TheboysattheBrooklynpublicschoolwhichheattendeddidnotknowwhatthe“T。”stoodfor。Hewouldnevertellthem。Allhesaidinreplytoquestionswas：“Itdon”tstandfornothin”。You”vegotterhavea””nitial，ain”tyou？“Hisnamewas，infact，analmostinevitableschool-boymodificationofonefelttobeabsurdandpretentious。HisChristiannamewasTemple，whichbecame“Temp。”HissurnamewasBarom，sohewasatonce“TempBarom。”Inthenaturaltendencytoavoidwasteoftimeitwaspronouncedasoneword，andtheletterpbeingsuperfluousandcumbersome，iteasilysettleditselfinto“Tembarom，“andthereremained。Bymuchlessinevitableprocesseshavesurnamesevolvedthemselvesascenturiesrolledby。
Tembaromlikedit，andsoonalmostforgothehadeverbeencalledanythingelse。
Hiseducationreallybeganwhenhewastenyearsold。Atthattimehismotherdiedofpneumonia，contractedbygoingouttosew，atseventy-fivecentsaday，inshoesalmostentirelywithoutsoles，whentheremainsofablizzardweremeltinginthestreets。As，afterherfuneral，thereremainedonlytwenty-fivecentsintheshabbybureauwhichwasoneofthefewarticlesfurnishingtheroominthetenementinwhichtheylivedtogether，Tembaromsleepingonacot，theworldspreaditselfbeforehimasaplacetoexploreinsearchofatleastonemealaday。Therewasnothingtodobuttoexploreittothebestofhisten-year-oldability。
Hisfatherhaddiedtwoyearsbeforehismother，andTembaromhadvaguelyfeltitarelief。Hehadbeenaresentful，domesticallytyrannicalimmigrantEnglishman，whoheldincontempteveryAmericantraitandinstitution。Hehadcomeovertobetterhimself，detestingEnglandandtheEnglishbecausetherewas“nochanceforamanthere，“
and，transferringhisdislikesandresentmentsfromonecountrytoanother，hadmetwithnobetterluckthanhehadleftbehindhim。
ThishefelttobethefaultofAmerica，andhisfamily，whichwasrepresentedsolelybyTembaromandhismother，heardagooddealaboutit，andalso，rathercontradictorily，agooddealabouttheadvantagesandsuperiorityofEngland，towhichinthecourseofsixmonthshebecamegloomilyloyal。Itwasnecessary，infact，forhimtohavesomethingwithwhichtocomparetheUnitedStatesunfavorably。
TheeffectheproducedonTembaromwasthatofcausinghim，whenheenteredthepublicschoolroundthecorner，toconcealwithdeterminationvergingonduplicitythehumiliatingfactthatifhehadnotbeenborninBrooklynhemighthavebeenborninEngland。
Englandwasnotpopularamongtheboysintheschool。Historyhadrepresentedthecountrytotheminallitstyrannicalrapacityandbloodthirstyoppressionofthehumblefree-born。Themanlyandadmirableattitudewastosay，“Givemelibertyorgivemedeath“——
andtherewastheFourthofJuly。
ThoughTembaromandhismotherhadbeenpoorenoughwhilehisfatherlived，whenhediedthereturnsfromhisirregularoddjobsnolongercameintosupplementhiswife”ssewing，andaddanoccasionaldayortwooffullermeals，inconsequenceofwhichtheywereoftenerthaneverhungryandcold，andindesperatetroubleabouttherentoftheirroom。Tembarom，whowasawiry，enterprisinglittlefellow，sometimesfoundanoddjobhimself。Hecarriednotesandparcelswhenanyonewouldtrusthimwiththem，hesplitoldboxesintokindling-
wood，morethanoncehe“minded“ababywhenitsmotherleftitsperambulatoroutsideastore。Butateightornineyearsofageone”spayisinproportiontoone”ssize。Tembarom，however，hadneitherhisfather”sbittereyenorhismother”sdiscouragedone。Somethingdifferentfromeitherhadbeenreincarnatedinhimfromsomemorecheerfulpast。Hehadanalluringgrininstead——agrinwhichcurleduphismouthandshowedhissound，healthy，youngteeth，——alotofthem，——andpeoplelikedtoseethem。
Atthebeginningoftheworlditisonlyrecentlyreasonabletosupposehumanbeingsweremadewithhealthybodiesandhealthyminds。
Thatofcoursewastheoriginalschemeoftherace。Itwouldnothavebeenworthwhiletocreatealotofthingsaimlesslyillmade。A
journeymancarpenterwouldnotwastehistimeindoingit，ifheknewanybetter。Giventhepowertomakeaman，evenanamateurwouldmakehimasstraightashecould，insideandout。Decentvanitywouldcompelhimtodoit。Hewouldbeashamedtoshowthethingandadmithehaddoneit，muchlesspeopleaworldwithmillionsoflikeproofsofincompetence。Logicallyconsidered，theracewasbuiltstraightandcleanandhealthyandhappy。How，sincethen，ithasdevelopedinmultitudinouslesssanedirections，andlostitsnormalstraightnessandproportions，Iam，singularlyenough，notentirelycompetenttoexplainwithanydegreeofsatisfactorydetail。Butitcannotbetruthfullydeniedthatthishasrathergenerallyhappened。Therearehumanbeingswhoarenotbeautiful，therearethosewhoarenothealthy，therearethosewhohatepeopleandthingswithmuchwasteofphysicalandmentalenergy，therearepeoplewhoarenotunwillingtodoothersanillturnbywordordeed，andtherearethosewhodonotbelievethattheoriginalschemeoftheracewaseveradecentone。
Thisisallabnormalandunintelligent，eventhenotbeingbeautiful，andsometimesonefindsoneselfcalleduponpassionatelytoresistatemptationtolistentoaninternalhintthatthewholethingisaimless。Uponthistendencyonemayaswellputone”sfootfirmly，asitleadsnowhere。Atsuchtimesitissupportingtocalltomindacertainundeniablefactwhichoughttoloomupmuchlargerinourphilosophicalcalculations。Noonehasevermadeacollectionofstatisticsregardingtheenormousnumberofperfectlysane，kind，friendly，decentcreatureswhoformalargeproportionofanymassofhumanbeingsanywhereandeverywhere——peoplewhoarenotviciousorcruelordepraved，notasaresultofcontinualself-control，butsimplybecausetheydonotwanttobe，becauseitismorenaturalandagreeabletobeexactlytheoppositethings；peoplewhodonottellliesbecausetheycouldnotdoitwithanypleasure，andwould，onthecontrary，findtheexertionanannoyanceandabore；peoplewhosemannersandmoralsaregoodbecausetheirnaturalpreferenceliesinthatdirection。Therearemillionsofthemwhoinmostessaysonlifeandlivingarevirtuallyignoredbecausetheydononeofthethingswhichcallfortheloquentcondemnationorbrilliantcynicism。Ithasnotyetbecomethefashiontorecordthem。