I
accordingly quickened my steps when those same hooting youngsters
getting in the way of my feet, I tripped up and--well, I own I
retired from that field baffled. Not entirely so, however. Just as I
was going down, I caught sight of the girl tearing away from a box of
garbage on the curb-stone; and when order having been restored, by
which lofty statement I mean to say when your humble servant had
regained his equilibrium, I awoke to the fact that she had effectually
disappeared, I hurried to that box and succeeded in finding hanging
to it a bit of rag easily recognized as a piece of the old calico
frock of nameless color which I had been following a moment before.
Regarding it as the sole spoils of a very unsatisfactory day's work,
I put it carefully away in my pocket book, where it lay till--But with
all my zeal for compression, I must not anticipate.
When I came home that afternoon I found myself unexpectedly involved
in a matter that for the remainder of the day at least, prevented me
from further attending to the affair I had in hand. The next morning
Mr. Blake did not start out as usual, and at noon I received
intimation from Fanny that he was preparing to take a journey. Where,
she could not inform me, nor when, though she thought it probable he
would take an early train.
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