttawasforyieldingtoFatty”sgenerousurgingsandbuyingrightandleft。ButSusanwouldnothaveit。ShetoldthemenwhatsheandEttawouldtake——asimplecompleteoutfit，andnomore。Ettawantedfursandfinery。Susankepthertoplain，serviceablethings。Onlyoncedidsheyield。WhenEttaandFattybeggedtobeallowedabigshowyhat，Susanyielded——butgaveJohnleavetobuyheronlythesimplestofsimplehats。“Youneedn”ttell_me_anyyarnsaboutyourbirthandbreeding，“saidheinalowtonesothatEttashouldnothear。
ButthatsubjectdidnotinterestSusan。“Let”sforgetit，“
saidshe，almostcurtly。“I”vecutoutthepast——andthefuture。
Today”senoughforme。”
“Andforme，too，“protestedhe。“Ihopeyou”rehavingasgoodfunasIam。”
“ThisisthefirsttimeI”vereallylaughedinnearlyayear，“
saidshe。“Youdon”tknowwhatitmeanstobepoorandhungryandcold——worstofall，cold。”
“Youunhappychild，“saidJohntenderly。
ButSusanwaslaughingagain，andmakingjokesaboutawonderfulGermanpartydressallcoveredwithbeadsandlaceandrufflesandembroidery。Whentheyreachedtheshoedepartment，SusanaskedJohntotakeFattyaway。Heunderstoodthatshewasashamedoftheirpatchedandholedstockings，andhastenedtoobey。Theyweremakingthesetheirlastpurchaseswhenthebigbellrangfortheclosing。“I”mgladthesepoortiredshopgirlsandclerksaresetfree，“saidJohn。
Itwasoneofthosewell-meaningbutworthlesscommonplacesofword-kindnessthatgetfortheirutteranceperhapsexaggeratedcreditfor“goodheart。”Susan，conscience-stricken，halted。
“AndIneveroncethoughtofthem！“sheexclaimed。“Itjustshows。”
“Showswhat？“
“Oh，nothing。Comeon。Imustforgetthat，forIcan”tbehappyagaintillIdo。Iunderstandnowwhythecomfortablepeoplecanbehappy。Theykeepfromknowingortheymakethemselvesforget。”
“Whynot？“saidJohn。“What”stheuseinbeingmiserableaboutthingsthatcan”tbehelped？“
“Nouseatall，“repliedthegirl。Shelaughed。“I”veforgotten。”
Thecarriagewassofilledwiththeirbundlesthattheyhadsomedifficultyinmakingroomforthemselves——finallyaccomplisheditbyeachgirlsittingonheryoungman”slap。Theydrovetoaquietlyplaced，scrupulouslycleanlittlehoteloverlookingLincolnPark。“We”regoingtotakeroomshereanddress，“
explainedFatty。“Thenwe”llwanderoutandhavesomesupper。”
BythistimeSusanandEttahadlostallsenseofstrangeness。
Thespiritofadventurewasrampantinthemasinadreamingchild。Andthelifetheyhadbeenliving——whattheyhadseenandheardandgrownaccustomedto——madeiteasyforthemtostrikeoutatonceandbrisklyinthenewroad，sodifferentfromthedrearyandcruelpathalongwhichtheyhadbeenplodding。Theystoodlaughingandjokingintheparlorwhiletheboysregistered；thenthefourwentuptotwosmallbutcomfortableandfascinatinglycleanroomswithalargebathroombetween。
“FattyandIwillgodowntothebarwhileyoutwodress，“saidJohn。
“Notonyourlife！“exclaimedFatty。“We”llhavethebarbroughtuptous。”
ButJohn，fortifiedbySusan”slookofgratitudeforhistactfulness，whisperedtohisfriend——whatSusancouldeasilyguess。AndFattysaid，“Oh，Ineverthoughtofit。Yes，we”llgive”emachance。Don”tbelong，girls。”
“Thankyou，“saidSusantoJohn。
“That”sallright。Takeyourtime。”
Susanlockedthehalldoorbehindthetwomen。Sherushedtothebathroom，turnedonthehotwater。“Oh，Etta！“shecried，tearsinhereyes，ahystericalsobinherthroat。“Abathtubagain！“
Ettatoowasenthusiastic；butshehadnotthatintensehystericaljoywhichSusanfelt——ajoythatcanbeappreciatedonlybyapersonwho，cleanbyinstinctandbylifelonghabit，hasbeenshutoutfromthoroughcleanlinessforlongmonthsofdirtandfoulodorsandcold。Itwasnoeasymattertobecomecleanagainafterallthosemonths。Buttherewasplentyofsoapandbrushesandtowels，andatlastthethingwasaccomplished。
