and the glove in her passive hand, she stood with her arm
flung upward. "You quit!"

"Dear child, you mustn't--"

"I--I'm goin'--lemme go!"

"Aw, come now, sister; don't get frisky--I didn't mean to make you sore.
Gee! Ain't you a touchy little devil?"

"I'm goin'."

"If that's your number, all righty--but you're just kiddin'--you ain't
goin' to be too independent in one of the worst seasons in the
business."

She moved toward the door with her hand outstretched to the knob.

"You better think twice, sister--but don't lemme keep you--there's other
Red Widows as good and better'n you beatin' like an army at my door this
minute. But don't lemme keep you."

"Will--will you lemme alone?"

"Sure I will, if it'll make you feel any better--you cold little queen,
you. Nervous as a unbroke colt, ain't you? Sit down there and watch."

He touched a buzzer, and a uniformed boy sprang through the door to his
elbow.

"Write Al Wilson to meet me here to-morrow at ten."

"Yes, sir." The uniform flashed out.

She moved around him cautiously, not taking her eyes from his face.

"Have I--have I got a job?"

"Sure you have. I'll send you out to Frisco in a chorus that'll limber
you up, all right, but I won't let you stay long. I won't let a little
queen like you run away for long."

"Frisco--me--gee!"

"Gad! maybe I won't neither. How would you like to play right close to
home over in Brooklyn? I've got a chorus over there that'll take the
stiffness out of you. I don't want to let a great, big, beautiful doll
like you too far away."

"Frisco--I like Frisco."

"But hold up your right hand. Don't you tell nobody I'm pushing you for
next season's feature--that's our little secret--between you and me and
Al."

"I was gettin' thirty dollars."

"Don't you worry about that, Doll-Doll. You come back here to-morrow at
ten. I wanna show Al how the Red Widow we've been lookin' for dropped
right into my hands. He can't squeal to me no more about _types_."

"I--I'm going now, Mr. Myers--to-morrow, then, at ten--"

"Where you goin', Doll?"

"Home. I guess I've lost my friend now."

"Wait; I'm going your way."

"You don't even know which way I'm goin'."

"Sure I do. I'll drop you there in my car."

"Oh--I--I want--to walk--I do."

"None of that, sister. I'm treatin' you white, and you gotta do the same
by me. I won't bite you, you little scare-cat! I'm goin' to make things
happen to you that'll make you wake up eve