soul-stirring
meeting, where much was said about the wrongs of the workingman, but
nothing thought of those of the workingwoman.

And then came an adventure. Many a time had she been accosted by street
prowlers, and sometimes followed, but her rule had been to make no
reply, simply to walk straight on, and look neither to the right nor to
the left. One dark evening in early January she had been working late,
and it was nearly seven as she passed the river. A few blocks farther
north she overtook a man whose unsteady gait did not prevent his
quickening speed and striving in turn to overtake her. Finding him at
her heels and his detaining hand actually on her arm, her nerve gave
way, and she took to flight, her pursuer following. Half a block ahead
and around a corner was the apartment-house where she had acquaintances,
and into the hall-way Jenny bolted, hoping to turn and slam the door
into the blackguard's face, but, to her horror, the heavy portal refused
to swing. Despairingly she touched the electric button, then turned
pluckily to face her pursuer and warn him off. But the fellow was daft
with drink, and, with maudlin exultation, he sprang after her and strove
to seize her in his arms, laughing at her frantic blows. Then the inner
door suddenly opened and tumbled them both into the hall and into the
arms of a tall, dark, heavily-moustached man who looked amazed one
second and enlightened the next, for he seated the half-fainting girl in
a chair, kicked the intruder into the gutter, and then sprang back into
the hall in time to catch her as she was almost toppling over on the
tiled floor. This brought her the second time within the clasp of a
muscular arm, and then she gasped an inquiry for her friends, and he
sent the staring hall-boy to ask if they were in, and stepped into his
own room and brought forth a glass of wine, which he calmly ordered her
to sip, and then, seeing her heart was fluttering like a terrified
bird's, he spoke gently and soothingly, and little by little she had
regained some composure when the boy came down from the fourth floor to
say the ladies were out.

Then she would have gone, and she strove to go, but her knees shook, and
he sent the boy with a message and made her wait, seated in the hall
chair, and came forth again from his room in a fur overcoat and cap, and
a moment later a cab was at the door. She recoiled and said she could go
in a car; but the cars were two blocks away. "Kindly