ance or something."

"Well, if this ain't a darn sight better'n pushing gloves at six per
I'll--I'll--"

"I'll give you to understand, Charley Harkins, that I was making eight
dollars when I married you, and everybody said that I'd 'a' been
promoted to the jewelry in another year."

She rose, gathered a pyramid of dishes, and clattered them into the
dish-pan as he talked. He followed after her.

"Aw, quit your foolin', Lil, can't you? Don't treat a feller like this
when he comes home at night. I'll get Shorty to take the piano next
Saturday, and we'll do Coney from one end to the other. We only live
once, anyway. Come on, Lil; be nice and see what I got fer you, too."

"Don't treat me like I was a kid! When I was in the gloves I didn't
think nothin' of goin' to Coney every other night, and you know it, all
right."

The red surged back into his face.

"Yes, you had a swell time shooting gloves! You used to tell me yourself
you was ready to drop at night."

"Ain't I ready to drop here?" she flashed back at him. "Am I any better
off here doin' my work in the hottest flat on Third Avenue?"

"Things'll come out all right, honey. Come on and kiss me before I go."

She submitted to his embrace passively enough, and at his request retied
his necktie round a fresh collar for him.

"Good night, pussy! I'll come in soft so as not to wake you--there ain't
goin' to be no more of this two-o'clock business. I'm goin' to cut out
the cafe. Put a glass of milk out fer me, honey. I'm near dead when I
get in."

He struggled into his coat before the little dressing-table mirror of
their bedroom and with a sly smile slipped the blue-corded box into a
top drawer.

"I got a surprise fer you, Lil--only you ain't in no mood fer it right
now."

"I ain't in no humor for nothin'," she said.

"It's going to be a scorcher. You take it easy and get rid of these
blues you been gettin' here lately. You ain't got no better friend than
your old man or any one who wants to do more of the right thing by you."

"I'll take a car-ride over to Loo's to cool off," she said,
apathetically.

He opened his lips to speak; instead he nodded and kissed her twice.
Then he hurried out.

After he left her she sank down on the little divan of highly magnetized
red plush and stared into space. Face to face with her weeks-old
resolve, her courage fainted, and a shudder like ague passed over her.
She could hear herself wheeze in her throat; and her pe