“I hope you won’t,” replied Jinky.
She went on up the stairs, and knocked on the Moriarty girl’s door.
“Who is it?” asked a cold voice.
“Let me in! I want to speak to you.”
The door was opened. Jinky went in and closed the door after her.
“Yes?” said Geraldine.
But Jinky did not answer for a moment. She was looking at Geraldine, studying her, with all her hard won wisdom. A child, she thought her—a lovely child, with her heavy hair in a braid, and her outgrown bath robe; but a child already half awakened to reality.
“Look here!” she said briefly. “Do you want a chance to do a decent thing?”
“I—what is it?”
“I’ll tell you,” said Jinky. “If you want to help, you can get dressed and run down to the Shore Road and meet Sam Randall—”