Whenonereadsadailynewspaperfilledwithdramaticelaborationsofcrimesandunpleasantness，onesometimeswishesattentionmightbecalledtothem——totheirnumbers，totheirdecencies，totheirnormallackofanydesiretodoviolenceandtheirequallynormaldispositiontolendahand。Oneisinclinedtofeelthatthemajorityofpersonsdonotbelieveintheirexistence。Butifanaccidentoccursinthestreet，therearealwaysseveralofthemwhoappeartospringoutoftheearthtogivehumansympathyandassistance；ifanationalcalamity，physicalorsocial，takesplace，theworldsuddenlyseemsfullofthem。TheyarethethousandsofBrowns，Joneses，andRobinsonswho，massedtogether，sendfoodtofamine-strickencountries，sustenancetoearthquake-devastatedregions，aidtowoundedsoldiersorminersorflood-swepthomelessness。TheyaretheoneswhohavehappenednaturallytocontinuetogrowstraightandcarryouttheFirstIntention。Theyreallyformthemajority；iftheydidnot，thepeopleoftheearthwouldhaveeatenoneanotheralivecenturiesago。Butthoughthisissurelytrue，ahappycynicismtotallydisbelievesintheirexistence。Whenacombinationofcircumstancessufficientlydramaticbringsoneofthemintoprominence，heiseithercalledanangelorafool。Heisneither。Heisonlyahumancreaturewhoisnormal。
AfterthismannerTembaromwaswhollynormal。Helikedworkandrejoicedingoodcheer，whenhefoundit，howeverattenuateditsform。
Hewasagoodcompanion，andevenattenyearsoldapracticalperson。Hetookhisloosecoppersfromtheoldbureaudrawer，andrememberingthathehadseveraltimeshelpedJakeHutchinstosellhisnewspapers，hewentforthintotheworldtofindandconsulthimastotheinvestmentofhiscapital。
“Whereareyougoin”，Tem？“awomanwholivedinthenextroomsaidwhenshemethimonthestairs。“Whatyougoin”todo？“
“I”mgoin”tosellnewspapersifIcangetsomewiththis，“hereplied，openinghishandtoshowhertheextentofhisresources。
Shewasalmostaspoorashewas，butnotquite。Shelookedhimovercuriouslyforamoment，andthenfumbledinherpocket。Shedrewouttwoten-centpiecesandconsideredthem，hesitating。Thenshelookedagainathim。Thatnormalexpressioninhisniceten-year-oldeyeshaditssuggestiveeffect。
“Youtakethis，“shesaid，handinghimthetwopieces。“It”llhelpyoutostart。”
“I”llbringitback，ma”am，“saidTem。“Thankyou，Mis”Hullingworth。”
Inabouttwoweeks”timehedidbringitback。Thatwasthebeginning。
Helivedthroughalltheexperiencesasmallboywaifandstraywouldbelikelytocomeincontactwith。Theabnormalclasstreatedhimill，andthenormalclasstreatedhimwell。Hemanagedtogetenoughfoodtoeattokeephimfromstarvation。Sometimeshesleptunderaroofandmuchoftenerout-of-doors。Hepreferredtosleepout-
of-doorsmorethanhalfoftheyear，andtherestofthetimehedidwhathecould。Hesawandlearnedmanystrangethings，butwasnotunderminedbyvicebecauseheunconsciouslypreferreddecency。Hesoldnewspapersandannexedanyoldjobwhichappearedonthehorizon。
TheeducationtheNewYorkstreetsgavehimwasaliberalone。Hebecameaccustomedtoheatandcoldandwetweather，buthavingsoundlungsandatoughlittlebodycombinedwiththenormaltendenciesalreadymentioned，hesufferednomorephysicaldeteriorationthanayoungIndianwouldsuffer。Aftersellingnewspapersfortwoyearshegotaplaceas“boy“inasmallstore。Theadvancesignifiedbysteadyemploymentwasinspiringtohisenergies。Heforgedahead，andgotabetterjobandbetterpayashegrewolder。Bythetimehewasfifteenhesharedasmallbedroomwithanotherboy。Inwhatsoeverquarterhelived，friendsseemedsporadic。Otherboy”scongregatedabouthim。Hedidnotknowhehadanyeffectatall，buthiseffect，infact，wasratherlikethatofafireinwinteroracoolbreezeinsummer。Itwasnaturaltogatherwhereitprevailed。
Therecameatimewhenhewenttoanightclasstolearnstenography。
Greatexcitementhadbeenarousedamongtheboysheknewbestbyarumorthattherewere“fellows“whocouldearnahundreddollarsaweek“writingshort。”Boyhoodcouldnotresistthefloridsplendoroftheidea。Fourofthementeredtheclassconfidentlylookingforwardtobecomingtherecipientsoffourhundredamonthinthecourseofsixweeks。Onebyonetheydroppedoff，untilonlyTembaromremained，slowlyforgingahead。Hehadnevermeantanythingelsebuttogetonintheworld——togetasfarashecould。Hekeptathis“short，“andbythetimehewasnineteenithelpedhimtoaplaceinanewspaperoffice。Hetookdictationfromanervousandharriededitor，who，whenhewasdriventofrenzybyoverworkandincompetencies，foundthatthelong-legged，cleanyouthwiththegrinneveraddedfueltotheflameofhiswrath。Hewasacommonyoungman，whowasnotmarkedbyspecialbrilliancyofintelligence，buthehadaclearheadandagoodtemper，andaqueeraptitudeforbeingabletoseehimselfintheotherman”sshoes——hisdifficultiesandmoods。Thisendedinhisbeingtriedwithbitsofnewworknowandthen。Inanemergencyhewasoncesentouttoreportthedetailsofafire。Whathebroughtbackwasusable，andhiselationwhenhefoundhehadactually“madegood“wasingenuousenoughtospurGalton，theeditor，intotryinghimagain。
ToTembaromthiswasamagnificentexperience。Theliterarysuggestionimpliedbybeing“onanewspaper“wasmorethanhehadhopedfor。Ifyouhavesoldnewspapers，andsleptinabarrelorbehindapileoflumberinawood-yard，toreportafireinastreet-
carshedseemsaflightofliterature。Heappliedhimselftothecarefulstudyofnewspapers——theirpointsofview，theirstyleofphrasing。Hebelievedthemtobeperfect。Toattaineaseinexpressinghimselfintheirelevatedlanguagehefelttobethesummitofloftyambition。Hehadnodoubtsoftheexaltationofhisideal。HisrespectandconfidencealmostmadeGaltoncryattimes，becausetheyrecalledtohimdayswhenhehadbeennineteenandhadregardedNewYorkjournalistswithreverence。HelikedTembarommoreandmore。Itactuallysoothedhimtohavehimabout，andhefellintogivinghimoneabsurdlittlechanceafteranother。Whenhebroughtin“stuff“whichboretooevidentmarksofutterignorance，heactuallytoucheditupandusedit，givinghimanenlightening，ironicalhintorso。Tembaromalwaystookthehintswithgratitude。Hehadnomistakenideasofhisownpowers。Galtonloomedupbeforehimasortofgod，andthoughtheeditorwasamanwithakeen，thoughwearied，brainandasenseofhumor，thesituationwasonenaturallyproductiveofharmoniousrelations。HewasofthemanywhounknowinglycameinoutofthecoldandstoodintheglowofTembarom”swarmfire，ortookrefugefromtheheatinhiscoolbreeze。