Thentheytoreopenthebundlesandarrayedthemselvesinthefreshnewunderclothes，inthesimpleattractivecostumesofjacket，blouseandskirt。Susanhadreturnedtoherclass，andhadbroughtEttawithher。
“Whatshallwedowiththese？“askedEtta，pointingdisdainfullywiththetoeofhernewboottothescatterofthegarmentstheyhadcastoff。
Susanlookeddownatitinhorror。Shecouldnotbelievethat_she_hadbeenwearingsuchstuff——thatitwastheclothingofallherassociatesofthepastsixmonths——wasthekindofattireinwhichmostofherfellow-beingswentaboutthebeautifulearth，Sheshuddered。“Isn”tlifedreadful？“shecried。Andshekickedtogetherthetattered，patched，stainedtrash，kickeditontoalargepieceofheavywrappingpapershehadspreadoutuponthefloor。Thus，withouttouchingherdiscardedself，shegotitwrappedupandboundwithastrongstring。Sherangforthemaid，gaveheraquarterandpointedtothebundle。“Pleasetakethatandthrowitaway，“shesaid。
WhenthemaidwasgoneEttasaid：“I”mmightygladtohaveitoutoftheroom。”
“Outoftheroom？“criedSusan。“Outofmyheart。Outofmylife。”
Theyputontheirhats，admiredthemselvesinthemirror，anddescended——Susanrememberinghalfwaythattheyhadleftthelightsonandgoingbacktoturnthemoff。Thedoorboysummonedthetwoyoungmentotheparlor。Theyenteredandexclaimedinrealamazement。Fortheywerefacingtwoextremelyprettyyoungwomen，onedark，theotherfair。Thetwofaceswerewreathedinpleasedandgratefulsmiles。
“Don”twelooknice？“demandedEtta。
“Nice！“criedFatty。“Wesurediddrawapairoffirstprizes——didn”twe，Johnny？“
Johndidnotreply。HewasgazingatSusan。Ettahadyoungbeautybutitwasofthecommonplacekind。InSusan”sfaceandcarriagetherewasfarmorethanbeauty。“Where_did_youcomefrom？“saidJohntoherinanundertone。“And_where_areyougoing？“
“Outtosupper，Ihope，“laughedshe。
“Youreyeschange——don”tthey？Ithoughttheywereviolet。NowIseethey”regray——grayascanbe。”
CHAPTERXXII
ATlunch，welltowardthemiddleofthefollowingafternoon，Fatty——hispropernamewasAugustGulick——said：“JohnandI
don”tstartforAnnArboruntilaweekfromtoday。Thatmeanssevencleardays。Alotcanbedoneinthattime，withalittleintelligenthustling。Whatdoyousay，girls？Doyousticktous？“
“Aslongasyou”llletus，“saidEtta，whowasdelightingGulickwithherfrankandwonderingandgratefulappreciationofhismunificence。Neverbeforehadhisownprivateopinionofhimselfreceivedsuchaflatteringlysweepingindorsement——fromanyonewhohappenedtoimpresshimasworthwhile。Inthelastphraseliestheexplanationofhersuccessthroughapolicythatisalwaysdangerousandusuallyafailure。
SoitwassettledthatwiththequietlittlehotelasheadquartersthefourwouldspendaweekinexploringCincinnatiasapleasureground。Gulickknewthetownthoroughly。HisfatherwasabrewerwhosenamewasonmanyahugebeerwagondrawnaboutthosestreetsbyshowyClydesdales。Alsohehadplentyofmoney；and，whileRedmond——forhisfriendwasthesonofRedmond，wellknownasalawyer-politicianinChicago——hadnothinglikesomuchasGulick，stillhehadenoughtomakeapassablepretenseatkeepinguphisend。ForEttaandSusanthecityhadmeantshabbytofilthytenements，toilandwearinessandsorrow。Therewasopenedtotheirravishedyoungeyes“thecity“——whatrevealsitselftothepleasure-seekerwithpocketwellfilled——whatweusuallythinkofwhenwepronounceitsname，forgettingwhatitsrealityisforallbutafavoredfewofthosewithinitsborders。Itwasaweekofmusicandoflaughter——musicespecially——musicwhenevertheyateordrank，musictodanceby，musicinthebeergardenswheretheyspenttheearlyevenings，musicattheroadhouseswheretheyarrivedinsleighsafterthedancestohavesupper——unlessyouchoosetocallitbreakfast。YouwouldhavesaidthatSusanhadslippedoutofthetenementlifeasshehadoutofitsgarments，thatshehadretainednotatraceofiteveninmemory。But——inthosedaysbeganherhabitofneverpassingabeggarwithoutgivingsomething。
