re that she must be going,
and asked where Aunt Molly was. She then let fall the word good-night
for Hen's caller, while looking at a point some ninety degrees removed
from his whereabouts: by which the caller understood that his
forgiveness was problematical, to say the least of it.

IX

Concerning an Abandoned Hotel, and who lived there; also of
an Abandoned Youth, who lived somewhere else, Far Away; how a
Slum Doctor dressed for a Function, such as involved Studs;
and how Kern Garland wishted she was a Lady.

Mrs. Garland, catching sight of Doctor as he came up the decayed
grand-stairway, cried out, well, she never, just in the nig of time!
Why, the words was no more'n out of her mouth that the stoo was just
done to a hair, she did declare, and Kern she said, quick as anything,
what, a hair in the stoo, now, mommer, that'd never do....

The clocks of the city had just struck six for the last time that year.
Dr. Vivian, having placed his suitcase and overcoat on the second-hand
operating-table in the office, washed face and hands, brushed his
coat-collar with a whisk whose ranks had been heavily thinned in wars
with dust and lint, and, repairing in sound spirits to the Garland
combination dining-and living-room, with the kitchen in the corner, made
his interesting confidence relative to the suitcase. He made it in
mouth-filling phrases, with many teasing generalizations about the ways
of the world and the evils of modern society, which was only his
gempman's way when playful. But by close application his auditors soon
got at the heart of his meaning, to wit: Doctor actually was going
uptown to his swell Uncle Beirne's swell Noo Year's reception to-night
in Mr. O'Neill's fulldressuit.

Naturally the Garlands were much interested and excited by the tidings,
which brought them so close to great events that, practically speaking,
they themselves became members of the fash'nable set: and Mrs. Garland
publicly thanked God that she was not as other women were, lazying and
keeping back their gentlemen's shirts till Saturday night, or worse.
Laid away tidy in the second bureau drawer, her shirts were. The doctor
himself seemed not a little enlivened by the evening's prospect. It is
imaginable that the Dabney House grew a little lonely at times....

"And to think your swell uncle wants you so special, sir!" said Mrs.
Garland, in her harsh, inflectionless voice. "A compliment, I'm sure.
An