Hedidnotknowoftheprivate，arduousstudyofjournalisticstyle，anditwasnotunpleasingtoseethattheniceyoungcubwasgraduallyimproving。Throughpuremodestfearorridicule，Tembaromkepttohimselfhisvaultingambition。Hepractisedreportsoffires，weddings，andaccidentsinhishallbedroom。
Ahallbedroominathird-rateboarding-houseisnotacheerfulplace，butwhenTembaromvaguelyfeltthis，herecalledthenightsspentinemptytrucksandbehindlumber-piles，andthoughthewasgettingspoiledbyluxury。Hetoldhimselfthathewasafellowwhoalwayshadluck。Hedidnotknow，neitherdidanyoneelse，thathisluckwouldhavefollowedhimifhehadlivedinacoal-hole。Itwastheconcomitantofhisnormalbuildandoutlookonlife。Mrs。Bowse，hishard-workedlandlady，beganbybeingcalmeddownbyhismerebearingwhenhecametoapplyforhisroomandboard。Shehadatouchofgrippe，andhadjustemergedfromaheatedaffraywithadirtycook，andwasinclinedtobattlewhenhepresentedhimself。Inafewminutesshewasinclinedtobattlenolonger。Shelethimhavetheroom。Cantankerousrestrictionsdidnotrufflehim。
“OfcoursewhatyousayGOES，“hesaid，givingherhisfriendlygrin。
“AnyonethattakesboardershasGOTtobecareful。You”reinforabadcold，ain”tyou？“
“I”vegotgrippeagain，that”swhatI”vegot，“shealmostsnapped。
“DidyouevertryPayson”s”G。Destroyer”？Gstandsforgrippe，youknow。Catchyname，ain”tit？Theysaythemanthatinventeditgottenthousanddollarsforit。”G。Destroyer。”Youfeellikeyouhavetofindoutwhatitmeanswhenyouseeituponaboarding。I”mjustovergrippemyself，andI”vegothalfabottleinmypocket。Youcarryitaboutwithyou，andswallowoneeveryhalf-hour。Youjusttryit。Itsetmerightinnotime。”
Hetookthebottleoutofhiswaistcoatpocketandhandedittoher。
Shetookitandturneditover。
“You”reawfulgood-natured，“——Shehesitated”butIain”tgoingtotakeyourmedicine。Ioughttogoandgetsomeformyself。Howmuchdoesitcost？“
“It”sonthebottle；butit”shavingtogetitforyourselfthat”sthematter。Youwon”thavetime，andyou”llforgetit。”
“That”strueenough，“saidMrs。Bowse，lookingathimsharply。“I
guessyouknowsomethingaboutboarding-houses。”
“IguessIknowsomethingabouttryingtoearnthreemealsaday——ortwoofthem。It”snomerryjest，whicheverwayyoudoit。”
CHAPTERII
Whenhetookpossessionofhishallbedroomthenextdayandcamedowntohisfirstmeal，alltheboarderslookedathiminterestedly。
TheyhadheardoftheG。DestroyerfromMrs。Bowse，whosegrippehaddisappeared。JimBowlesandJuliusSteinbergerlookedathimbecausetheywereabouthisownage，andsharedahallbedroomonhisfloor；
theyoungwomanfromthenotioncounterinadown-towndepartmentstorelookedathimbecauseshewasayoungwoman；therestofthecompanylookedathimbecauseayoungmaninahallbedroommightormightnotbenoisyorobjectionable，andtheincidentoftheG。
Destroyersoundedgood-natured。Mr。JosephHutchinson，thestoutanddiscontentedEnglishmanfromManchester，lookedhimoverbecausethemerefactthathewasanew-comerhadplacedhimbyhisownrashactinthepositionofatargetforcriticism。Mr。HutchinsonhadcometoNewYorkbecausehehadbeentoldthathecouldfindbackersamongprofuseandinnumerablemulti-millionairesfortheinventionwhichhadbeenthehauntingvisionofhisuninspiringlife。Hehadnotbeenmetwiththecarelessrapturewhichhadbeendescribedtohim，andhewasbecomingviolentlyantagonistictoAmericancapitalandpessimisticinhisviewsofAmericaninstitutions。LikeTembarom”sfather，hewastheresentfulEnglishman。
“Idon”tthinkmucho”thatchap，“hesaidinwhatheconsideredanundertonetohisdaughter，whosatbesidehimandtriedtomanagethatheshouldnotbeinfuriatedbywaitingforbutterandbreadandsecondhelpings。Afine，healthyoldfeudalfeelingthatservantsshouldberoaredatiftheydidnot“looksharp“whenhewantedanythingwasoneofhissalientcharacteristics。
“Waitabit，Father；wedon”tknowanythingabouthimyet，“AnnHutchinsonmurmuredquietly，hopingthathiswordshadbeenlostintheclatterofknivesandforksanddishes。
AsTembaromhadtakenhisseat，hehadfoundthat，whenhelookedacrossthetable，helookeddirectlyatMissHutchinson；andbeforethemealendedhefeltthathewasingreatgoodlucktobeplacedoppositeanobjectofsuchsingularinterest。Heknewnothingabout“types，“butifhehadbeenofthosewhodo，hewouldprobablyhavesaidtohimselfthatshewasofatypeapart。Asitwas，hemerelyfeltthatshewasofakindonekeptlookingatwhetheroneoughttoornot。Shewasalittlethingofthatexceedinglylightslimnessofbuildwhichmakesagirlachildishfeather-weight。Fewgirlsretainitafterfourteenorfifteen。Awindmightsupposablyhaveblownheraway，butoneknewitwouldnot，becauseshewasfirmandsteadyonhersmallfeet。Ordinarystrengthcouldhaveliftedherwithonehand，andwouldhavebeentemptedtodoit。Shehadaslim，roundthroat，andtheEnglishdaisyfaceitupheldcausedittosuggesttothemindthestemofaflower。Theroundnessofhercheek，inandoutofwhichtotallyunexpecteddimplesflickered，andtheforget-me-notbluenessofhereyes，whichwerelargeandratherroundalso，madeherlooklikeanicebabyofsingularlyseriousandobservingmind。Shelookedatoneascertainawe-inspiringthingsinperambulatorslookatone——
withafarandclearsilenceofgazewhichpassesbeyondearthlyobstaclesandreservesabenignpatiencewithfollies。Tembaromfeltinterestedlythatonereallymightquailbeforeit，ifonehadanythingofaninferiorqualitytohide。Andyetitwasnotacriticalgazeatall。Sheworeablackdresswithabitofwhitecollar，andshehadsomuchsoft，redhairthathecouldnothelprecallingoneortwowomenwhoownedthesamequantityandseemedabletocarryitonlyasasortofuntidybundle。Herslookedentirelyundercontrol，andyetwassuchawonderofburnishedfullnessthatittemptedthehandtoreachoutandtouchit。ItbecameTembarom”staskduringthemealtokeephiseyesfromturningtoooftentowarditanditsowner。
Ifshehadbeenagirlwhotookthingshard，shemighthavetakenherfatherveryhardindeed。Butopinionsandfeelingsbeingsolelyamatterofpointsofview，shewasveryfondofhim，and，regardinghimasasacredchargeandduty，tookcareofhimasthoughshehadbeenareverentiallyinclinedmothertakingcareofaboisterousson。
