and
sometimes have a spat, like all married folks, and I'm fool enough to
bawl. He's out now. Would you like me to come in and visit with you a
while?"

"I'd love it!" gasped Clo. She would have preferred an invitation to her
neighbour's room, but she hoped for that later. Kit locked her door
carefully and slipped the key down the neck of her dress. She accepted
Clo's suggestion to sit on the bed, which was more comfortable than the
one broken-backed chair. Question after question she put, which cost her
hostess tiresome flights of imagination to answer. Clo was far from
regretting her move, however. If Churn were absent long, or if he went
out again, Kit said that she would return as an escape from boredom.

It was eleven o'clock when once more Clo heard the two voices, and from
their conversation Clo gathered that they did not expect Chuff back till
the day after to-morrow.

"Day after to-morrow!" echoed Kit. "Then we _must_ get Isaacs here
to-morrow."

"I t'ought of dat," said Churn. "I went up dere after I see Jake. Isaacs
'as started for Chicago on business, and won't be back till the same day
as Chuff, day after to-morrah."

Clo drank in each word, and focussed her mind on its meaning. To-morrow,
or the day after, her hour would come; then, or never.

XXXIII

THE PATCH ON THE PILLOW

Churn's excursion had justified itself, and the morning after his first
absence he went out again. Toward noon Kit, in a "ready-to-wear" looking
costume, knocked at Clo's door. "Thought you might want some candy," she
said. "Shall I come in?"

Clo was cordial, and tried to be entertaining. "If I can make her like
me, perhaps she'll go down to a meal with Churn, and leave me on guard,"
she reflected. Kit feared to stop long with her new friend lest Churn
should arrive while she was "gadding." She dodged back and forth from
room to room, and was at home to receive her husband in the afternoon.

Next morning early Clo heard Churn announce that he would meet Isaacs'
train at the Grand Central; the "old lady" had told him the time. Kit
objected. "You might miss him. Best wait at his place," she advised. But
Churn would not be persuaded. He had seen Jake again, who prophesied
that Chuff would not arrive before the afternoon. They had the whole
morning to see Isaacs and bargain with him, but it would be a waste of
time to hang about at "Isaacs' place." Churn would catch Isaacs at the
train, and bring him round to Kit. Sh