The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-04-26

ih OA tnG up VI 1uC IupuoAIo it naQ lair
 safe there so long. But she could mol
 venture it. There was only one place
 her box, on which was placed the wash.
 hand basin, had a lock, and contained
 all the things she valued, chiefly pooI memorials of her sister she might safely
 leave the money there. How much
 should she take with her. This poini
 was ultimately decided by the capacity
 of her shabby little purse: it admitted
 rather more than pound. in large and
 small coins, and truly had never looked
 So plethoric. This was enough to begin
 with if she succeeded in laying out such
 sum by dinner-time, she could return
 in the afternoon for mose. In the after-
 noon, too. she might pay her rent: Mrs.
 Dabbs would doubtless wonder al that,
 and still more a, the glorious appearance
 which Phoebe promised herself she would
 shortly present; but she nigh; wonder
 on. Perhaps. on the whole, II nigh, be
 prudent to move to another lodging
 she would think about it.
 So she carefully locked her box, and
 walked out of the court. and away into the high-street of Hoxton. Then she be-
 gan to look into shop windows. But;
 growing familiarity with her wealthy e.- tate was making her bold. Within walk ! ing distance of the c.,y. whither all the
 flowers went from the work room, that | crowded, roaring place, where the shops
 were far grander than here in Hoxton.
 and whither no doubt everybody repaired who had money 10 spend, and wanted the best. To this privileged class she
 now belonged. phnbe forgo, for the
 time her poor appearance she could only
 think of the fat purse. which. for safety. she held tightly in her hand, and the feel of which made her warm through and through. So with many delays, she got into Shoreditoh. and thence. by haphaz- ard as far as Cheapside. Here she found so much to look at that there was no get ting on at all. A jewellers shop held her as by charm. Ii she only knew the price of this and that. There was q locket she would dearly like to have she would put in ii some of her sisters hair. of which she mad a tress in her box al home. How much, she wondered, did those ladies' watches cost! They were so very tiny, the price could not be much. Ha, there was the price written above one of them; and II took away her breath. but this was gold; there were silver things. Now one of those bracelets; how would Lofty Simpson like one of those for her present.
 But this would never do II was half pas, eleven, and, besides, she was posi- lively getting hungry. Then, after all. JewelFy was not what she wanted Over the way she caught sigh, of q window full of gloves and shining many ooloIea silk things that was more tc her purpose. Those gloves were beautiful, the hued ones, and only three and six pence 4 par.
 This was well within her me .ns. ba, when l, came to entering the shop, then the sense of her sha5biness possessed her. She peeped a, the duot. but lu, then lady came out, and P..C- o- s..!<ei quickly cn, abashcd. And so it w IS ev- erywhere. X large oonfectioner's re- minded her once more of her appetite
 Heavens, what an array of delicious things. She was hungry. keenly hungry, but II was beyond ali possibility 10 ihink of walking up to such a counter as that. and addressing that superb young lady who stood behind t. Passing on she was sorely tempted to buy of a man who was selling buns and tarts from a basket but she felt tha, Ii would be degradation. Presently she was in St. Pauls church yard, and ihe sight of mantles and iurs, and bonne,s and ribbons. once more ab- sor0ed her attention. But again the prices marked here and there frigh,end her, an d she knew she would not have dared 10 enter in any case Phoebe be- gsn to ieei that she had made mistake hs1T ft~L vaI II shops in HoAton, where she would feel much less timid. The hat and the jacket which she had though, of on the previous night came back to her. Had she not better make her way 10 the streets winch were familiar!
 So long had she gazed and wondered and wished that the morning was all but spent. Al length she tore herself away, and began to re,racc her steps. Bu; she was tired. and so terribly hungry. In a ] little while she again passed the {, man with the basket. and this time l she bought bun of him. and ate it as she walked quickly along. IL ! only made her hurgr,er A cer- tain vision had been gathering inten- slty before her minds eye. q vision of that little shop m that stree; at home where the big cold plum-pudiing stood i in the window, or had done so yesterday. i and where you se, meat and vegetables . for sevenpence. She faneied she could . smell the very steam that al this hour . made the windows dim and curled cut of the doorway. Sack, back to Hox,on | And why should she walk all the way, as | if she were poor? Here by the bank was a bus which would take her almost home. [ She entered 1t, and was very glad to rest her weary limbs. !
 So Pn,ybe wen; and had her dinner at the dirty i,,le eating-house: a very thin red slice of roast beet. swimming Tn red- dish water, i've frost-bitien potatoes. patch of s;ringy ,urnip tops. and. 10 in- ish, 3 sue;y cut of cold plum-pudding l; did no; satisfy her. and comparing i, with the feast she had anticipated. she ! se.; ham;lia.ed, half angry with herself Never mind, she would have good tea some mince-pies and curran;-cake. she | knew where. But ail at once she had f