Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-01

parently Mrs. Leech and her ally had
fallen out.
And I'll trouble YOU Mrs. Leech was
saying. very loftily. mot to interfere be-
tween me and my dodgers.
We'll. I'm sure
And I dessay you are sure-and a
great deal too sure. and l think it's much
better that neighbors should mind their
own business"
We'll. 1 never, To think
Words were apparently Insufficient to
convey her sense Of Mrs. Leechs ingrati-
tude and she went out. slamming the
area door behind her in high dudgeon
Such a climax could not be otherwise
than grateful To Anthony's sense of hui
NOR. He looked at his boots. He could
have seen his face in them.
I'D sooner have had breakfast" lie
characterization was. TO say the least
unworthy of him and his creed He
ughtcned his waistband and prepared for
Hight: that is TO say. the usual morning
maneuver of trying To get out of the
house before Mrs. Leech could intercept
and narangue him. :
He opened the door of his room wit h
gentle secrecy to find himself face to fla ce
with her Perha ps her difference with
ler neighbor, or the fact of having been
found on the mat. had softened her. for
she said. quite c!vily:
TN bring your breakfast sir"
q.
After all. he reflected, it was unnatural
ior woman TO go to extreme lengths of
hostility with person so charming as he
was: but he drew himself up, and the
corners Of his mouth went down
THANK you. ! shall go out to break
faSt, lie said conscious of the possession
of three halfpence.
Then it's a pity you don't pay your
bill retorted Mrs. Leech her anger kim
died afresh at her advances having been
rebuffed.
Anthony was without anv means of rails
ing penny. He had nothing left TO
pawn: indeed his last effort in that di-
rectIon had led to considerable humilia-
ton. The evening before lie had man
aged To slip out of his lodgings unob-
served. with a large brown paper parcel
containing tie remnants Of such clothes
as he could spare. There was pawn
broken close by who had obliged him
more than once, but who drove very hard
bargains. The entrance to the shop was
up little alley. and 10 his annoyance
there were half a dozen females of the
lower class at the opening. holding a
most interesting discussion on domestic
matters. They regarded him with some
amusement as. with flushed cheeks he
passed into the evil-smelling little shop
With feeling OF rage with the world
generally. he entered one of the COM
partments and handed his parcel across
the counter.
After delay. which seemed to him
like intentional impertinence. but
which could hardly be avoided If the
pawnbroker were to attend to his other
customers the man undid the parcel and
inspected Anthony's ultra ia shiona BILE
coats and waistcoats.
''WOt are these-fancy Dress" he asked.
joculsrly.
Restraining the temptation to pour fort h
the Walls of his wrath ON the presumptu-
usurer. Anthony smiled a sickIy
smile.
The pawnbroker proceeded TO roll them
up again and put them into the parcel
No good to me- was the laconic re-
mark.
Can't you lend me ten shillings?"
The man looked at him as if he had
asked for thousand pounds
They're no good to me-.
Five shiilings?" said Anthony. conde-
scending to plead.
No
Half crown
Without replying the man moved indif-
ferently away to attend 10 another Gus
TONER. giving the parcel. however. a final
push toward Anthony to show him that
lie really meant wh3t he said
Anthony realized that he would hav, To
pass the santlet of the females outside
with the rejected package in his hand
The thought was intolerable.