d placed a large, heavy
hand on her shoulder.

"There's nothing needs to worry you, old girl. Thirty-five hundred in
your jeans and a couple of thou and the flat from me on top. Gad! it's a
cinch for you, old girl. I've seen 'em ready for the dump at your age,
and you--you're on the boom yet. Gad! you're the only one I ever knew
kept her looks and took on weight at the same time. You're all right,
Mae, and--and, gad! if I don't wish sometimes the world was different!
Gad! if--if I don't!"

And, rather reassured, he tilted her chin and pinched her cold cheek and
touched the corner of his eyes with the back of his wrist."

"Gad, if--if I don't!"

It was as if the flood of her emotion had risen to a wave and at his
words frozen on its crest. She opened her lips to speak, but could only
regard him with eyes as hard as ice-fields.

"Now, now, Mae, don't look thataway. You're a sensible woman and know
the world's just built thataway. I always told you it don't cost us men
nothing but loose change to show ourselves a good time. You girls gotta
pay up in different coin. If I hadn't come along some other fellow
would, so what's the use a fellow not showing himself a good time?
You girls know where you get off. Come, be a sport, old girl! With
thirty-five hundred in your jeans and me wanting to do the square
thing--the piano and all, lemme say to you that you 'ain't got a kick
coming. Just lemme say that to you--piano and all, Mae!"

Sobs trembled up, thawing the edge of ice that incased her. A thin blur
of tears rose to her eyes like a premonitory ripple before the coming of
the wind.

"You can't! You can't! You--you can't ditch me like that, I tell you.
You--"

"By God! if you're going to begin to holler I'll get out of here so
quick it'll make your head swim!"

"Oh no, you don't! Aw, no, you don't! You ain't going to quit so easy
for a squint-eyed little hank that--that your old woman found for you.
Max, you ain't! You wouldn't! Tell me you wouldn't, dear. Tell me! Tell
me!"

"Get off your knees there and behave yourself, Mae! Looka your dress
there, all torn. This ain't no barroom. Get up and behave yourself!
Ain't you ashamed! Ain't you ashamed!"

She was trembling so that her knees sent little ripples down the tight
white silk drop-skirt.

"You can't ditch me like this and get away with it. You and me
can't--can't part peaceful. You can't throw me over after all these
years for a little squint-eyed hank and