py?"

The other one turned upon him a look of pure amusement, but, seeing the
set lips and earnest eye of his companion, said softly, with a faint,
scouting hiss and smile:--

"She's a perfect lady--a perfect one."

"Her friend isn't," said the aggressive man.

"Here they come," observed the other aloud, looking up the street. There
was a general turning of attention and concentration of the street's
population toward the edge of either sidewalk. A force of police was
clearing back into the by-streets a dense tangle of drays, wagons,
carriages, and white-topped omnibuses, and far up the way could be seen
the fluttering and tossing of handkerchiefs, and in the midst a solid
mass of blue with a sheen of bayonets above, and every now and then a
brazen reflection from in front, where the martial band marched before.
It was not playing. The ear caught distantly, instead of its notes, the
warlike thunder of the drum corps.

The sharper man nudged his companion mysteriously.

"Listen," he whispered. Neither they nor the other pair had materially
changed their relative positions. The older woman was speaking.

"'Twas te fun'est dting! You pe lookin' for te Noo 'Leants shteamer,
undt me lookin' for te Hambourg shteamer, undt coompt right so togeder
undt never vouldn't 'a' knowedt udt yet, ovver te mayne exdt me, 'Misses
Reisen, vot iss your name?' undt you headt udt. Undt te minudt you
shpeak, udt choost come to me like a flash o' lightenin'--'Udt iss
Misses Richlin'!'" The speaker's companion gave her such attention as
one may give in a crowd to words that have been heard two or three times
already within the hour.

"Yes, Alice," she said, once or twice to the little one, who pulled
softly at her skirt asking confidential questions. But the baker's widow
went on with her story, enjoying it for its own sake.

"You know, Mr. Richlin' he told me finfty dtimes, 'Misses Reisen, doant
kif up te pissness!' Ovver I see te mutcheenery proke undt te foundtries
all makin' guns undt kennons, undt I choost says, 'I kot plenteh
moneh--I tdtink I kfit undt go home.' Ovver I sayss to de Doctor, 'Dte
oneh dting--vot Mr. Richlin' ko-in to tdo?' Undt Dr. Tseweer he sayss,
'How menneh pa'ls flour you kot shtowed away?' Undt I sayss, 'Tsoo
hundut finfty.' Undt he sayss, 'Misses Reisen, Mr. Richlin' done made
you rich; you choost kif um dtat flour; udt be wort' tweny-fife tollahs
te pa'l, yet.' Undt sayss I, 'Doctor, you' right, undt I dta