ost a little of the good-natured twinkle from his wide-set
eyes. He glances up at me sort of surly when I first steps into the
office; but the minute I takes off the straw lid and ducks my head at
him, he lets loose a rumbly chuckle.

"It is that Torchy, hey?" says he. "Well, well! It don't fade any, does
it?"

"Not that kind of dye," says I. "How's the boy?"

"Me," says Anton. "Oh, fine like silk. How you like the place, hey?"

I enthused over the Warsaw Cafe; and when he found I was still with the
Corrugated, and didn't want to touch him for any coin, but had just
happened to be in town and thought I'd look him up for old times'
sake--well, Anton opened up considerable.

"What!" says he. "They send you out? You must be comin' up?"

"Only private sec. to Mr. Ellins," says I, "but he chases me around a
good deal. We're busy people these days, you know."

"The Corrugated Trust! I should say so," agrees Anton, waggin' his head
earnest. "Big people, big money. I like to have my brother-in-law meet
you. Wait."

Seemed a good deal like wastin' time, but I spent the whole evenin' with
Anton. I met not only the brother-in-law, but also Mrs. Sobowski, his
wife; and another Mrs. Sobowski, an aunt or something; and Miss Anna
Sobowski, his niece. Also I saw the three-story Sobowski boardin'-house
that Anton conducted on the side; and the Alcazar movie joint, another
Sobowski enterprise.

That's where this Anna party was sellin' tickets--a peachy-cheeked,
high-chested young lady with big, rollin' eyes, and her mud-colored hair
waved something wonderful. I was introduced reg'lar and impressive.

"Anna," says Anton, "take a good look at this young man. He's a friend
of mine. Any time he comes by, pass him in free--any time at all. See?"

And Anna, she flashes them high-powered eyes of hers at me kittenish.
"Aw ri'," says she. "I'm on, Mr. Torchy."

"That girl," confides Anton to me afterwards, "was eating black bread
and cabbage soup in Poland less than three years ago. Now she buys high
kid boots, two kinds of leather, at fourteen dollars. And makes goo-goo
eyes at all the men. Yes, but never no mistakes with the change. Not
Anna."

All of which was interestin' enough, but it didn't seem to help any. You
never can tell, though, can you? You see, it was kind of hard, breakin'
away from Anton once he'd started to get folksy and show me what an
important party he'd come to be. He wanted me to see the Warsaw when it
was