The above mentioned line is uttered by Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones. It unveils the pity and pathos that lie inherent within the story. Mrs Jones, works till late hours in a hotel beauty-shop. Having caught the boy red-handed, she neither ill- treats him nor belittles him, rather she extends him
her sincere hospitality and care. She even gives him ten dollars to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. This unusual reaction on Mrs Jones’ part astonishes us but a deep insight into it will probably reveal to us the reason behind it. As she observes that the young boy steals to fulfil his wants, she understands how poverty poses an obstruction in the way of getting anything and also knows the pain of not getting what is earnestly yearned for. She recalls flashes of her past struggles as she confesses, “। have done things, too, which I would not tell you.” Perhaps due to this reason she finds something in common between them and wants to teach Roger right from wrong. As both Mrs Jones and Roger, had to experience deprivation in their young age which is the prime stage of human life, the utterance bridges the gap between the two characters.