Whenhisroarwasheard，hercalmlittlevoicealwaysfellquietlyonindignantearsthemomentitceased。Itwasherpartinlifetoactasapalliative：hermother，whosewell-trainedattitudetowardtherulingdomesticmalewasoftheearlyVictorianorder，hadlivedanddiedone。Anicer，warmerlittlewomanhadneverexisted。JosephHutchinsonhadadoredanddependedonherasmuchashehadharriedher。Whenhehadchargedaboutlikeamadbullbecausehecouldnotbuttonhiscollar，orfindthepipehehadmislaidinhisownpocket，shehadneversaidmorethan“Now，Mr。Hutchinson，“ordonemorethanleavehersewingtobuttonthecollarwithsoothingfingers，andsuggestquietlythatsometimesheDIDchancetocarryhispipeaboutwithhim。Shewasoftheclasswhichusedtocallitshusbandbyarespectfulsurname。Whenshediedshelefthimasasortoflegacytoherdaughter，spendingthelastweeksofherlifeinexplainingaffectionatelyallthat“Father“neededtokeephimquietandmakehimcomfortable。
LittleAnnhadneverforgottenadetail，andhadevenimproveduponsomeofthem，asshehappenedtobeclevererthanhermother，andhad，indeed，afar-seeingandclearyoungmindofherown。Shehadbeencalled“LittleAnn“allherlife。Thishadheldinthefirstplacebecausehermother”snamehadbeenAnnalso，andafterhermother”sdeaththediminutivehadnotfallenawayfromher。Peoplefeltitbelongedtohernotbecauseshewasespeciallylittle，thoughshewasasmall，lightperson，butbecausetherewasanaffectionatehumorinthesoundofit。
Despiteherhardneeds，Mrs。BowsewouldhavefacedthechanceoflosingtwoboardersratherthanhavekeptMr。JosephHutchinsonbutforLittleAnn。Asitwas，shekeptthemboth，andinthecourseofthreemonthsthegirlwasLittleAnntoalmosteveryoneinthehouse。
Hernormalnesstooktheformofaninstinctwhichamountedtogeniusforseeingwhatpeopleoughttohave，andinsomeoccultwayfillinginbareortryingplaces。
“She”sjustawonder，thatgirl，“Mrs。Bowsesaidtooneboarderafteranother。
“She”sjustawonder，“JimBowlesandJuliusSteinbergermurmuredtoeachotherinruefulconfidence，astheytiltedtheirchairsagainstthewalloftheirhallbedroomandsmoked。Eachoftheshabbyandpoverty-strickenyoungmenhadofcoursefallenhopelesslyinlovewithheratonce。Thiswasmerelyhumanandinevitable，butrealizinginthecourseofafewweeksthatshewastoobusytakingcareofherirritable，boisterousoldManchesterfather，andeverybodyelse，tohavetimetobemadelovetoevenbyyoungmenwhocouldbuynewbootswhentheoldoneshadceasedtobewater-tight，theywereobligedtoresignthemselvestothe，afterall，comfortingfactthatshebecameamothertothem，notasister。Shemendedtheirsocksandsewedbuttonsonforthemwithafirmfranknesswhichcouldnotbepersuadedintomeaninganythingmoresentimentalthanafixedhabitofrepairinganythingwhichneededit，andwhich，whileatfirstbewilderinginitsserenity，endedbyreducingthetwoyouthstoadustofdevotion。
“She”sawonder，sheis，“theysighedwhenateveryweekendtheyfoundtheirforlornandscantywashingrestingtidilyontheirbed。
Inthecourseofaweek，moreorless，Tembarom”sfeelingforherwouldhavebeenexactlythatofhistwohall-bedroomneighbors，butthathisnature，thoughapracticalone，wasnotinclinedtoanysupinedegreeofresignation。Hewasasensibleyouth，however，andgavenotrouble。EvenJosephHutchinson，whoofcourseresentedfuriouslyany“nonsense“ofwhichhisdaughterandpossessionwastheobject，becamesufficientlymollifiedbyhisgoodspiritsandreadygoodnaturetorefrainfromopenconversationalassault。
“Idon”tmindthatchapasmuchasIdidatfirst，“headmittedreluctantlytoLittleAnnoneeveningafteragooddinnerandacomfortablepipe。“He”snotsuchafoolashelooks。”
Tembaromwasgiven，asLittleAnnwas，toseeingwhatpeoplewanted。
Heknewwhentopassthemustardandotherstrayingcondiments。Hepickedupthingswhich。droppedinconveniently，hedidnotinterrupttheremarksofhiseldersandbetters，andseveraltimeswhenhechancedtobeinthehall，andsawMr。Hutchinson，inirritable，stoutEnglishmanfashion，strugglingintohisovercoat，hesprangforwardwithalight，friendlyairandhelpedhim。”Hedidnotdoitwithostentatiouspolitenessorwiththemannerofactiveyouthgivinggenerousaidtoelderlyavoirdupois。Hediditasthoughitoccurredtohimasanaturalresultofbeingonthespot。
IttookMrs。Bowseandherboarding-houselessthanaweekdefinitelytolikehim。Everynightwhenhesatdowntodinnerhebroughtnewswithhim-newsandjokesandnewslang。Newspaper-officeanecdoteandtalkgaveajournalisticairtothegatheringwhenhewaspresent，andtherewasnoveltyinit。Sooneveryonewasintimatewithhim，andinterestedinwhathewasdoing。Galton”sgood-naturedpatronageofhimwasathingtowhichnoonewasindifferent。Itwasfelttobetherightthingintherightplace。Whenhecamehomeatnightitbecamethecustomtoaskhimquestionsastothebitsofluckwhichbefellhim。Hebecame“T。T。”insteadofMr。Tembarom，excepttoJosephHutchinsonandhis”daughter。HutchinsoncalledhimTembarom，butLittleAnnsaid“Mr。Tembarom“withquaintfrequencywhenshespoketohim。
“Landedanythingto-day，T。T。？“someonewouldaskalmosteveryevening，andtheinterestinhisrelationoftheday”sadventuresincreasedfromweektoweek。LittleAnnneveraskedquestionsandseldommadecomments，butshealwayslistenedattentively。Shehadgathered，andguessedfromwhatshehadgathered，aratherdefiniteideaofwhathishardyounglifehadbeen。Hedidnottellpatheticstoriesabouthimself，butheandJimBowlesandJuliusSteinbergerhadbecomefastfriends，andthegenialsmokingofcheaptobaccoinhallbedroomstendstofranknessofrelation，andthevariouswaysinwhicheachhadfoundhimself“upagainstit“inthecourseoftheirbriefyearssuppliedmaterialforanecdotaltalk。
“Butit”sboundtobeeasierfromnowon，“hewouldsay。“I”vegotthe”short”downprettyfine-notfineenoughtomakebigmoney，butenoughtoholddownajobwithGalton。He”smightygoodtome。IfI
knewmore，Ibelievehe”dgivemeacolumntotakecareof——Up-townSocietycolumnperhaps。AfellownamedBiker”sgotit。Twentyper。
Goesonabusttwiceamonth，thefool。Gee！IwishIhadhisjob！“
