a meek-faced old woman, attired in a faded dress and
shawl, and a rather startling bonnet as regarded shape. She looked as if
she might be waiting or watching for somebody--at least she was not
looking around with the air of a purchaser, and she was being rudely
jostled every moment by thoughtless people or hurried clerks. Theodore
resolved to discover for himself if this were the one in waiting, and
advanced to her side.

"Can I do anything for you, madam?" he asked, with as respectful a tone
as he would have used to Miss Hastings herself.

The woman turned a pair of startled eyes upon him; then seeming to be
reassured, asked suddenly:

"Be you Mr. Mallery?"

"That is my name. What can I do for you?"

The old lady dropped him a very low, very odd little courtesy ere she
answered:

"And I'm the widow Jenkins, and I've come--well, could I possibly see
you alone for a bit of a moment? My head is kind of confused like with
all this noise and running about; them little boys act as if they was
most crazy anyhow, hopping about all over. I didn't know they allowed no
playing in these big stores; but then you see I'm from the country, and
things is queer all around; but if I only could see you all alone I
wouldn't take a mite hardly of your time."

"You may come with me," answered Theodore, not stopping to explain the
mystery of the cash boys, and show how very little like play their
hopping about was after all. He led the way to a room opening off the
private office, and giving the old lady one of the leathern arm-chairs,
stood before her, and again inquired kindly:

"Now what can I do for you?"

"Well," began Mrs. Jenkins, her voice trembling with eagerness, "it's
about my Tommy. He's the only boy I've got, and I'm a widow, and he
lives at the Euclid House--works there, you know, and sleeps there, and
all; and he's a good-natured, coaxy boy; he kind of wants to do just as
everybody says; and he's promised me time and again that he wouldn't
drink a mite of their stuff that they live on there, and he doesn't mean
to, but they offer it to him, and the other boys they laugh at him, and
kind of lead him along--and the long and short of it is, the habit is
coming on him, Mr. Mallery, coming on fast. I've coaxed Tommy, and he
means all right, only he don't do it; and I've been down there to Mr.
Roberts, and talked to him, and he's just as smooth as glass, and the
difference between him an' Tommy is that he don't mean it