Withinthreeorfourdaysthislifebroughtatrulyamazingtransformationinthetwogirls。YouwouldnothaverecognizedinthemthepaleandwanandraggedoutcastsofonlytheSaturdaynightbefore。“Aren”tyouhappy？“saidEttatoSusan，inoneofthefewmomentstheywerealone。“ButIdon”tneedtoask。Ididn”tknowyoucouldbesogay。”
“Ihadforgottenhowtolaugh，“repliedSusan。
“IsupposeIoughttobeashamed，“pursuedEtta。
“Why？“inquiredSusan。
“Oh，youknowwhy。Youknowhowpeople”dtalkiftheyknew。”
“Whatpeople？“saidSusan。“Anyonewho”swillingtogiveyouanything？“
“No，“admittedEtta。“But——”Thereshehalted。
Susanwenton：“Idon”tproposetobebotheredbytheotherkind。Theywouldn”tdoanythingformeiftheycouldexceptsneerandcondemn。”
“Still，youknowitisn”tright，whatwe”redoing。”
“Iknowitisn”tcold——orhunger——orragsanddirt——andbugs，“
repliedSusan。
ThosefewwordswereenoughtoconjureeventoEtta”sdullerfancythewholepicturetoitslastdetailofloathsomesqualor。
IntoEtta”sfacecameadazedexpression。“Wasthatreally_us_，Lorna？“
“No，“saidSusanwithacertainfierceness。“Itwasadream。Butwemusttakecarenottohavethatdreamagain。”
“I”dforgottenhowcoldIwas，“saidEtta；“hadn”tyou？“
“No，“saidSusan，“Ihadn”tforgottenanything。”
“Yes，Isupposeitwasallworseforyouthanforme。_You_usedtobealady。”
“Don”ttalknonsense，“saidSusan。
“Idon”tregretwhatI”mdoing，“Ettanowdeclared。“ItwasGusthatmademethinkaboutit。”Shelookedsomewhatsheepishasshewentontoexplain。“Ihadalittletoomuchtodrinklastnight。AndwhenGusandIwerealone，Icried——fornoreasonexceptthedrink。HeaskedmewhyandIhadtosaysomething，anditpoppedintomyheadtosayIwasashamedofthelifeI
wasleading。Asthingsturnedout，I”mgladIsaidit。Hewasawfullyimpressed。”
“Ofcourse，“saidSusan。
“Youneversawanythinglikeit，“continuedEttawithanexpressionsuggestingafeelingthatsheoughttobeashamedbutcouldnothelpbeingamused。“Heacteddifferentlyrightaway。
Whydon”tyoutryitonJohn？“
“Whatfor？“
“Oh，it”llmakehim——makehimhavemore——morerespectforyou。”
“Perhaps，“saidSusanindifferently。
“Don”tyouwantJohnto——torespectyou？“
“I”vebeentoobusyhavingagoodtimetothinkmuchabouthim——oraboutanything。I”mtiredofthinking。Iwanttorest。
LastnightwasthefirsttimeinmylifeIdancedasmuchasI
wantedto。”
“Don”tyoulikeJohn？“
“Certainly。”
“Hedoesknowalot，doesn”the？He”slikeyou。Hereadsandandthinks——and——He”sawayaheadofFattyexcept——Youdon”tmindmyhavingthemanwiththemostmoney？“
“Notintheleast，“laughedSusan。“Money”sanotherthingI”mgladtorestfromthinkingabout。”
“Butthis”lllastonlyafewdayslonger。And——IfyoumanagedJohnRedmondright，Lorna——”
“Now——youmustnottrytomakemethink。”
“Lorna——areyou_really_happy？“
“Can”tyouseeIam？“
“Yes——whenwe”realltogether。Butwhen——whenyou”realonewithhim——”
Susan”sexpressionstoppedher。Itwasalaughingexpression；
andyet——SaidSusan：“Iamhappy，dear——veryhappy。Ieatanddrinkandsleep——andIam，oh，sogladtobealive。”
“_Isn”t_itgoodtobealive！——ifyou”vegotplenty，“exclaimedEtta。“Ineverknewbefore。_This_isthedream，Lorna——andI
thinkI”llkillmyselfifIhavetowake。”
OnSaturdayafternoonthefourwereinoneoftheroomsdiscussingwherethefarewelldinnershouldbeheldandwhattheywouldeatanddrink。EttacalledSusanintotheotherroomandshutthedoorbetween。
“FattywantsmetogoalongwithhimandliveinDetroit，“saidshe，blurtingitoutasifconfessingacrime。
“Isn”tthatsplendid！“criedSusan，kissingher。“Ithoughthewould。Hefellinlovewithyouatfirstsight。”
“That”swhathesays。But，Lorna——I——Idon”tknow_what_todo！“
“_Do_？Why，go。Whatelseisthere？Go，ofcourse。”
“Oh，no，Lorna，“protestedEtta。“Icouldn”tleaveyou。I
