to gather a crowd of debauched characters in her apartment nightly,
but who, from a failure to pay her rent, had been turned out by Mr.
Elder. The other apartments were still occupied by abandoned women;
but of this fact Mrs. Wentworth was not aware.

As she looked at the room a feeling of indescribable sadness crept
over her, and a sigh of bitterness burst from her throbbing bosom. It
was, however, not to be helped; she had already paid the rent, and was
compelled to keep it for the month. Sadly she left the room, and
locking it after her, repaired to a store to purchase a few necessary
articles of furniture.

On entering a store, the first person she saw was Mr. Swartz, who had,
by this time, risen from the lowly position of a grocer to that of a
"General wholesale and retail merchant," as the sign over his door
very pompously announced.

Mr. Swartz remained on his seat at her entrance, barely raising his
eyes to sec who had entered. She stood for a few moments, when, seeing
that no one appeared to notice her presence, she walked up to him and
informed him that she wished to purchase a few pieces of furniture.

"Vot kind do you vant?" he inquired, without moving from his seat.

"A small bedstead, three or four chairs, a table and a washstand," she
answered.

"Look at them and see vich you like te best," he said, "and I vill
tell you te brice."