"
She would have liked very much to stay longer, for the old gentleman was
quite unlike any one she had ever talked to before, but the card in her
hand named the hour of two, and back of the card was Mrs. Purdy, and
back of Mrs. Purdy the juvenile court, the one thing in life so far whose
authority Nance had seen fit to acknowledge.
CHAPTER VI
BUTTERNUT LANE
At the corner Dan Lewis stood aside like a deposed chieftain while his
companions knelt in an excited ring, engrossed in a game sanctioned by
custom and forbidden by law. Even to Nance's admiring eye he looked
dirtier and more ragged than usual, and his scowl deepened as she
approached.
"I ain't goin'," he said.
"Yes, you are, too. Why not?" said Nance, inconsequently.
"Aw, it ain't no use."
"Ain't you been to school?"
"Yep, but I ain't goin' to that lady's house. I ain't fit."
"You got to go to take me," said Nance, diplomatically. "I don't know
where Butternut Lane's at."
"You could find it, couldn't you?"
Nance didn't think she could. In fact she developed a sudden dependence
wholly out of keeping with her usual self-reliance.
This seemed to complicate matters for Dan. He stood irresolutely kicking
his bare heels against the curb and then reluctantly agreed to take her
as far as Mrs. Purdy's gate, provided nothing more was expected of him.
Their way led across the city to a suburb, and they were hot and tired
before half the distance was covered.
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