For a moment he stood staring first at Tom on the wooden chair glaring savagely at him, and at Jerrie by the washtub with the traces of tears on her face--then, with a wind of forced laugh, he said: 'Be-beg pardon, if I in-tr-trude.

Looks dusedly like l-love in a t-t-tub.' 'And if it is, you have knocked the bottom out,' Tom said, with a sneer.
Both jokes were atrocious, but they made Jerrie laugh, which was something.

She was glad on the whole that Billy had come, and when he offered her the berries and the flowers, she accepted them graciously, and bade him sit down, if he could find a seat.
'Here is one on the wash bench,' she said, 'or, will be when I have emptied the tub;' and she was about to take up the latter, when Billy sprang to her assistance and emptied it himself, while Tom sat looking on, chaffing with anger and disgust.
After a moment Billy stuttered out: 'Ann Eliza sent me here, and wants you to c-c-come and see her rooms.
G-g-got a suite, you know; and, by Jove, they are like a b-b-bazaar, they are so f-full of things, and fl-flowers; half Vassar is there.

Got your basket of d-daisies, Tom, and when I asked her where she g-g-got 'em, she said it was n-n-none of my business.

D-did she steal 'em ?' and he turned to Jerrie, whose face was scarlet, as she replied: 'No, I gave them to her, with a lot of others; I could not bring them all and it was better to dispose of home flowers, as I can get them any time.' Tom could have beaten the air, he was so angry.