Mrs。Bowse”shousewasprovidedwithaparlorinwhichherboarderscouldsitintheeveningwhensoinclined。Itwasafearsomeroom，which，whenthedark，high-ceilingedhallwasentered，revealeddepthsofdingygloomwhichappearedsplashedinspotswithincongruousbrilliancyofcolor。Thiseffectwasproducedbyrichlyframeddepartment-storechromolithographsonthewalls，aidedbyluridcushion-covers，or“tidies“representingIndianmaidensorchieftainsinfullwarpaint，orclustersofpoppiesofgreatboldnessofhue。TheyhadeitherbeenChristmasgiftsbestoweduponMrs。Bowseordepartment-storebargainsofherownselection，purchasedwiththriftyintent。Thered-and-greenplushupholsteredwalnutchairsaridsofahadbeenacquiredbyherwhenthebankruptcyofaneighboringboarding-housebroughtthemwithinhermeans。Theywerenolongerveryredorverygreen，andthecheerfullyhopefuldesignofthetidiesandcushionshadbeentoconcealwornplacesandstains。Themantelpiecewasadornedbyablack-walnut-and-gold-framedmirror，andinnumerablevasesoftheornateninety-eight-centsorder。
Thecenterpieceheldalargeandextremelysoiledsprayofartificialwistaria。Theendoftheroomwasrenderedattractivebyatent-likecozy-cornerbuiltofsavageweaponsandOrientalcottonstuffslongagobecomestringyandalmostleprousinhue。Theproprietorofthebankruptboarding-househadbeen“artistic。”ButMrs。Bowsewasagood-enoughsoulwhoseboarderslikedherandherhouse，andwhenthegaswaslightedandsomeoneplayed“rag-time“onthesecond-handpianola，theylikedtheparlor。
LittleAnndidnotoftenappearinit，butnowandthenshecamedownwithherbitofsewing，——shealwayshada“bitofsewing，“——andshesatinthecozy-cornerlisteningtothetalkorlettingsomeoneconfidetroublestoher。SometimesitwastheNewEnglandwidow，Mrs。
Peck，wholookedlikeaspinsterschool-ma”am，butwhohadamarriedsonwithanicewifewholivedinHarlemanddrankheavily。SheusedtoconsultwithLittleAnnastothepossiblewisdomofputtingadrinkdeterrentprivatelyinhistea。SometimesitwasMr。Jakes，adepressedlittlemanwhosewifehadlefthim，fornospecialreasonhecoulddiscover。OftenestperhapsitwasJuliusSteinbergerorJimBowleswhodidtheiringenuousbesttopresentthemselvestoherasenergetic，ifnotsuccessful，youngbusinessmen，notwhollyunworthyofattentionandalwaysbreathingdailyincreasingdevotion。
SometimesitwasTembarom，ofwhomheropinionhadneverbeenexpressed，butwhoseemedtohavemadefriendswithher。ShelikedtohearaboutthenewspaperofficeandMr。Galton，andneverwasuninterestedinhishopesof“makinggood。”Sheseemedtohimthewisestandmostdirectandcomposedpersonhehadeverknown。Shespokewiththebroad，flat，friendlyManchesteraccent，andwhensheletdropasuggestion，itcarriedadelightfullysoberconvictionwithit，becausewhatshesaidwasgenerallyarevelationoflogicalmentalargumentconcerningdetailsshehadgatheredthroughherlittlewayoflisteningandsayingnothingwhatever。
“IfMr。Bikerdrinks，hewon”tkeephisplace，“shesaidtoTembaromonenight。“Perhapsyoumightgetityourself，ifyoupersevere。”
Tembaromreddenedalittle。Hereallyreddenedthroughjoyousexcitement。
“Say，Ididn”tknowyouknewathingaboutthat，“heanswered。
“You”rearegularwonder。Youscarcelyeversayanything，butthewayyougetontothingsgetsme。”
“PerhapsifItalkedmoreIshouldn”tnoticeasmuch，“shesaid，turningherbitofsewingroundandexaminingit。“Ineverwasmuchofatalker。Father”sagoodtalker，andMotherandmegotintothewayoflistening。Youdoifyoulivewithagoodtalker。”
Tembaromlookedatthegirlwithamalegentleness，endeavoringtosubdueopenexpressionofthefactthathewasconvincedthatshewasasthoroughlyawareofherfather”ssalientcharacteristicsasshewasofotherthings。
“Youdo，“saidTembarom。Thenpickingupherscissors，whichhaddroppedfromherlap，andpolitelyreturningthem，headdedanxiously：
“TothinkofyourememberingBiker！Iwonder，ifIeverdidgethisjob，ifIcouldholditdown？“
“Yes，“decidedLittleAnn；“youcould。I”venoticedyou”rethatkindofperson，Mr。Tembarom。”
“Haveyou？“hesaidelatedly。“Say，honestInjun？“
“Yes。”
“Ishallbegettingstuckonmyselfifyouencouragemelikethat，“
hesaid，andthen，hisfacefalling，headded，“BikergraduatedatPrinceton。”
“Idon”tknowmuchaboutsociety，“LittleAnnremarked，——“Ineversawanyeitherup-townordown-townorinthecountry，——butI
shouldn”tthinkyou”dhavetohaveacollegeeducationtowritethethingsyouseeaboutitinthenewspaperparagraphs。”
Tembaromgrinned。
“They”renotrealhigh-browstuff，arethey，“hesaid。“”TherewasabrilliantgatheringonTuesdayeveningatthehouseofMr。JacobSturtburgerat79TwoHundredthStreetontheoccasionofthemarriageofhisdaughterMissRachelSturtburgertoMr。Eichenstein。
Thebridewasattiredinwhitepeaudecygnetrimmedwithduchesslace。”“
LittleAnntookhimup。“Idon”tknowwhatpeaudecygneis，andI
daresaythebridedoesn”t。I”veneverbeentoanythingbutavillageschool，butIcouldmakeupparagraphslikethatmyself。”
“That”stheup-townkind，“saidTembarom。“Thedown-townonesweartheirmothers”point-lacewedding-veilssome-times，butthey”renotmuchdifferent。Say，IbelieveIcoulddoitifIhadluck。”
“SodoI，“returnedLittleAnn。
Tembaromlookeddownatthecarpet，thinkingthethingover。Annwentonsewing。
“That”sthewaywithyou，“hesaidpresently：“youputthingsintoafellow”shead。You”vegivenmearegularboost，LittleAnn。”
Itisnotunlikelythatbutforthesensibleconvictioninhervoicehewouldhavefeltlessboldwhen，twoweekslater，Biker，havinggoneupona“bust“tooprolonged，wasdismissedwith-outbenefitofclergy，andGaltondesperatelyturnedtoTembaromwithanxiousquestioninhiseye。
“Doyouthinkyoucouldtakethisjob？“hesaid。
Tembarom”sheart，ashebelievedatthetime，jumpedintohisthroat。
“Whatdoyouthink，Mr。Galton？“heasked。
“Itisn”tathingtothinkabout，“wasGalton”sanswer。“It”sathingImustbesureof。”
“Well，“saidTembarom，“ifyougiveittome，I”llputupamightyhardfightbeforeIfalldown。”
Galtonconsideredhim，scrutinizingkeenlyhistough，long-builtbody，hissharp，eager，boyishface，andespeciallyhiscompanionablegrin。
“We”llletitgoatthat，“hedecided。“You”llmakefriendsupinHarlem，andyouwon”tfindithardtopickupnews。Wecanatleasttryit。”
Tembarom”sheartjumpedintohisthroatagain，andheswalloweditoncemore。Hewasgladhewasnotholdinghishatinhishandbecauseheknewhewouldhaveforgottenhimselfandthrownitupintotheair。
“Thankyou，Mr。Galton，“hesaid，flushingtremendously。“I”dliketotellyouhowIappreciateyourtrustingme，butIdon”tknowhow。