couldn”tgetalongwithoutyou。”
“Butyoumustgo。Don”tyoulovehim？“
Ettabegantoweep。“That”stheworstofit。Idolovehimso！
AndIthinkhelovesme——andmightmarrymeandmakemeagoodwomanagain……Youmustn”tevertellJohnoranybodyaboutthat——thatdreadfulmanIwentwith——willyou，dear？“
“Whatdoyoutakemefor？“saidSusan。
“I”vetoldFattyIwasagoodgirluntilImethim。Youhaven”ttoldJohnaboutyourself？“Susanshookherhead。
“Isupposenot。You”resosecretive。YoureallythinkIoughttogo？“
“Iknowit。”
EttawasoffendedbySusan”spositive，practicaltone。“Idon”tbelieveyoucare。”
“Yes，Icare，“saidSusan。“Butyou”rerighttofollowthemanyoulove。Besides，there”snothingsogoodinsighthere。”
“What”ll_you_do？Oh，Ican”tgo，Lorna！“
“Now，Etta，“saidSusancalmly，“don”ttalknonsense。I”llgetalongallright。”
“YoucometoDetroit。Youcouldfindajobthere，andwecouldlivetogether。”
“WouldFattylikethat？“
Ettaflushedandglancedaway。YoungGulickhadsoondecidedthatSusanwasthestronger——therefore，theless“womanly“——ofthetwogirls，andmustbetheevilinfluenceoverherwhomhehadappearedjustintimetosave。WhenhesaidthistoEtta，sheprotested——notveryvigorously，becauseshewishedhimtothinkherreallyalmostinnocent。Shewasn”t_quite_easyinhermindastowhethershehadbeenloyaltoLorna。But，beingnormallyhuman，shesoon_almost_convincedherselfthatbutforLornasheneverwouldhavemadetheawfulventure。Anyhow，sinceitwouldhelpherwithGulickandwouldn”tdoLornatheleastmiteofharm，whynotlethimthinkhewasright？
SaidSusan：“Hasn”thebeentalkingtoyouaboutgettingawayfrom——fromallthis？“
“ButIdon”tcare，“criedEtta，movedtoanoutburstoffranknessbyhersenseofsecurityinSusan”sloyaltyandgenerosity。“Hedoesn”tunderstand。Menarefoolsaboutwomen。
HethinkshelikesinmewhatIhaven”tgotatall。AsamatteroffactifIhadbeenwhathemademetellhimIwas，whywe”dneverhavemet——orgotacquaintedinthewaythatmakesussofondofeachother。AndIoweitalltoyou，Lorna。Idon”tcarewhathesays，Lorna——ordoes。Iwantyou。”
“Can”tgo，“saidSusan，notconscious——yetnotunaware，either——ofthecuriousmixtureofheartandartinEtta”soutburstofapparenteagernesstoriskeverythingforloveofher。“Can”tpossiblygo。I”vemadeotherplans。Thethingforyouistobestraight——getsomekindofajobinDetroit——makeFattymarryyou——quick！“
“Hewould，buthisfather”dthrowhimout。”
“Notifyouwereanhonestworkinggirl。”
“But——”Ettawassilentandreflectiveforamoment。“Menaresoqueer，“shefinallysaid。“IfI”dbeenanhonestworkinggirlhe”dneverhavenoticedme。It”sbecauseIamwhatIamthatI”vebeenabletogetacquaintedwithhimandfascinatehim。Andhefeelsit”sasportythingtodo——tomarryafastgirl。IfI
wastosettledowntowork，bearegularworkinggirl——why，I”mafraidhe——he”dstoplovingme。Then，too，helikestobelievehe”srescuingmefromalifeofshame。I”vewatchedhimclose。
Iunderstandhim。”
“Nodoubt，“saidSusandrily。
“Oh，IknowyouthinkI”mdeceitful。Butawoman”sgottobe，withaman。AndIcarealotabouthim——asidefromthefactthathecanmakemecomfortableand——andprotectmefrom——fromthestreets。Ifyoucaredforaman——No，Iguessyouwouldn”t。Yououghtn”ttobeso——so_honest_，Lorna。It”llalwaysdoyouup。”
Susanlaughed，shruggedhershoulders。“IamwhatIam，“saidshe。“Ican”tbeanydifferent。IfItried，I”donlyfailworse。”
“Youdon”tloveJohn——doyou？“
“Ilikehim。”
“Thenyouwouldn”thavetodo_much_pretending，“urgedEtta。
“Andwhatdoesalittlepretendingamountto？“
“That”swhatIsaytomyself，“repliedSusanthoughtfully。
“Itisn”tnearlyasbadas——aswhatwestartedouttodo。”
SusanlaughedatEtta”slittlehypocrisyforherrespectability”scomfort。“Aswhatwedid——andaredoing，“
correctedshe。Burlinghamhadtaughtherthatitonlymakesthingsworseandmoredifficulttolietooneselfaboutthem。
