ace like a
walrus which was Miss Green's dressing-room.

"Friend of hers?" he says.

"Yes," says I, "a friend."

He showed me which door and I knocked. Her voice was full of worry and
tears.

"Who's there?" she said.

"A friend," said I.

"Pass, friend," said she.

And I took it to mean "Come in," but it didn't. Still, she wasn't so
dishabilled as to matter. She was crying and rubbing off the last of her
paint.

"Miss Green," I said, "you've made me feel so mean and miserable that I
had to come and tell you. My name is Bower. The boys call me 'Right'
Bower, meaning that I'm lucky and straight. It was lucky for me that I
came to your benefit, and I hope to God that it will be lucky for you."

"Yes?" she says--none too warm.

"As for you, Miss Green," I said, "you're up against it, aren't you? The
manager's broke. You don't know when you've touched any salary. There's
been no balm in your benefit. What are you going to do?"

This time she looked me over before she spoke.

"I don't know," she said.

"I don't have to ask," said I, blushing red, "if you're a good girl.
It's just naturally obvious. I guess that's what put me up to butting
in. I want to help. Will you answer three questions?"

She nodded.

"Where," said I, "will you get breakfast to-morrow?--lunch
to-morrow?--and dinner to-morrow?"

"We disband to-night," she said, "and I don't know."

"I suppose you know," said I, "what happens to most white girls who get
stranded in Indian cities?"

"I know," she said, "that people get up against it so hard that they
oughtn't to be blamed for anything they do."

"They aren't," I said, "by--Christians; but it's ugly just the same.
Now----"

"And you," she said, flaring up, "think that, as long as it's got to be,
it might as well be you! Is that your song and dance, Mr. Smarty?"

I shook my head and smiled.

"Don't be a little goat!" I said; and that seemed to make her take to me
and trust me.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"I'll tell you," I said; and I found that it wasn't easy. "First place,"
I said, "I've got some money saved up. That will keep you on Easy Street
till I get back from Sydney. If by that time nothing's turned up that
you want of your own free heart and will, I'll ask you to pay me back
by--by changing your name."

She didn't quite follow.

"That," said I, "gives you a chance to look around--gives you one small
chance in a million to light on some man you can ca