Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ARDELIA IN ARCADY WHEN first 'the young lady from the College Settlement dragged Ardelia from her degradation — she was sitting on a dirty pavement and throwing assorted refuse at an unconscious policeman — like many of her companions in misery, she totally failed to realize the pit from which she was digged. It had never oc- " Throwing assorted refuse." curred to her that her situation was anything less than refined, and though, like most of us, she hadfailed to come up to her wildest ideals of happiness, in that respect she differed very little from the young lady who rescued her. " Come here, little girl," said the young lady invitingly. " Wouldn't you like to come with me and have a nice, cool bath ? " " Naw," said Ardelia, in tones rivaling the bath in coolness. " You wouldn't ? Well, wouldn't you like some bread and butter and jam ? " " Wha's jam ? " said Ardelia conservatively. " Why, it's — er — marmalade," the young lady explained. " All sweet, you know." " Naw !" and Ardelia turned away and fingered the refuse with an air of finality that caused the young lady to sigh with vexation. " I thought you might like to go on a picnic," she said helplessly. " I thought all little girls liked " " Picnic ? When ? " cried Ardelia, moved instantly to interest. " I'm goin'!" She brushed the garbage from her dress — Ardelia was of that emancipated order of women who disapprove of the senseless multiplication of feminine garments, and wore, herself, but one — and regarded her rescuer impatiently. "What's the matter? "she asked. "I'm all ready. Hump along ! " " We'll go and ask your mother first, won't we ?" suggested the young lady, a little bewildered at this sudden change of attitude. " Jagged," Ardelia returned laconically. " She'd lif...