“John”scrazyaboutyou。Buthehasn”tmoneyenoughtoaskyoutocomealong。And——”Ettahesitated，eyedSusandoubtfully。
“You”re_sure_youdon”tlovehim？“
“No。Icouldn”tlovehimanymorethan——thanIcouldhatehim。”
Susan”sstrangelookdriftedacrossherfeatures。“It”sveryqueer，howIfeeltowardmen。But——Idon”tlovehimandIshan”tpretend。Iwantto，butsomehow——Ican”t。”
Ettafeltthatshecouldgiveherselfthepleasureofunburdeningherselfofasecret。“ThenImayaswelltellyou，he”sengagedtoagirlhethinksheoughttomarry。”
“Isuspectedso。”
“Andyoudon”tmind？“inquiredEtta，unabletoreadSusan”squeerexpression。
“Exceptforhim——andher——alittle，“repliedSusan。“Iguessthat”swhyIhaven”tlikedhimbetter——haven”ttrustedhimatall。”
“Aren”tmendreadful！Andheissoniceinmanyways……
Lorna——”Ettawasweepingagain。“Ican”tgo——Ican”t。I
mustn”tleaveyou。”
“Don”tbeabsurd。You”vesimplygottodoit。”
“AndIdolovehim，“saidEtta，calmedagainbySusan”scalmness。“Andifhemarriedme——Oh，howgratefulI”dbe！“
“Ishouldsay！“exclaimedSusan。ShekissedEttaandpettedher。
“Andhe”llhaveamightygoodwife。”
“DoyouthinkIcanmarryhim？“
“Ifyoulovehim——anddon”tworryaboutcatchinghim。”
Ettashookherheadinrejectionofthispieceofidealisticadvice。
“Butagirl”sgottobeshrewd。Yououghttobemoreso，Lorna。”
“Thatdependsonwhatagirlwants，“saidSusan，absently。“Uponwhatshewants，“sherepeated。
“Whatdo_you_want？“inquiredEttacuriously。
“Idon”tknow，“Susanansweredslowly。
“IwishIknewwhatwasgoingoninyourhead！“exclaimedEtta。
“SodoI，“saidSusan，smiling。
“Doyoureallymindmygoing？Really——honestly？“
Therewasn”taflawinSusan”slookortone。“Ifyoutriedtostaywithme，I”drunawayfromyou。”
“AndifIdogethim，Icanhelpyou。Oncehe”smine——”Ettaroundedouthersentencewithanexpressionofcountenancewhichitwaswellheradoringrescuerdidnotsee。Notthatitlackedwomanliness；“womanly“isthewordthatmostexactlydescribesit——andalwayswillexactlydescribesuchexpressions——andthethoughtsbehind——solongasmencompelwomentobejustwomen，underpenaltyofrefusingthemsupportiftheyarenotso。
Redmondcamein，andEttalefthimalonewithSusan。“Well，hasEttatoldyou？“heasked。
“Yes，“repliedthegirl。Shelookedathim——simplyalook，buttheviolet-grayeyeshadanunusualseemingofseeingintomindsandhearts，anexpressionthatwasperhapsthemoredisquietingbecauseitwassympatheticratherthancritical。
Hisglanceshifted。Hewasanotablyhandsomeyoungfellow——tooyoungforanydisplayofcharacterinhisface，orforanydevelopmentofitbeyondtheamiable，freeandeasyloverofajollygoodtimethatisthetyperepeatedoverandoveragainamongtheyouthofthecomfortableclassesthatsendtheirsonstocollege。
“Areyougoingwithher？“heasked。
“No，“saidSusan。
Redmond”sfacefell。“Ihopedyoulikedmealittlebetterthanthat，“saidhe。
“Itisn”taquestionofyou。”
“Butit”saquestionof_you_withme，“hecried。“I”minlovewithyou，Lorna。I”m——I”mtemptedtosayallsortsofcrazythingsthatIthinkbuthaven”tthecouragetoacton。”Hekneeleddownbesideher，puthisarmsroundherwaist。“I”mcrazyaboutyou，Lorna……Tellme——Wereyou——Hadyoubeen——beforewemet？“
“Yes，“saidSusan。
“Whydon”tyoudenyit？“heexclaimed。“Whydon”tyoufoolme，asEttafooledGus？“
“Etta”sstoryisdifferentfrommine，“saidSusan。“She”shadnoexperienceatall，comparedtome。”
“Idon”tbelieveit，“declaredhe。“Iknowshe”sbeenstuffingFatty，hasmadehimthinkthatyouledheraway。ButIcansoonknockthosesillyideasoutofhissillyhead——”
“It”sthetruth，“interruptedSusan，calmly。
“Nomatter。Youcouldbeagoodwoman。”Impulsively，“Ifyou”llsettledownandbeagoodwoman，I”llmarryyou。”
Susansmiledgently。“Andruinyourprospects？“
“Idon”tcareforprospectsbesideyou。You_are_agoodwoman——inside。ThebetterIknowyouthelesslikeafastwomanyouare。Won”tyougotowork，Lorna，andwaitforme？“
