o woman-chasing--"

"Oh, you're a perfectly moral little husband!"

"I am, by God! I've never looked at any woman except Myra since I've
been married--practically--and I never will! I tell you there's nothing
to immorality. It don't pay. Can't you see, old man, it just makes Zilla
still crankier?"

Slight of resolution as he was of body, Paul threw his snow-beaded
overcoat on the floor and crouched on a flimsy cane chair. "Oh, you're
an old blowhard, and you know less about morality than Tinka, but you're
all right, Georgie. But you can't understand that--I'm through. I can't
go Zilla's hammering any longer. She's made up her mind that I'm a
devil, and--Reg'lar Inquisition. Torture. She enjoys it. It's a game to
see how sore she can make me. And me, either it's find a little comfort,
any comfort, anywhere, or else do something a lot worse. Now this Mrs.
Arnold, she's not so young, but she's a fine woman and she understands a
fellow, and she's had her own troubles."

"Yea! I suppose she's one of these hens whose husband 'doesn't
understand her'!"

"I don't know. Maybe. He was killed in the war."

Babbitt lumbered up, stood beside Paul patting his shoulder, making soft
apologetic noises.

"Honest, George, she's a fine woman, and she's had one hell of a time.
We manage to jolly each other up a lot. We tell each other we're the
dandiest pair on earth. Maybe we don't believe it, but it helps a lot
to have somebody with whom you can be perfectly simple, and not all this
discussing--explaining--"

"And that's as far as you go?"

"It is not! Go on! Say it!"

"Well, I don't--I can't say I like it, but--" With a burst which left
him feeling large and shining with generosity, "it's none of my darn
business! I'll do anything I can for you, if there's anything I can do."

"There might be. I judge from Zilla's letters that 've been forwarded
from Akron that she's getting suspicious about my staying away so long.
She'd be perfectly capable of having me shadowed, and of coming to
Chicago and busting into a hotel dining-room and bawling me out before
everybody."

"I'll take care of Zilla. I'll hand her a good fairy-story when I get
back to Zenith."

"I don't know--I don't think you better try it. You're a good fellow.
but I don't know that diplomacy is your strong point." Babbitt looked
hurt, then irritated. "I mean with women! With women, I mean. Course
they got to go some to beat you in business diplomacy, but I just