Thankyou，sir。”
WhenheappearedinMrs。Bowse”sdining-roomthateveningtherewasaglowofelationabouthimandaswinginhisentrywhichattractedalleyesatonce。Forsomeunknownreasoneverybodylookedathim，and，meetinghiseyes，detectedthepresenceofsomenewexultation。
“Landedanything，T。T。？“JimBowlescriedout。“Youlookit。”
“SureIlookit，“Tembaromanswered，takinghisnapkinoutofitsringwithanunconsciousflourish。“I”velandedtheup-townsocietypage——landedit，bygee！“
Agood-humoredchorusofejaculatorycongratulationbrokeforthallroundthetable。
“Goodbusiness！““ThreecheersforT。T。！““Gladofit！““Here”sluck！“
saidoneafteranother。
Theywereallpleased，anditwasgenerallyfeltthatGaltonhadshownsenseanddonetherightthingagain。EvenMr。Hutchinsonrolledaboutinhischairandgruntedhisapproval。
AfterdinnerTembarom，JimBowles，andJuliusSteinbergerwentup-
stairstogetherandfilledthehallbedroomwithcloudsoftobacco-
smoke，tiltingtheirchairsagainstthewall，smokingtheirpipesfuriously，flushedandtalkative，workingthemselvesupwiththeexhilaratedplanningsofyouth。JimBowlesandJuliushadbeendownontheirluckforseveralweeks，andthat“goodoldT。T。”shouldcomeinwiththisfairy-storywasanactualstimulus。Ifyouhaveneverinyourlifebeenabletoearnmorethanwillpayforyourfoodandlodging，twentydollarsloomsuplarge。Itmightbethebeginningofanything。
“Firstthingistogetontothewaytodoit，“arguedTembarom。“I
don”tknowthefirstthing。I”vegottothinkitout。Icouldn”taskBiker。Hewouldn”ttellme，anyhow。”
“He”sprettymad，Iguess，“saidSteinberger。
“Madashops，“Tembaromanswered。“AsIwascomingdown-stairsfromGalton”sroomhewasstandinginthehalltalkingtoMissDooley，andhesaid：`ThatTembaromfellow”sgoingtodoit！Hedoesn”tknowhowtospell。Ishouldliketoseehisstuffcomein。”Hesaiditloud，becausehewantedmetohearit，andhesortoflaughedthroughhisnose。”
“Say，T。T。，canyouspell？“Jiminquiredthoughtfully。
“Spell？Me？No，“Tembaromownedwithunshakengoodcheer。“WhatI”vegottodoistogetatamedictionaryandkeepitchainedtothelegofmytable。Thosewordswithtwom”sortwol”sinthemgetmerightdownonthemat。Butthethingthatlooksbiggesttomeishowtofindoutwherethenewsis，andthenameofthefellowthat”llputmeontoit。Youcan”tgoupaman”sfrontstepsandringthebellandaskhimifhe”sgoingtobemarriedorburiedorhaveapinktea。”
“Wasn”tthataknockatthedoor？“saidSteinberger。
Itwasaknock，andTembaromjumpedupandthrewthedooropen，thinkingMrs。Bowsemighthavecomeonsomehouseholderrand。ButitwasLittleAnnHutchinsoninsteadofMrs。Bowse，andtherewasathreadedneedlestuckintothefrontofherdress，andshehadonathimble。
“IwantMr。Bowles”snewsocks，“shesaidmaternally。“IpromisedI”dmarkthemforhim。”
BowlesandSteinbergersprangfromtheirchairs，andcameforwardintheusualcomfortableglowofpleasureatsightofher。
“Whatdoyouthinkofthatforallthecomfortsofahome？“saidTembarom。“Asifitwasn”tenoughforamantohavenewsockswithouthavingmarksputonthem！Whatareyouroldsocksmadeofanyhow——
solidgold？Burglarsain”tgoingtobreakinandstealthem。”
“Theywon”twhenI”vemarkedthem，Mr。Tembarom，“answeredLittleAnn，lookingupathimwithsober，round，for-get-me-notblueeyes，butwithadeepdimplebreakingoutnearherlip；“butallthreepairswouldnotcomehomefromthewashifIdidn”t。”
“Threepairs！“ejaculatedTembarom。“He”sgotthreepairsofsocks！
New？That”swhat”sbeenthematterwithhimforthelastweek。Don”tyoumarkthemforhim，LittleAnn。”Tain”tgoodforamantohaveeverything。”
“Heretheyare，“saidJim，bringingthemforward。“Twenty-fivemarkeddowntotenatTracy”s。Aretheyprettygood？“
LittleAnnlookedthemoverwiththepractisedeyeofaconnoisseurofbargains。
“They”dbeaboutashillinginManchestershops，“shedecided，“andtheymightbeputdowntosixpence。They”regoodenoughtotakecareof。”
Shewasnottheyoungwomanwhoisreadyforprolongedlivelyconversationinhallsandatbedroomdoors，andshehadturnedawaywiththenewsocksinherhandwhenTembarom，suddenlyinspired，dartedafterher。
“Say，I”vejustthoughtofsomething，“heexclaimedeagerly。“It”ssomethingIwanttoaskyou。”
“Whatisit？“
“It”saboutthesociety-pagelay-out。”Hehesitated。“Iwonderifit”dberushingyoutoomuchif——say，“hesuddenlybrokeoff，andstandingwithhishandsinhispockets，lookeddownatherwithanxiousadmiration，“Ibelieveyoujustknowabouteverything。”
“No，Idon”t，Mr。Tembarom；butI”mverygladaboutthepage。
Everybody”sglad。”
OneofthechiefdifficultiesTembaromfoundfacinghimwhenhetalkedtoLittleAnnwasthedifficultyofresistinganawfultemptationtotakeholdofher——toclutchhertohishealthy，tumultuousyoungbreastandholdhertherefirmly。Hewashalfashamedofhimselfwhenherealizedit，butheknewthathisvenialweaknesswassharedbyJimBowlesandSteinbergerandprobablyothers。
Shewassoslimandlightandsoft，andtheseriousfranknessofhereyesandthequaintairofbeingasortofgrown-upchildofastonishingintelligenceproducedaneffectitwasnecessarytocombatwith。
“WhatIwantedtosay，“heputittoher，“wasthatIbelieveifyou”djustletmetalkthisthingouttoyouit”ddomegood。I
believeyou”dhelpmetogetsomewhere。I”vegottofixupaschemeforgettingnextthepeoplewhohavethingshappeningtothemthatI
canmakesocietystuffoutof，youknow。Bikerdidn”tmakeahitofit，but，gee！I”vejustgotto。I”vegotto。”
“Yes，“answeredLittleAnn，hereyesfixedonhimthoughtfully；
“you”vegotto，Mr。Tembarom。”
“There”snotasoulintheparlor。WouldyoumindcomingdownandsittingtherewhileItalkatyouandtrytoworkthingsout？Youcouldgoonwithyourmarking。”
Shethoughtitoveraminute。
“I”lldoitifFathercanspareme，“shemadeuphermind。“I”llgoandaskhim。”
Shewenttoaskhim，andreturnedintwoorthreeminuteswithhersmallsewing-basketinherhand。
“Hecanspareme，“shesaid。“He”sreadinghispaper，anddoesn”twanttotalk。”
Theywentdown-stairstogetherandfoundtheroomempty。Tembaromturneduptheloweredgas，andLittleAnnsatdowninthecozy-cornerwithherwork-basketonherknee。Tembaromdrewupachairandsatdownoppositetoher。ShethreadedaneedleandtookuponeofJim”snewsocks。
“Now，“shesaid。
“It”slikethis，“heexplained。“Thepageisanewdeal，anyhow。
