Ellen had not been down town many times of an evening, and always in hand of her hurrying father or mother.

Now she had run away and cut loose from all restrictions of time; there was an eternity for observation before her, with no call in-doors in prospect.

She stopped at the first bright shop window, and suddenly the exultation of freedom was over the child.

She tasted the sweets of rebellion and disobedience.

She had stood before that window once before of an evening, and her aunt Eva had been with her, and one of her young men friends had come up behind, and they had gone on, the child dragging backward at her aunt's hand.