Jerry was so angry that he all but pushed his distorted face against that of the humiliated girl as he denounced her.  Mr. Fletcher gently moved her backward a step or two, and advanced to where she had stood.

“That will do,” he said to Jerry.  “I want no trouble, but you’ve said enough.  If there’s more, say it to me.”

“A-a-a-h!” exclaimed the gilly, expectorating theatrically over his shoulder.  “Me friends is on your side, an’ I ain’t pickin’ no muss wid you.  But she’s got der front of der City Hall to do me like she done.  And say, fellers, den she was goin’ ter give me a song an’ dance ’bout lookin’ fer me.  Ba-a-a!  She knows my ’pinion of her—­see?”

The crowd parted to let Mr. Fletcher finish his first evening’s gallantry to a lady by escorting Cordelia to her home.  It was a chilly and mainly a silent journey.  Cordelia falteringly apologized for Jerry’s misbehavior, but she inferred from what Mr. Fletcher said that he did not fully join her in blaming the angry youth.  Mr. Fletcher touched her fingertips in bidding her good-night, and nothing was said of a meeting in the future.  Clarice was forgotten, and Cordelia was not only herself again, but quite a miserable self, for her sobs awoke the little brother and sister who shared her bed.

The Prize-Fund Beneficiary

BY E.A.  ALEXANDER

Miss Snell began to apologize for interrupting the work almost before she came in.  The Painter, who grudgingly opened one half of the folding-door wide enough to let her pass into the studio, was annoyed to observe that, in spite of her apologies, she was loosening the furs about her throat as if in preparation for a lengthy visit.  Then for the first time, behind her tall, black-draped figure, he caught sight of her companion, who was shorter, and whose draperies were of a less ample character—­for Miss Snell, being tall and thin, resorted to voluminous garments to conceal her slimness of person.  A large plumed hat accentuated, her sallowness and sharpness of feature, and her dark eyes, set under heavy black brows, intensified her look of unhealthy pallor.

She was perfectly at her ease, and introduced her companion, Miss Price, in a few words, explaining that the latter had come over for a year or so to study, and was anxious to have the best advice about it.

“So I brought her straight here,” Miss Snell announced, triumphantly.

Miss Price seemed a trifle overcome by the novelty of her surroundings, but managed to say, in a high nasal voice, that she had already begun to work at Julian’s, but did not find it altogether satisfactory.