Friendship and Folly

hivering in the wind, but their eyes were on f

n who was rowing; "put us on board something that will carry us

rk on the Scythia. That was the one feasible thing to do,-the one thing now to which he would bend all his energies. He was burning to get to the shore. He thought

"'less we happen to come upon somethin'. There's the steam

ir he breathed were poisoning him until he could leave America behind him. He had

, interrupting the man, who was again s

eeling in a reckless way over the water, with three men in it, all of t

rward. "Fifty dollars if you'll take

ey

crafts came alongside each oth

response. "We can't take no woma

mouth and then said, "I don'

Prudence, quickly. "R

girl's shoulder. Her first impulse was to push the crow from its resting-place, but she restrained that impulse, and the

ming towards the city. One of the men had brought forward an old coat, wh

near her; he put his arm about her and held her to him. Often he turned and looked down at her face, upon which the lamp s

wn into black water as it came upon the wash of a big vessel; but always it held on its way, and in an hour

imed Lawrence once, when a hoarse murm

smiled ra

to be superstit

with Savin Hill. I want to

a movement nea

by accident we were on the Vireo. We can take a train from Boston out to Savin Hill, tell them about our accident, and all will be as before.

crow crept out from behind her and hopped on to her knee, cocking hi

ot go back. Do you think I could leave you,-you? No, not t

. A dark flush rose to

o the sea!" he cried,

ked the bird's he

in Hill when it is daylight. He will go. And

ar, let us cast the past behind us. Don't let us refer to it. We begin t

you will be happy." Sh

n his voice. "Prudence, it

t words which are not half enough extravagant, because no words have ever been mad

tel at the South End. He explained briefly how they came to be in such a plight, and the matron of the house furnishe

t write to them, I

pallid and weary, but there was an invincible light in her eyes

chair near her. He had drawn one foot

e said, aloud, "We made an odd group, didn't we, Devil? No wonder the clerk stared. A

for me, I will never go back. How could I? And Rodney sh

t Letitia," then her hand stopped. She sat looking

it struck twelve. The girl roused hersel

d I write? How they will hate me! Le

he could not remain quiet. A fire of memory, and hope, and a strange, indefinite fear

tt. Plainest of all she remembered how she had promised not to try to win Rodney back t

d be morning sometime. Sometime the hour would strike when

so clearly remember Carolyn's honest e

she began to walk again. The crow got down on the floor and hopped along behind her, sometimes pecking at the carpet. She turned to him in a kind of fury. She was wishing she had the

liar! You'

peak. But she had never killed anything yet, and it must be rather a dread

er. As her fingers touched her throat she shuddered, thinking of how she could stop the crow's breath. She had left the light

she murmured. "Perhaps he

shut her eyes, and

t of a lovely September morning, Prudenc

coffee, and had been walking in the little park near the hotel. No one was out, apparently, sa

y behind her, and when she turned he blinked up at her mildly. Once she took him in her hand, and flung him up in the air, for that wa

ce asked a boy if he would like to have a tame crow,

rtain man and woman, who stood together on deck, there was a little black

ll I stow the bir

ace darkened. But a hand w

all the crow our mascot. Surely you can'

she would pay him well if he would t

aughingly at

ay, he wouldn't leave u

he hand on his arm. "Nothing matters," he said,