Спрут: Каліфорнійська історія
Chapter VIII
HowwasHildatobefed?Sherememberedherexperienceofthepreviousday,whentheyoungmanwiththehosehadgivenhermoney.Wasitsoeasy,then,tobeg?Couldcharitybehadfortheasking?Soitseemed;butallthatwasleftofhersturdyindependencerevoltedatthethought.SHEbeg!SHEholdoutthehandtostrangers!
“Mammy,I’mhungry.”
Therewasnootherway.Itmustcometothatintheend.Whytemporise,whyputofftheinevitable?Shesoughtoutafrequentedstreetwheremenandwomenwereontheirwaytowork.Oneafteranother,sheletthemgoby,searchingtheirfaces,deterredattheverylastmomentbysometriflingvariationofexpression,afirmsetmouth,aserious,leveleyebrow,anadvancingchin.Then,twice,whenshehadmadeachoice,andbroughtherresolutiontothepointofspeech,shequailed,shrinking,herearstingling,herwholebeingprotestingagainstthedegradation.Everyonemustbelookingather.Hershamewasnodoubttheobjectofanhundredeyes.
“Mammy,I’mhungry,”protestedHildaagain.
Shemadeuphermind.What,though,wasshetosay?Inwhatwordsdidbeggarsaskforassistance?
ShetriedtorememberhowtrampswhohadappearedatherbackdooronLosMuertoshadaddressedher;howandwithwhatformulacertainmendicantsofBonnevillehadappealedtoher.Then,havingsettleduponaphrase,sheapproachedawhiskeredgentlemanwithalargestomach,walkingbrisklyinthedirectionofthetown.
“Say,den,bleasehellupaboorwomun.”
Thegentlemanpassedon.
“Perhapshedoandhearme,”shemurmured.
Twowell-dressedwomenadvanced,chatteringgayly.
