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"Thank you," said the girl, softly but heartily. "I am sure you
need not trouble yourself any further. It was so awkward of me. And
my shoe heels are horridly commonsense, I can't blame them at all."
Chandler looked at the girl and found her swiftly drawing his
interest. She was pretty in a refined way; and her eye was both merry
and kind. She was inexpensively clothed in a plain black dress that
suggested a sort of uniform such as shop-girls wear. Her glossy dark-
brown hair showed its coils beneath a cheap hat of black straw whose
only ornament was a velvet ribbon and bow. She could have posed as
a model for the self-respecting working girl of the best type.
A sudden idea came into the head of the young architect. He
would ask this girl to dine with him. Here was the element that his
splendid but solitary periodic feasts had lacked. His brief season of
elegant luxury would be doubly enjoyable if he could add to it a
lady's society. This girl was a lady, he was sure—her manner and
speech settled that. And in spite of her extremely plain attire he felt
that he would be pleased to sit at table with her.
These thoughts passed swiftly through his mind, and he decided
to ask her. It was a breach of etiquette, of course, but oftentimes
wage-earning girls waived formalities in matters of this kind. They
were generally shrewd judges of men; and thought better of their own
judgement than they did of useless conventions. His ten dollars,
discreetly expended, would enable the two to dine very well indeed.
The dinner would no doubt be a wonderful experience thrown into the
dull routine of the girl's life; and her lively appreciation of it would
add to his own triumph and pleasure.
"I think," he said to her, with frank gravity, "that your foot
needs a longer rest than you suppose. Now, I am going to suggest a
way in which you can give it that and at the same time do me a favor.
I was on my way to dine all by my lonely self when you came
tumbling round the corner. You come with me and we'll have a cozy
1
dinner and a pleasant talk together, and by that time your game ankle
will carry you home very nicely, I am sure."
The girl looked quickly up into Chandler's clear, pleasant
countenance. Her eyes twinkled once very brightly, and then she
smiled ingenuously.

1
game ankle: an injured, sprained ankle