Theredidn”tusedtobeanup-townsocietycolumnatall。ItwasallFifthAvenueandthefourhundred；butoursisn”tafashionablepaper，andtheirfourhundredain”tgoingtobuyittoreadtheirnamesinit。They”dratherpaytokeepoutofit。Uptown”sgrowinglikesmoke，andthere”slotsofpeopleupthatwaythat”dliketheirfriendstoreadabouttheirweddingsandreceptions，andwouldbuyadozencopiestosendawaywhentheirnameswerein。There”snoendofwomenandgirlsthat”dliketoseetheirclothesdescribedandlettheirfriendsreadthedescriptions。They”dbuythepaper，too，youbet。
It”llbeabigcirculation-increaser。It”sGalton”sidea，andhegavethejobtoBikerbecausehethoughtaneducatedfellowcouldgetholdofpeople。Butsomehowhecouldn”t。Seemsasiftheydidn”tlikehim。
Hekeptgettingturneddown。Thepagehasbeenmightypoor——nopicturesofbridesoranything。Galton”sbeensickoverit。He”dbeensureit”dmakeahit。ThenBiker”salwaysdrinkingmoreorless，andhe”sgottheswellhead，anyhow。Ibelievethat”sthereasonhecouldn”tmakegoodwiththeup-towners。”
“Perhapshewastoowelleducated，Mr。Tembarom，“saidLittleAnn。
ShewasmarkingaletterJinredcotton，andheroutwardattentionwasapparentlywhollyfixedonherwork。
“Say，now，“Tembarombrokeout，“there”swhereyoucomein。YougoonworkingasiftherewasnothingbutthatsockinNewYork，butI
guessyou”vejusthitthedot。Perhapsthatwasit。HewantedtodoFifthAvenueworkanyway，andhedidn”tgoatHarlemright。HeputonPrincetonairswhenheaskedquestions。Gee！afellowcan”tputonanykindofairswhenhe”stheonethat”sgottoask。”
“You”llgetonbetter，“remarkedLittleAnn。“You”vegotafriendlywayandyou”vealotofsense。I”venoticedit。”
HerheadwasbentovertheredJandshestilllookedatitandnotatTembarom。Thiswasnotcoyness，butsimple，calmabsorption。IfshehadnotbeenmakingtheJ，shewouldhavesatwithherhandsfoldedinherlap，andgazedattheyoungmanwithundisturbedattention。
“Haveyou？“saidTembarom，gratefully。“Thatgivesmeanotherboost，LittleAnn。Whatamanseemstoneedmostisjustplaintwenty-cents-
a-yardsense。NotthatIeverthoughtIhadthedollarkind。I”mnotputtingonairs。”
“Mr。Galtonknowsthekindyouhave。Isupposethat”swhyhegaveyouthepage。”Thewords，spokenintheshrewd-soundingManchesteraccent，wereneitherflatteringnorunflattering；theyweremerelyimpartial。
“Well，nowI”vegotit，Ican”tfalldown，“saidTembarom。“I”vegottofindoutformyselfhowtogetnexttothepeopleIwanttotalkto。I”vegottofindoutwhotogetnextto。”
LittleAnnputinthefinalredstitchoftheletterJandlaidthesockneatlyfoldedonthebasket。
“I”vejustbeenthinkingsomething，Mr。Tembarom，“shesaid。“Whomakesthewedding-cakes？“
Hegaveadelightedstart。
“Gee！“hebrokeout，“thewedding-cakes！“
“Yes，“LittleAnnproceeded，“they”dhavetohavewedding-cakes，andperhapsifyouwenttotheshopswherethey”resoldandcouldmakefriendswiththepeople，they”dtellyouwhomtheyweresellingthemto，andyoucouldgettheaddressesandgoandfindoutthings。”
Tembarom，glowingwithadmiringenthusiasm，thrustouthishand。
“LittleAnn，shake！“hesaid。“You”vegivenmethewholeshow，justlikeIthoughtyouwould。You”rejustthelimit。”
“Well，awedding-cake”sthenextthingafterthebride，“sheanswered。
Herpracticallittleheadhadgivenhimthepracticallead。Themerewedding-cakeopenedupvistas。Confectionerssuppliednotonlyweddings，butrefreshmentsforreceptionsanddances。Dancessuggestedthe“halls“inwhichtheywereheld。Youcouldgetinformationatsuchplaces。Thentherewerethechurches，andthefloristswhodecoratedfestalscenes。Tembarom”sexcitementgrewashetalked。Oneplanledtoanother；vistasopenedonallsides。ItallbegantolooksoeasythathecouldnotunderstandhowBikercouldpossiblyhavegoneintosuchalandofpromise，andreturnedembitteredandempty-handed。
“Hethoughttoomuchofhimselfandtoolittleofotherpeople，“
LittleAnnsummedhimupinherunsevere，reasonablevoice。“That”ssosilly。”
Tembaromtriednottolookatheraffectionately，buthisvoicewasaffectionateaswellasadmiring，despitehim。
“Thewayyougetontoathingjustinthreewords！“hesaid。“DanielWebsterain”tinit。”
“Idaresayifyouletthepeopleintheshopsknowthatyoucomefromanewspaper，it”llbeahelp，“shewentonwithingenuousworldlywisdom。“They”llthinkit”llbeakindofadvertisement。Andsoitwill。YougetsomeneatcardsprintedwithyournameandSundayEarthonthem。”
“Gee！“Tembaromejaculated，slappinghisknee，“there”sanother！Youthinkofeverydarnedthing，don”tyou？“
Shestoppedamomenttolookathim。
“You”dhavethoughtofitallyourselfafterabit，“shesaid。Shewasnotofthoseunseemlywomenwhoseintentionitismanifestlytoinstructthesuperiorman。ShehadbeenborninasmallManchesterstreetandtrainedbyhermother，whoseowntraininghadevolvedthroughaffectionatelydiscreetconjugalmanagementofMr。Hutchinson。
“Neveryouletamanfeelsetdownwhenyouwanthimtoseeathingreasonable，Ann，“shehadsaid。“Younevergetonwiththemifyoudo。
Theycan”tstandit。TheAlmightyseemedtomake”emthatway。
They”vealwaysbeenmasters，anditdon”thurtanywomantolet”embe，ifshecanhelp”emtothinkreasonable。Justyoumakeamanfeelcomfortableinhismindandpushhimthereasonableway。Butneveryoushovehim，Ann。Ifyoudo，he”lljustgetallupset-like。Meandyourfatherhavebeenright-downhappytogether，butwenevershouldhavebeenifIhadn”tthoughtthatoutbeforewewasmarriedtwoweeks。Perhapsit”stheAlmighty”swill，thoughIneverwasassureoftheAlmighty”swayofthinkingassomeare。”
OfcourseTembaromfeltsoothedandencouraged，thoughhebelongedtothemaledevelopmentwhichisnotautomaticallyinfuriatedatasuspicionoffemalereadinessoflogic。
“Well，Imighthavegotontoitintime，“heanswered，stilltryingnottolookaffectionate，“butI”venotimetospare。Gee！butI”mgladyou”rehere！“
“Isha”n”tbehereverylong。”Therewasashadeofpatientregretinhervoice。“Father”sgottiredoftryingAmerica。He”sbeendisappointedtoooften。He”sgoingbacktoEngland。”
“BacktoEngland！“Tembaromcriedoutforlornly，“OhLord！Whatshallwealldowithoutyou，Ann？“
“You”lldoasyoudidbeforewecame，“saidLittleAnn。
“No，wesha”n”t。Wecan”t。Ican”tanyhow。”Heactuallygotupfromhischairandbegantowalkabout，withhishandsthrustdeepinhispockets。
