"Nothing, your honor, except this here young woman. She's for reporting me, she is, and losing me my situation. But as I happen to have seen her congregating by herself mostly every day for the past fortnight around these offices, I thought I'd run her in as a disreputable lot, and we'd see who's who." "Oh, sir!--Mr. Prime!" I cried, forgetting my discretion in the excitement of the moment, "don't let him take me off! What he says isn't true. I'm a lady--that is, a poor girl who's perfectly honest, and is trying to earn her living." "A nice lady you are, trying to lose hardworking folks their situations!" "You called me by name," said Mr. Prime. "Do you know me? Come here Ike!" The dog was sniffing around my feet. "Yes, sir--no--that is, I have seen you come out of your office." He looked at me searchingly, and turned to the policeman. "What was she doing when you arrested her?" "Indeed, sir," I broke in, "I was merely sitting here resting myself, when this--this man spoke to me. I was doing nothing wrong." "You hear what she says, officer. What is your charge against her?" "Promiscuous and unlawful congregating by herself, your Honor. When a young woman as swears she's honest, goes peeking into other folks's windows after dark, I always has my suspicions,--as you would too, if you had been in the business as long as I have. It wa'n't more than a week ago that I caught her with her nose against that plate-glass window of yours, and I told her then to move on. But she didn't; and the next thing we shall be hearing some fine morning, that there's been breaking and entering done." Frightened as I was, I could not help blushing. "Why were you looking into my office?" said Mr. Prime. "It doesn't seem a very serious offence," he added, turning to the officer. "It ain't murder, and it ain't arson, that's flat," observed that functionary; "but we don't draw no such fine distinctions in our profession. If we did, the judges would have nothing to do." The colloquy gave me time to think up an answer. I was in a tight place, and it would not do to mince matters. Mr. Prime turned back to me with an air of inquiry. "I was wondering, sir, when I looked into your window, if there were any use in my applying for work." "Are you in want?" he asked. "I am trying to find a place. I am without occupation at present. The times are so hard it is almost impossible for an honest girl to find anything to do. I only want a chance." He looked at me with a closer interest. Of course my voice and my features, after the first impression produced by my needy dress, must have puzzled an observer so intelligent as Mr. Prime. "I believe the girl's story," he said to the policeman. "I feel sure she is honest."