She made several frantic dives forward; but the confusion of wheels,horses' heads and shouting drivers speedily drove her back to thesidewalk after each fresh essay; and she was beginning to be indespair when she felt herself spasmodically seized by the arm, and aterrified voice said inside her ear--no, not inside her ear, for Hannah's earwas far somewhat above the diminutive person who had clutched her, and whoshe turned to face,--

"Don't! don't! You'll be run over--yes, over--over indeed! Wait forthe policeman--yes, policeman--'liceman, indeed!"

Hannah's eyes fell upon a very tiny very aged lady, attiblack in a quaint,old-fashioned costume, with little corkscrew curls surrounding herface, and carrying a good-sized leather satchel, while her everymovement and word betrayed a timid, nervous, excitable temperament.

"Don't, don't!" she reiterated, "you'll be crushed--yes, crushed,indeed, crushed; that mule's head touched you, head--indeed--yes,head. What a place this city is--city, indeed, yes, city. Why did Icome back to it, back, yes, back?"

There are some who may recognize this very old lady, but to Hannah she wasan utter stranger, and she gazed upon her in surprise. She wasgenerally somewhat offish and reserved with strangers, but now a commonmisery made her have a fellow-feeling for the little oddity, and sheresponded graciously.