LittleAnnbegantoputherfirststitchesintoaredB。Nohumanbeingcouldhavetoldwhatshethought。
“Wemustn”twastetimetalkingaboutthat，“shesaid。“Letustalkaboutthepage。Therearedressmakers，youknow。Ifyoucouldmakefriendswithadressmakerortwothey”dtellyouwhattheweddingthingswerereallymadeof。Womendoliketheirclothestobedescribedright。”
CHAPTERIII
Hisworkuponthepagebeganthefollowingweek。Whenthefirstmorningofhiscampaignopenedwithatumultuousblizzard，JimBowlesandJuliusSteinbergerprivatelysympathizedwithhimastheydressedincompany，buttheyheardhimwhistlinginhisownhallbedroomasheputonhisclothes，andtononeofthethreediditoccurthattimecouldbelostbecausetheweatherwasinhuman。Blindingsnowwasbeingwhirledthroughtheairbyawindwhichhadbellowedacrossthebay，andtornitswayhowlingthroughthestreets，maltreatingpeopleasitwent，snatchingtheirbreathoutofthem，andleavingthemgaspinglyclutchingathatsandbendingtheirbodiesbeforeit。
Street-carswentbyloadedfromfronttobackplatform，andwereforcedfromwantofroomtowhizzheartlesslybygroupswaitinganxiouslyatstreetcorners。
Tembaromsawtwoorthreeofthempassinthisway，leavingthewaitingonesdesperatelyhuddledtogetherbehindthem。Hebracedhimselfandwhistledlouderashebuttonedhiscelluloidcollar。
“I”mgoingtogetuptoHarlemallthesame，“hesaid。“The”L”willbejustasjammed，butthere”llbeaplacesomewhere，andI”llgetit。”
Hisclothesweretheoutwardlydecentonesofayoungmanwhomustperforceseekcheapclothing-stores，andtowhomaten-dollar“hand-
me-down“isasourceofexultantrejoicing。Withtheaidofgreatcareandastraight，well-formedyoungbody，hemanagedtomakethebestofthem；buttheywerenottobecounteduponforwarmtheveninordinarilycoldweather。Hisovercoatwasaspeciouscovering，andwasnotinfrequentlyodorousofnaphtha。
“You”vegottoknowsomethingaboutfirstaidtothewoundedifyouliveontenper，“hehadsaidoncetoLittleAnn。“Asuitofclothesgetstobeanemergency-casemightyoftenifitlaststhreeyears。”
“GoinguptoHarlemto-day，T。T。？“hisneighborattableaskedhimashesatdowntobreakfast。
“Rightthere，“heanswered。“I”veorderedthelimousineround，withthefoot-warmerandfurrugs。”
“Iguessadaywouldn”treallymattermuch，“saidMrs。Bowse，good-
naturedly。“Perhapsitmightbebetterto-morrow。”
“Andperhapsitmightn”t，“saidTembarom，eating“break-fast-food“
withacheerfulappetite。“Whatyoucan”tbestone-coldsureofto-
morrowyoudriveanailinto-day。”
Heateatremendousbreakfastasadiscreetprecautionarymeasure。
Thedarkdining-roomwaswarm，andthefoodwassubstantial。Itwascomfortableinitsway。
“You”dbetterholdthehalldoorprettytightwhenyougoout，anddon”topenitfar，“saidMrs。Bowseashegotuptogo。“There”swindenoughtoupsetthings。”
Tembaromwentoutinthehall，andputonhisinsufficientovercoat。
Hebuttoneditacrosshischest，andturneditscollaruptohisears。
Thenhebentdowntoturnupthebottomsofhistrousers。
“Apairofarcticswouldbealltothemerryrighthere，“hesaid，andthenhestooduprightandsawLittleAnncomingdownthestaircaseholdinginherhandaparticularlyuglytar-tan-plaidwoolenneck-scarfofthekindknowninEnglandasa“comforter。”
“Ifyouaregoingoutinthiskindofweather，“shesaidinherserene，decidedlittlevoice，“you”dbetterwrapthiscomforterrightroundyourneck，Mr。Tembarom。It”soneofFather”s，andhecanspareitbecausehe”sgotanother，and，besides，he”snotgoingout。”
Tembaromtookitwithasuddenemotionalperceptionofthefactthathewasbeingtakencareofinanabnormallyluxuriousmanner。
“Now，Iappreciatethat，“hesaid。“Thethingaboutyou。LittleAnn，isthatyounevermakeawrongguessaboutwhatafellowneeds，doyou？“
“I”mtoousedtotakingcareofFathernottoseethings，“sheanswered。
“Whatyougetontoishowtotakecareofthewholeworld——initialsonafellow”ssocksandmufflersroundhisneck。”Hiseyeslookedremarkablybright。
“Ifapersonweretakingcareofthewholeworld，he”dhavealottodo，“washersedatereceptionoftheremark。“You”dbetterputthattwiceroundyourneck，Mr。Tembarom。”
Sheputupherhandtodrawtheendofthescarfoverhisshoulder，andTembaromstoodstillatonce，asthoughhewerealittleboybeingdressedforschool。Helookeddownatherroundcheek，andwatchedoneoftheunexpecteddimplesrevealitselfinaplacewheredimplesarenotusuallyanticipated。Itwascomingoutbecauseshewassmilingasmall，observingsmile。Itwasanalmostexcitingthingtolookat，andhestoodverystillindeed。Afellowwhodidnotowntwopairsofbootswouldbeafoolnottokeepquiet。
“Youhaven”ttoldmeIoughtn”ttogoouttilltheblizzardletsup，“
hesaidpresently。
“No，Ihaven”t，Mr。Tembarom，“sheanswered。“You”reoneofthekindthatmeantodoathingwhenthey”vemadeuptheirminds。It”llbeanicebitofmoneyifyoucankeepthepage。”
“Galtonsaidhe”dgivemeachancetotrytomakegood，“saidTembarom。“Andifit”sthehithethinksitoughttobe，he”llraisemeten。Thirtyper。Vanastorbiltswon”tbeinit。IthinkI”llgetmarried，“headded，showingallhisattractiveteethatonce。
“Iwouldn”tdothat，“shesaid。“Itwouldn”tbeenoughtodependon。
NewYork”sanexpensiveplace。”
Shedrewbackandlookedhimover。“That”llkeepyoumuchwarmer，“
shedecided。“Nowyoucango。I”vebeenlookinginthetelephone-bookforconfectioners，andI”vewrittendowntheseaddresses。”Shehandedhimaslipofpaper。
Tembaromcaughthisbreath。
“Hullygee！“heexclaimed，“thereneverwereTWOofyoumade！Oneusedupalltherewasofit。HowamIgoingtothankyou，anyhow！“
“Idohopeyou”llbeabletokeepthepage，“shesaid。“Idothat，Mr。
Tembarom。”
Iftherehadbeenatouchofcoquetryinherearnest，sober，round，littlefaceshewouldhavebeenlessdistractinglyalluring，buttherewasnoshadeofanythingbutasortofsoftlymotherlyanxietyinthedroppednoteofhervoice，anditwasalmostmorethanfleshandbloodattwenty-fivecouldstand。Tembarommadeahasty，involuntarymovetowardher，butitwasonlyaslightone，anditwasscarcelyperceptiblebeforehehadhimselfinhandandhurriedlytwistedhismufflertighter，showinghisteethagaincheerily。
“Youkeeponhopingitalldaywithoutalet-up，“hesaid。“AndtellMr。HutchinsonI”mobligedtohim，please。Getoutoftheway，LittleAnn，whileIgoout。Thewindmightblowyouandthehat-standup-
stairs。”
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