shoulder. Her voice was
earnest, her eyes full of pity. He patted her hand, seemed from her
gentle nearness to draw comfort--not passion. He slouched over to the
bed, and sat with his thick legs stuck out in front of him, his hands in
his trousers pockets, while he mused:

"Oh, I don't hardly know what it _is_ all about. My sales have been
falling off, all rightee. But, good Lord! that's no fault of mine. I
work my territory jus' as hard as I ever did, but I can't meet the
competition of the floor-wax people. They're making an auto polish
now--better article at a lower price--and what can I do? They got a full
line, varnish, cleaner, polish, swell window displays, national
advertising, swell discounts--everything; and I can't buck competition
like that. And then a lot of the salesmen at our shop are jealous of me,
and one thing and another. Well, now I'll go down and spit the old man
in the eye couple o' times, and get canned, unless I can talk him out of
his bad acting. Oh, I'll throw a big bluff. I'll be the little
misunderstood boy, but I don't honestly think I can put anything across
on him. I'm-- Oh, hell, I guess I'm getting old. I ain't got the pep I
used to have. Not but what J. Eddie Schwirtz can still sell goods, but I
can't talk up to the boss like I could once. I gotta feel some sympathy
at the home office. And I by God deserve it--way I've worked and slaved
for that bunch of cutthroats, and now-- Sure, that's the way it goes in
this world. I tell you, I'm gonna turn socialist!"

"Ed--listen, Ed. Please, oh, _please_ don't be offended now; but don't
you think perhaps the boss thinks you drink too much?"

"How could he? I don't drink very much, and you know it. I don't hardly
touch a drop, except maybe just for sociability. God! this temperance
wave gets my goat! Lot of hot-air females telling me what I can do and
what I can't do--fella that knows when to drink and when to stop. Drink?
Why, you ought to see some of the boys! There's Burke McCullough. Say, I
bet he puts away forty drinks a day, if he does one, and I don't know
that it hurts him any; but me--"

"Yes, I know, dear. I was just thinking--maybe your boss is one of the
temperance cranks," Una interrupted. Mr. Schwirtz's arguments regarding
the privileges of a manly man sounded very familiar. This did not seem
to be a moment for letting her husband get into the full swing of them.
She begged: "What will you do if they let you out? I wish there wa