What Peter thought was that he should probably become very unpopular with his fellow clerks. Croker took him across to dry goods, where girls were tying bundles in little cages over the sales ladies' heads, and had him repeat the method of handling string. Except that he thought he should get to like Mr. Croker, the incident made no particular impression on Peter--so dulled were all his senses for want of dreams,--and passed wholly out of mind. It was two or three days after that he saw the girl again, nearer the end of the viaduct, where four or five streets poured light and confusion into Venable Square. She was going on ahead, hurrying and pretending not to hurry to overtake a man to whom she wished to speak. She was quite close to him, she was speaking, and suddenly he gave a little outward jerk with his elbow which caught hers unexpectedly and whirled her back against the parapet. The little purse she was carrying fell from her hand. The man gave a quick laugh over his shoulder and ploughed his way across the street. "The skunk!" Peter's list of expletives was not extensive. He picked up the flat little purse and handed it back to her. "Shall I go after him? Did you know him?" The girl was holding on to the parapet with a little choky laugh. "Oh, yes, I know that kind. No, I don't want him!" "He ought to have a good thrashing," Peter was convinced. The girl looked up at him with a sudden curiosity. "You're from the country, ain't you? I thought so the other night. I can always tell." "I guess you're from the country yourself," Peter hazarded. She was prettier even than he had thought. Her glance had left his, however, and was roving up and down the hurrying crowd as though testing it for some plunge she was about to make. "If you wanted me to see you home----" Peter hinted; he did not know quite what was expected of him. She answered with a little sharp noise which ended in a cough. "I guess you're real kind," she admitted, "but I ain't goin' home just yet. I got a date." She moved off then, and since it was in the direction he was going, there was nothing for Peter to do but move with her, on the other side of the wide pavement. At the turn she drifted back to his side again; it seemed to Peter there was amusement in her tone. "You got anything to do Saturday about this time?" Peter hadn't. "Well, I'll be here--savvy?" But before he could make her any assurance she laughed again and slipped into the crowd.