she wasn't all right--never!

Yes, it was pretty lonesome at times; and there was the girl who roomed
on the top floor. Jan was thrilled by alluring glimpses of her in the
half-dark recesses of the back halls, but the glimpses remained only
glimpses after he saw her one Sunday by daylight. Only then was Jan
convinced that she painted. She was a little too much and he took to
dodging her. Yet it was a pity--oh, a pity! and Jan, still thinking what
a pity, was going out for a lonesome walk one night, when who should
meet him on the front stoop but that same top-floor girl! And no sliding
by her this time. She nipped the lapel of his coat with a dexterous
thumb and forefinger.

"Why, hello, cap! Where yuh goin'?"

"Nowheres."

"Then you got time, ain't you, to buy a girl a glass o'--" She stopped
and winked sportively.

"Glass o' what?"

"Why, ginger ale!" She laughed at his surprise. "You thought I was goin'
to say beer, or maybe somethin' stronger, didn't yuh? But I don't drink
no hard stuff. No. An' I was dyin' for a drink o' somethin' when yuh
pops out that door. An' I know yuh ain't any hinge."

"How do you know I ain't a hinge?"

"Oh, don't I? Leave it to me to pick a sport from a piker."

"But I'm no sport either."

"You could if yuh wanted ter. An' yuh ain't any hinge, even if they do
say you're a square-head. Come on an' let's go in back an' have a couple
o' bottles o' ginger ale in Hen's place."

And Jan followed her into the private room beyond the pool-room--the
room to which, as he had gathered before this, the street girls of that
section steered drunken sailors. The ginger ale was brought in by the
proprietor himself. Jan threw down a ten-dollar bill. Jan had a good
many bills with him that evening--his month's wages; and seeing it was
the fashion round there to show your money when you paid for anything,
why, he'd show them--even if he was a square-head--that he could carry a
wad too.

"Say, cap, but yuh must be drawin' down good coin?"

"Oh, a boss ship-carpenter gets pretty good wages." And with one
splendid sweep Jan emptied his glass.

"I should say yes. An' there's tinhorners round here that if they had
half your wad Hen'd have to ring in the fire alarm to put 'em
out--they'd feel themselves such warm rags. But what d'yuh say to
another ginger ale?"

"Sure," said Jan, and called aloud for them. And again Hen brought in
the ginger ale in two long glasses, but also with two empty bot