Mrs. Jones forgave Roger because she gave him the money for shoes.
Mrs. Jones is a very unusual woman. When Roger tries to steal her purse, she feels sorry for him. Instead of calling the police, she takes him home. She seems to have a maternal instinct toward him.
He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans.
The woman said, “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?”
It is clear that Mrs. Jones feels sorry for Roger because he is out at night, his face is dirty, and he says he has no one at home who cares about him. She seems to think that he is not a bad kid, but just needs someone to take an interest in him. She decides to take that interest.
Mrs. Jones decides to talk to Roger. She tells him that she too has made some choices that she regrets, although she does not give him any specifics. She also asks him what he wanted the money for. When he tells her it was for blue suede shoes, she says he should have just asked her for the money.
When it is time for Roger to leave, Mrs. Jones gives him the money he tried to steal.
“Now, here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else’s—because shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet. I got to get my rest now. But I wish you would behave yourself, son, from here on in.”
This shows that she has forgiven him. She tells him to be good, and reminds him not to turn to a life of crime. If she hadn’t forgiven him, she never would have given him that money. She may never see him again, but she hopes that she has made an impression on him.
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