as the possibility that, if he could reach the entrance ahead of
her, she, too, might be talking and laughing as she left the theatre.
Just a single word, just a tone--that was all he asked.

The row of seats at whose end he stood was empty now, and, instead of
stepping into the thronged aisle, he made his way across to the opposite
side of the theatre. Here, the far aisle was less crowded, and in a
minute he had gained the foyer, confident that he was now in advance of
her. The next moment he was lost in a jam of people in the lobby.

He moved slowly now, very slowly--allowing those behind to press by
him on the way to the entrance. A babel of voices rose about him,
as, tight-packed, the mass of people jostled, elbowed, and pushed
good-naturedly. It was a voice now, her voice, that he was listening
for; but, though it seemed that every faculty was strained and intent
upon that one effort, his eyes, too, had in no degree relaxed their
vigilance--and once, half grimly, half sardonically, he smiled to
himself. There would be an unexpected aftermath to this exodus
of expensively gowned and bejewelled women with their prosperous,
well-groomed escorts! There was the Wowzer over there--sleek, dapper,
squirming in and out of the throng with the agility and stealth of a
cat. As Larry the Bat he had met the Wowzer many times, as indeed he
had met and was acquainted with most of the elite of the underworld.
The Wowzer, beyond a shadow of doubt, in his own profession stood upon
a plane entirely by himself--among those qualified to speak, no one yet
had ever questioned the Wowzer's claim to the distinction of being the
most dexterous and finished "poke getter" in the United States!

The crowd thinned in the lobby, thinned down to the last few belated
stragglers, who passed him as he still loitered in the entrance; and
then Jimmie Dale, with a shrug of his shoulders that was a great
deal more philosophical than the maddening sense of chagrin and
disappointment that burned within him, stepped out to the pavement and
headed down Broadway. After all, he had known it in his heart of hearts
all the time--it had always been the same--it was only one more occasion
added to the innumerable ones that had gone before in which she had
eluded him!

And now--there was the letter! Automatically he quickened his steps a
little. It was useless, futile, profitless, for the moment, at least, to
disturb himself over his failure--there was the lette