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At first Mrs. Biggers saw nothing save the deserted street in the pale shadowless light of the evening's afterglow. Not a soul was abroad. She stood for a moment in her doorway, thinking that some of the village children had rung her bell and then had run away. These children hated the old woman with an odd intensity because she conscripted their labour for charitable and, often, for purely personal ends.

The good old philanthropist decided it had been some child; reflected generously that when it grew older it would come to appreciate her many good qualities, and was about to return to her table when she heard her name faintly called and then she saw a figure shrinking close beside her doorway.

Mrs. Biggers stepped out on the porch and looked at her visitor in surprise, then when she recognized who it was she stiffened with silent resentment that such a person should be on her piazza.

"Is that Nessie Sutton?" she asked, staring into the colourless light, as if doubting her eyes. "What do you want?"

The old woman's tone put an end to the milliner's fantastic notion that she might be allowed to weep out her wretched heart in the Samaritan's arms.

"Miss Roxie . . ." began the girl uncertainly.

"Yes, yes, what do you want, Nessie Sutton?"

The use of her full name, the tone in which it was pronounced, warned Nessie that the interview would not be long. It suggested that she go away as quickly as possible. In fact, it brought to the girl a realization, which was continually slipping away from her, of exactly where she stood in Irontown society, and indeed, in the whole world. A terrible thought seized her that perhaps this was the last chance she would ever have of talking to a woman of her own sort, of seeking forgiveness, of softening a little the universal condemnation. She began speaking with a rush:

"Miss Roxie, I come to you to help me! Miss Roxie, I hope you will! Oh, you don't know how sorry I am for what I—I done! It—it—Miss Roxie, it's like a nightmare! When I wake up at night I kain't believe it! To have ever'-