Excerpt: ...a thing as a bag," he observed at length, but a little search revealed one in the closet. It was marked "B. Revelly." "A token of respect from your late employer, I suppose," said Crane. The boy did not answer. He was rather sulkily putting on his clothes. He was not a neat packer. A tooth-brush and some pipe tobacco, a wet sponge and some clean shirts, boots and pajamas were indiscriminately mixed. The five minutes, unmarked by any conversation, had almost elapsed when light steps were heard in the hallway, and ...
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Excerpt: ...a thing as a bag," he observed at length, but a little search revealed one in the closet. It was marked "B. Revelly." "A token of respect from your late employer, I suppose," said Crane. The boy did not answer. He was rather sulkily putting on his clothes. He was not a neat packer. A tooth-brush and some pipe tobacco, a wet sponge and some clean shirts, boots and pajamas were indiscriminately mixed. The five minutes, unmarked by any conversation, had almost elapsed when light steps were heard in the hallway, and a voice exclaimed: "Did you have a good dinner, honey?" and Jane-Ellen came spinning into the room, all the demureness gone from her manner. At the sight of her employer, she stopped, and her hand went up to her mouth with a gesture expressive of the utmost horror. Brindlebury did not stop packing. He was now filling in the corners with shaving soap and socks. His sister turned to Crane. "Oh, sir," she wailed, "we've acted very wrongly." "Jane-Ellen," replied Crane, "that really doesn't go. It was a good manner, and you worked it well, but it is now, if you will forgive my saying so, old stuff. I cannot look upon you as a foolishly fond sister, trying to protect an erring brother. I think it far more likely that you are the organizer of this efficient little plan to keep him here unobserved, eating my food, reading my books, and smoking, if I am not greatly mistaken, my cigarettes." "Oh, Brin, do you take Mr. Crane's cigarettes?" said Jane-Ellen. "Not unless I'm out of my own," said her brother. "Without clearing his own honesty, he impugns my taste," said Crane. It was plain that Jane-Ellen was going to make another effort to improve the situation. She was thinking hard. At last she began: At the sight of Crane, Jane-Ellen stopped with a gesture of the utmost horror "I don't defend what we've done, sir, but if you would have let me see you alone this afternoon, I was going to ask that Brindlebury might stay just for this one night. Only I...
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