Hersmilehadalittlemockeryinitnow——perhapstohidefromhimhowdeeplyshewasmoved。“NomatterwhatelseIdid，I”dnotwaitforyou，Johnny。You”dnevercome。You”renotaJohnny-on-the-spot。”
“YouthinkI”mweak——don”tyou？“hesaid。Then，asshedidnotanswer，“Well，Iam。ButIloveyou，allthesame。”
Forthefirsttimehefeltthathehadtouchedherheart。Thetearssprangtohereyes，whichwerenotatallgraynowbutallviolet，aswastheirwontwhenshewasdeeplymoved。Shelaidherhandsonhisshoulders。“Oh，it”ssogoodtobeloved！“shemurmured。
Heputhisarmsaroundher，andforthemomentsherestedthere，content——yes，content，asmanyawomanwhoneededlovelessandcraveditlesshasbeencontentjustwithbeingloved，whentomakeherselfcontentshehashadtoignoreandforgetthepersonalityofthemanwhowasdoingtheloving——andthekindofloveitwas。Saidhe：
“Don”tyoulovemealittleenoughtobeagoodwomanandwaittillIsetupinthelaw？“
Sheletherselfplaywiththeidea，toprolongthisnovelfeelingofcontent。Sheasked，“Howlongwillthatbe？“
“I”llbeadmittedintwoyears。I”llsoonhaveapractice。Myfather”sgotinfluence。”
Susanlookedathimsadly，slowlyshookherhead。“Twoyears——andthenseveralyearsmore。AndIworkinginafactory——orbehindacounter——fromdawntillafterdark——poor，hungry——half-naked——wearingmyheartout——wearingmybodyaway——”Shedrewawayfromhim，laughed。“Iwasfooling，John——aboutmarrying。Ilikedtohearyousaythosethings。I
couldn”tmarryyouifIwould。I”mmarriedalready。”
“_You_！“
Shenodded。
“Tellmeaboutit——won”tyou？“
Shelookedathiminastonishment，soamazingseemedtheideathatshecouldtellanyonethatexperience。Itwouldbelikevoluntarilyshowingahideous，repulsivescarorwound，forsometimesitwasscar，andsometimesopenwound，andalwaysthethingthatmadewhateverbefellherendurablebycomparison。
Shedidnotanswerhisappealforherconfidencebutwenton，“Anyhow，nothingcouldinducemetogotoworkagain。Youdon”trealizewhatworkmeans——theonlysortofworkIcangettodo。
It”s——it”ssellingbothbodyandsoul。Iprefer——”
Hekissedhertostopherfromfinishinghersentence。
“Don”t——please，“hepleaded。“Youdon”tunderstand。Inthislifeyou”llsoongrowhardandcoarseandloseyourbeautyandyourhealth——andbecomeamoralandphysicalwreck。”
Shereflected，thegraveexpressioninhereyes——theexpressionthatgavewhoeversawitthefeelingofdreadasbeforeimpendingtragedy。“Yes——Isupposeso，“shesaid。“But——Anysoonerthanasaworkinggirllivinginadirtyholeinatenement？No——notsosoon。AndinthislifeI”vegotachanceifI”mcarefulofmyhealthand——anddon”tletthingstouch_me_。Inthatother——there”snochance——none！“
“Whatchancehaveyougotinthislife？“
“Idon”tknowexactly。I”mveryignorantyet。Atworst，it”ssimplythatI”vegotnochanceineitherlife——andthislifeismorecomfortable。”
“Comfortable！Withmenyoudon”tlikefrightfulmen——”
“Wereyouevercold？“askedSusan。
Butitmadenoimpressionuponhimwhohadnoconceptionofthecoldthatknowsnothowitisevertogetwarmagain。Herushedon：
“Lorna，myGod！“Hecaughtholdofherandstrainedhertohisbreast。“Youarelovelyandsweet！It”sfrightful——youinthislife。”
Herexpressionmadethesobschokeupintohisthroat。Shesaidquietly：“Notworsethandirtandverminandfreezingcoldandlong，long，dull——oh，_so_dullhoursofworkingamonghumanbeingsthatdon”teverwash——becausetheycan”t。”Shepushedhimgentlyaway。“Youdon”tunderstand。Youhaven”tbeenthroughit。
Comfortablepeopletalklikefoolsaboutthosethings……Doyouremembermyhandsthatfirstevening？“
Hereddenedandhiseyesshifted。“I”mabsurdlysensitiveaboutawoman”shands，“hemuttered。
Shelaughedathim。“Oh，Isaw——howyoucouldn”tbeartolookatthem——howtheymadeyoushiver。Well，thehandswerenothing——_nothing_！——besidewhatyoudidn”tsee。”
