have me, Frank."

Frank said nothing.

"I told you today that I tried to commit suicide. Remember?"

"I remember."

"That was the truth. I did it because I was tired of everything. Because
I've made a terrible mess of things. I didn't want to go on living."

He remained silent, holding her.

As she spoke again, her voice sharpened. "Can't you understand what I'm
telling you? I'm no good! I'm just a bum! Other men have had me! Why
shouldn't you? Why should you be cheated out of what other men have
had?"

He remained silent. After a few moments, Nora said, "For God's sake,
talk! Say something!"

"How do you feel about it now? Will you try again to kill yourself the
next chance you get?"

"No--no, I don't think I'll ever try it again."

"Then things must look better."

"I don't know anything about that. I just don't want to do it now."

She did not urge him this time and he was slow in speaking. "It's kind
of funny. It really is. Don't get the idea I've got morals. I haven't.
I've had my share of women. I was working on one the night they slipped
me the mickey--the night before I woke up to this tomb of a city. But
now--tonight--it's kind of different. I feel like I want to protect you.
Is that strange?"

"No," she said quietly. "I guess not."

They lay there silently, their thoughts going off into the blackness of
the sepulchral night. After a long while, Nora's even breathing told him
she was asleep. He got up quietly, covered her, and went to the other
bed.

But before he slept, the weird wailings from out Evanston way came
again--rose and fell in that strange conversational cadence--then died
away into nothing.

* * * * *

Frank awoke to the first fingers of daylight. Nora still slept. He
dressed and stood for some moments with his hand on the door knob. Then
he threw the bolt and cautiously opened the door.

The hallway was deserted. At this point it came to him forcibly that he
was not a brave man. All his life, he realized, he had avoided physical
danger and had refused to recognize the true reason for so doing. He had
classified himself as a man who dodged trouble through good sense; that
the truly civilized person went out of his way to keep the peace.

He realized now that that attitude was merely salve for his ego. He
faced the empty corridor and did not wish to proceed further. But
stripped of the life-long alibi, he forced himself to walk through the
doo