Search e-Books

"
I was giving myself a fine advertisement.
"For heaven's sake stop crying," I said. Then a memory of
far-off childhood flashed its inspiration upon me. "If you don't,"
I added, grimly, "I'll take you out and give you to a policeman."
The effect was magical. She turned on me a scared look, gasped,
pulled down her veil, which she had raised so as to dab her eyes
with her pocket-handkerchief, and incontinently checked the
fountain of her tears.
"A policeman?"
"Yes," said I, "a great, big, ugly blue policeman, who shuts up
people who misbehave themselves in prison, and takes off their
clothes, and shaves their heads, and feeds them on bread and
water."
"I won't cry any more," she said, swallowing a sob. "Is it also
wicked to cry?"
"Any of these ladies here would sooner be burned alive with
dyspepsia or cut in two with tight-lacing," I replied severely.
"Let us sit down."
We stepped over the low iron rail, and passing through the first
two rows of people, found seats behind where the crowd was
thinner.


Pages:
145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169