“Lorna，doyoulovesomeoneelse？“
Hiseyesdemandedanhonestanswer，anditseemedtoherhisfeelingforherdeservedit。Butshecouldnotputtheanswerintowords。Sheloweredhergaze。
“Thenwhy——”hebeganimpetuously。Buttherehehalted，forheknewshewouldnotlifttheveiloverherself，overherpast。
“I”mvery，veryfondofyou，“shesaidwithdepressingfriendliness。Thenwithasweetlaugh，“YououghttobegladI”mnotabletotakeyouatyourword。Andyouwillbegladsoon。”
Shesighed。“Whatagoodtimewe”vehad！“
“IfIonlyhadadecentallowance，likeFatty！“hegroaned。
“Nousetalkingaboutthat。It”sbestforustoseparatebestforusboth。You”vebeengoodtome——you”llneverknowhowgood。
AndIcan”tplayyouameantrick。IwishIcouldbeselfishenoughtodoit，butIcan”t。”
“Youdon”tloveme。That”sthereason。”
“Maybeitis。Yes，Iguessthat”swhyI”vegotthecouragetobesquarewithyou。Anyhow，John，youcan”taffordtocareforme。
AndifIcaredforyou，andputofftheparting——whyit”donlyputoffwhatI”vegottogothroughwithbefore——”Shedidnotfinish；hereyesbecamedreamy。
“Beforewhat？“heasked。
“Idon”tknow，“shesaid，returningwithasigh。“SomethingI
see——yetdon”tseeinthedarkness，aheadofme。”
“Ican”tmakeyouout，“criedhe。HerexpressionmovedhimtothesameawesheinspiredinEtta——afeelingthatgavebothofthemthesenseofhavingknownherbetter，ofhavingbeenmoreintimatewithherwhentheyfirstmetherthantheyeverhadbeensinceoreverwouldbeagain。
WhenRedmondembracedandkissedherforthelasttime，hewasinanotherandlesssympatheticmood，wasbusywithhisownwoundstovanityandperhapstoheart。Hethoughtherheartless——goodandsweetandfriendly，butwithoutsentiment。
Sherefusedtohelphimmakeascene；sherefusedtosayshewouldwritetohim，andaskedhimnottowritetoher。“Youknowwe”llprobablyseeeachothersoon。”
“Nottillthelongvacation——nottillnearlyJuly。”
“Onlythreemonths。”
“Oh，ifyoulookatitthatway！“saidhe，piquedandsullen。
Girlshadalwaysbeenmorethankind，morethaneager，whenhehadshowninterest。
Etta，leavingonalatertrain，wasevenmoredepressedaboutSusan”sheart。Shewepthysterically，wishedSusantodothesame；butSusanstoodoutfirmlyagainstascene，andwouldnothaveitthatEttawasshamefullydesertingher，asEttatearfullyaccusedherself。“You”regoingtobehappy，“shesaid。“AndI”mnotsoselfishastobewretchedaboutit。Anddon”tyouworryaminuteonmyaccount。I”mbetteroffineverywaythanI”veeverbeen。I”llgetonallright。”
“IknowyougaveupJohntohelpmewithAugust。Iknowyoumeantobreakoffeverything。Oh，Lorna，youmustn”t——youmustn”t。”
“Don”ttalknonsense，“wasSusan”sunsatisfactoryreply。
Whenitcamedowntothelastembraceandthelastkiss，EttadidfeelthroughSusan”slipsandcloseencirclingarmsasomethingthatdriedupherhystericaltearsandfilledherheartwithanawfulaching。Itdidnotlastlong。Nomatterhowwildlyshallowwatersarestirred，theysooncalmandmurmurplacidlyonagain。ThethreewhohadleftherwouldhavebeenamazedcouldtheyhaveseenherafewminutesafterEtta”strainrolledoutoftheUnionStation。Thedifferencebetweenstrongnaturesandweakisnotthatthestrongarefreefromcowardiceandfaint-heartedness，fromdoubtandforeboding，fromloveandaffection，butthattheydonotstaydownwhentheyarecrusheddown，staggerupandon。
Susanhurriedtotheroomtheyhadhelpedherfindthedaybefore——aroominahousewherenoquestionswereaskedoranswered。Shelockedherselfinandgavewaytotheagoniesofherloneliness。Andwhenhergriefhadexhaustedher，shelayuponthebedstaringatthewallwitheyesthatlookedasthoughhersoulhademptieditselfthroughthemofallthatmakeslifeendurable，evenofhope。Forthefirsttimeinherlifeshethoughtofsuicide——notsuicidethevaguepossibility，notsuicidetheremotewayofescape，butsuicidethecloseandintimatefriend，thehealerofallwoes，thesolaceofallgriefs——suicide，thespeedy，accuratesolveroftheworstproblemdestinycanputtoman。
