“Sweat popped out on the boy’s face and he began to struggle.”-When did sweat pop out on the boy’s face? Why did he struggle? What next happened to the boy?

Roger saw Mrs Jones carrying a large purse and thought of snatching it. His plan failed as Mrs Jones caught him. She dragged him behind her and then threateningly told him that when she would get through with him, he would remember her name. Hearing this, sweat popped out on the boy’s face. 

He struggled to set himself free from Mrs Jones’ clasp. 

When Roger began to struggle, Mrs Jones jerked him around in front of her, put a half-nelson about his neck and continued to drag him up the street. Then she took him to her house in order to reform him.

“You gonna take me to jail?”-Who said this? Why did the speaker think so? Was the speaker eventually taken to jail? If not, why?


The question mentioned above was asked by Roger to Mrs Jones. Roger thought so because he was caught red-handed by Mrs Jones while trying to snatch her purse. No, Roger was not eventually taken to jail. 

Mrs Jones herself was a reformed sinner. So when she caught Roger red-handed, she wanted to teach him a lesson not by handing him over to the police but by providing him love and care. She took Roger to her house, offered him food and advised him to always adopt the right and fairways. She acted as his mentor. Since Mrs Jones realised that Roger was not a born thief, she extended her helping hand towards Roger. Mrs Jones did not take Roger to the police.

“I wanted a pair of…shoes.”-What reply did the speaker get and how did he react?

“You could of asked me.”-What did the speaker expect to be asked? What light does it throw upon the character of the speaker?


“He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run!”-Where do these lines occur? Who is the speaker? Who is he’? Why didn’t he run?

“I have done things, too,”—Who said this to whom? What do you think the speaker has done? Why did the speaker say this to the listener?


“I were young once and I wanted things I could not get.”- How does the utterance bridge the gap between the two characters?

“There was another long pause.”-What was the reason for this long pause? Was there any other pause previously? If yes, state the reason for that pause.


“There was a long pause. A very long pause.”-Bring out the significance of pause’.

“The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now.”-Why didn’t the woman watch the boy anymore?


“Do you need somebody to go to the store,… ?”-Who is the speaker? To whom did the speaker say this? Why did the speaker want to go to the store? What did they have in supper?

“And he did not want to be mistrusted now.” Who is referred to as ‘he” here? Whose trust did he want to win? Why didn’t he want to be mistrusted?


“Now, here, take this ten dollars…”-Who said this? Why did the speaker offer ten dollars? How did the speaker advise the person spoken to? What was the reaction of the person spoken to?

“Eat some more, son,…”-Who is the speaker? What is offered by the speaker to the listener? What picture of the speaker’s character is revealed in this line?


 “…. because shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet.”—Who is the speaker here? Whom was it spoken to? When did the speaker say this? What attitude of the speaker has been enlightened here?

“Goodnight! Behave yourself, boy!”-Who said this and to whom? What did the speaker mean by saying “Behave yourself”? How did the boy react at last?


“He barely managed to say “Thank you” before she shut the door-How does the ending appear to be in contrast to the way in which the story begins?

Describe the bag snatching incident. | What do you know about Mrs Luella’s home?


Retrace the course of action from the moment Mrs Jones caught the boy to the time they reached the middle of the room.

Bring forward the discussion that Mrs Jones had with Roger in her house. | Why did Roger try to snatch the purse of the lady?