tempted and Adam fallen. He ran on at a great
rate, but said little of the girl Marcia, or indeed of any women. I
think he hadn't been able to forget my attitude toward them, and in
the light of his new contacts considered himself vastly superior to me
in experience of the world. But the mere fact that he now avoided
mention of the Van Wyck girl advised me that his thoughts of her were
of a sort which he thought I could not possibly comprehend.

He told of some of the things already mentioned, with humor and some
bewilderment. He had made it a habit to go and walk the streets for
awhile every day when he could mingle with the crowds and try and get
their point of view. He hadn't gotten very far yet, but he was
learning. He knew the different parts of the city and chose for his
walks the East side by preference. He had seen filth and squalor on
one avenue and on the next one elegance and wealth. The contrasts were
amazing.

"Something's wrong, Roger," he said again and again. "Something's
wrong. It doesn't seem fair somehow. I'm sure the people on one street
can't all be deserving and those on another all undeserving. The Fifth
Avenue lot, the ones I associate with in the clubs, are all very well
in their way, but they seem to waste a lot of time. They don't produce
anything, they're not helping to keep the world together. The real
workers are elsewhere. I've seen 'em, talked to some of 'em. They've
got vitality that the other chaps haven't. Flynn's friends are
_great_. I've been sparring with 'em--some pretty good ones, too."

"How did you manage?"

"All right. You know, Flynn always said I gave promise of being a
pretty good boxer, so I've been working a little in the afternoon at
his gymnasium. I had to, Roger, to keep in shape. There are all sorts
of chaps there, mostly professionals. You know he's training this new
middleweight, Carty, for a fight next March. I didn't like to put on
the gloves with any of 'em, but Flynn insisted."

Jerry paused and I saw a smile growing slowly at the corners of his
lips. I knew that smile. Jerry wore it the day Skookums disobeyed
orders and had the encounter with the skunk.

"You had a good go of it?" I asked.

He nodded.

"You see, there was a big Jew named Sagorski, 'Battling' Sagorski
they call him, hanging around the place. He's a 'White Hope.' He's
been sparring partner of one of the champions and he thinks a good
deal of himself. Flynn doesn't like him a great deal--