Shesawherpocketbookonthefloorwhereshehaddroppedit。
“I”llwaittillmymoney”sgone，“thoughtshe。ThensherememberedEtta——howgentleandlovingshewas，howutterlyshegaveherself——forSusanwasstillfarfromtheprofoundknowledgeofcharacterthatenablesustodisregardoutwardsignsinmeasuringactualities。“IfIreallyweren”tharderthanEtta，“herthoughtsranonreproachfully，“I”dnotwaituntilthemoneywent。I”dkillmyselfnow，andhaveitoverwith。”ThetruthwasthatifthepositionofthetwogirlshadbeenreversedandSusanhadlovedGulickasintenselyasEttaprofessedandbelievedshelovedhim，stillSusanwouldhavegivenhimupratherthanhaveleftEttaalone。Andshewouldhavedoneitwithoutanysenseofsacrifice。Anditmustbeadmittedthat，whetherornottherearethosewhodeservecreditfordoingright，certainlythosewhodorightsimplybecausetheycannotdootherwise——theonlytrustworthypeople——deservenocreditforit。
Shecountedhermoney——twenty-threedollarsinbills，andsomechange。Redmondhadgivenherfiftydollarseachtimetheyhadgoneshopping，andhadmadeherkeepthebalance——hisindirectwayofadjustingthefinancialside。Twenty-threedollarsmeantperhapstwoweeks”living。Well，shewouldlivethosetwoweeksdecentlyandcomfortablyandthen——bidlifeadieuunlesssomethingturnedup——forbacktothestreetsshewouldnotgo。
WithEttagone，withnotafriendanywhereonearth，lifewasnotworththepriceshehadpaidforEttaandherselftothedrunkenman。HerstreakofgoodfortuneinmeetingRedmondhadgivenhernoillusions；fromMabelConnemora，fromwhatsheherselfhadheardandseen——andexperienced——sheknewthestreetwoman”slife，andshecouldnotlivethatlifeforherselfalone。ShecouldtalkaboutittoRedmondtranquilly。Shecouldthinkaboutitintheabstract，couldseehowotherwomendidit，andhowthosewhohadintelligencemightwellsurviveandliftthemselvesupinit。Butdoitshecouldnot。Sosheresolveduponsuicide，firmlybelievinginherownresolve。Andshewasnotonetodeceiveherselfortoshrinkfromanythingwhatsoever。Excepttheinsane，onlytheyoungmaketheseresolvesandactuponthem；fortheyounghavenotyetlearnedtovaluelife，havenotyetfallenunderlife”ssinisterspellthatmakeshumanbeingsclingmorefirmlyandmorecravenlytoitastheygrowolder。Theyoungmusthavesomething——somehope，howeverfanaticandfalse——tolivefor。Theywillnottarryjusttolive。AndinthathourSusanhadlosthope。
Shetookoffherstreetdressandopenedhertrunktogetawrapperandbedroomslippers。Assheliftedthelid，shesawanenvelopeaddressed“Lorna“；sherememberedthatRedmondhadlockedandstrappedthetrunk。Shetoretheendfromtheenvelope，lookedin。Somefoldedbills；nothingmore。Shesatonthefloorandcountedtwotwenties，fivetens，twofives——ahundreddollars！Shelookeddazedlyatthemoney——gaveacryofdelight——sprangtoherfeet，withachangelikethestartlingshiftfromnighttodayinthetropics。
“Icanpay！“shecried。“Icanpay！“
Bubblingoverwithsmilesandwithlittlelaughs，gayasevenchampagneandthereleasefromthevileprisonoftheslumshadmadeher，shewitheagerhandstookfromthetrunkherbestclothes——thejacketandskirtofdarkgraycheckshehadboughtforthirtydollarsatShillito”sandhadhadalteredtoherfigureandhertaste；theblouseofgoodqualitylinenwithratherafancycollar；thegrayleatherbeltwithabigoxidizedsilverbuckle；heronlypairofsilkstockings；thepairofhigh-heeledpatentleathershoes——thelargeblackhatwithagrayfeathercurlingattractivelyroundandoveritsbrim。Thehathadcostonlyfourteendollarsbecauseshehadputittogetherherself；ifshehadboughtitmade，shewouldhavepaidnotlessthanthirtydollars。
Allthesethingsshecarefullyunpackedandcarefullylaidout。