ere she
thrives.

The daring man, protected by his false colors, there being no
officious authority in that neighborhood to exercise the right of
search, came alongside the house and prepared, metaphorically, to
board; that is, he rang the bell.

He was admitted by an Irish girl, whose incrusted face showed
that the same deposit of dirt had probably held possession
undisturbed for weeks. They had just entered the hall door when
two small children, who were contending for their vested rights
with a big yellow dog that had interfered with their dinner,
commenced an unearthly squalling, which, for the instant, made
the millinery delegate fairly believe that Tophet was out for
noon. The Hibernian maiden, with great presence of mind,
immediately attempted to quiet the storm by administering to each
inverted brat a sound correction, in the manner usually adopted
by mothers.

Particulars are omitted.

Then she resumed her attentions to the stranger, and convoyed him
into port in the parlor. Securely harbored in this safe retreat,
Johannes took another observation.

The room was small, and what few things were in it looked shabby
and dirty of course. The principal article of furniture was a
huge basketful of soiled linen, which had probably been "taken
in" to wash, and from a respectable family, for every single
article looked ashamed to be caught in such company, and tried to
burrow down out of sight. Disconsolate shirts elbowed humiliated
socks, which in turn kicked against mortified flannels, or hid
themselves beneath disconcerted sheets; abashed shirt-collars and
humbled dickies tried to shrink out of sight in very shame
beneath a dishonored tablecloth, the wine-stains on which showed
it to belong in better society. A dejected and cast-down woman
was assorting the despairing contents of the basket with a look
of desolation.

The girl, who had disappeared, now returned, and with an air of
mystery slipped into the hand of her visitor a red card, on which
was inscribed:

+-------------------------------------------------+
|No Person allowed to remain in the Establishment |
|without a ticket. Please present this on entering|
|Madame Morrow's room. Fee in full, $1. |
+-------------------------------------------------+

For an hour and a half after the receipt of this card and the
payment of $1 therefor, did Johannes quietly wait in the room
with the big basket, being entertained meanw