impulse, like the heat of internal fever. She wore a wide-brimmed hat of dark straw, with a great crimson feather, and a costume of some cheap maroon stuff, violently relieved by trimmings of broad white braid. The _ensemble_ was very far from ugly. She had copied its effect from a popular weekly journal, whose harrowing fiction would sometimes be supplemented by prints of the latest fashions, "given away" to its devoted patrons. Claire, having drawn nearer to Josie, took in all her details of costume with ready swiftness. This fleet sort of observation was always an easy matter for Claire. In most cases of a like sort, she would both see and judge before others had accomplished even the first process. "You seem to be waiting for somebody, Josie," she now said. "Yes, I am," returned Josie, with another laugh. She put one slim hand to her mouth as she laughed; she nearly always employed this gesture at such a time; it came, no doubt, from a consciousness of dental deficiencies. "I ain't goin' to be _shy_, Miss Twining," she pursued. "Why _should_ I? I'm expectin' a gent'man friend o' mine. We was goin' over t' the city together. We was goin' to _Niblo's_. There's an el'gant play there, they _say_." ... Here Josie paused, drew backward for an instant, and then impulsively seized one of Claire's hands in both of her own. "Oh, Miss Twining!" she suddenly exclaimed, "I know I hadn't ought to ask you if _you'd_ come along, too, but I do wish you just _would_! You ain't the same kind as me a bit, and there's more'n me in Greenpoint--now, 'pon my word there is--that's said when they see you that you _was_ a reel lady. But still, you might come with me and my friend, Mr. MacNab, and just get a spell of _'musement_. I know you ain't had any 'musement in goodness sakes _how_ long! It's a reel el'gant play! Do say you will! Now I ain't a bit _soft_ on Mr. MacNab. P'aps he'd _like_ me to be, but I ain't. So three won't spoil comp'ny. Now, _do_! Oh, Miss Twining, I'd be awful glad if you _would!_" Josie's tones, like her words, were warmly persuasive. She still retained Claire's hand. Nor did Claire withdraw it. She was tempted. She turned her head toward the darkling city, in whose realm of deepened shadow many new lights had begun to burn. "Ah, Josie," she said, "you are very kind to ask me. But I'm quite shabby beside you, you know." "Pshaw!" flatly objected Josie; "you look fust rate. That ain't _no_ sort of reason.... Do! Now, _do_!" Claire laughed nervously. She was thinking how pleasant it would be to hear an orchestra play, to see a curtain rise, to watch a drama roll its story out, behind vivid footlights, between painted scenes.