way.”
“What do you mean exactly?”
“You’re understanding. Anyway, as a matter of fact, I don’t suppose anything I say will make you despise me more than you do already. The name Ted called me wasn’t very far wrong. Do you remember when I spoke to you a little while ago near Warren Street station?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” said Pym, with tired irony.
“Well, as a matter of fact, I was trying to work up enough nerve to …”
Feeling the eye of the waitress, Pym ordered coffee, and then, leaning across the table, he said quickly and breathlessly: “Don’t be such a damned fool! You mustn’t do these things. Where will it get you? What will you get out of it? Less than nothing. I know you, Win. You haven’t the temperament. For God’s sake, don’t be such a fool. You’ve been broke before, haven’t you? You can be broke again. Besides, there are other things to do. I swear to God, scrubbing floors is easier work. You get more out of——”
“I don’t know how to scrub a floor. I couldn’t even get a job as a waitress. You know that, Johnny. Even say … well, say you were the manager of Woolworth’s—would you give me a job selling sixpenny writing-pads? I’m not good for anything, Johnny, as a matter of fact. I’ve been trying to get some ‘Extra’ work on the films, and there’s a man who says he’s going to be able to give me a job doing Market Research … you know, you go from door to door and ask people what soap they use. But I’m so tired, Johnny. I need a good long sleep, and a bath, and a square meal or two—because I’m not myself. Once I’m myself again, well, then I’ll be myself again, if you understand what I mean. And also, I don’t know whether I mentioned it before, I’m going to have a baby.”
“Good God!”
“Ted swears it isn’t his, Johnny—but it is, it is!” said Win, shedding tears again. “It is! I never was actually unfaithful to Ted. We were happy together, Johnny—for a little while. Then all of a sudden he started to get suspicious, but he had no reason to be, as a matter of fact, and after that business of the microscope—when he threw me out, Johnny—he got cruel, cruel! ‘How can you do this to me when you know I’m pregnant?’ And Ted said: ‘That’s the father’s worry,’ and I told you what he called me after that. And here I am, and that’s that.”
Turning over the small change in his pocket Pym said, heavily: “If you don’t mind my asking: how much of this infant is there? I mean, how long has it been going on?”
“Nearly four months. I suppose that’s why I’m so emotional and silly.”
“You never were anything else,” said Pym. “I never knew you do or say anything that wasn’t somehow stupid.”
“I better go now.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know—just go. ”
“Well, look here: I think I can probably get you a room for a day or two. Where did you sleep last night?”
“Mona let me sleep on her sofa, but this morning she told me she had someone coming.”
“Come along with me.”
*
Pym said to Busto: “This friend of mine wants a room. Her luggage is coming along.”
“Hah!”
“Well, you know I gave you a pound this afternoon? That leaves me nine shillings in the clear. Would you mind taking that on account until, say, to-morrow?”
“To-morrow never comes,” said Busto. “Anyway, no transfer against the law.”
“It isn’t against the law to transfer money paid in advance in a case like this,” said Pym.
“Against my rule. No transfer.”
Win was standing, limp and relaxed, swaying from side to side. “Where is the lady going to sleep?” cried Pym.
“I ain’t the Salvation Army,” said Busto, “and no women brought in. Against the law.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” said Win.
“Listen, Mr. Busto, have you any objection to this lady sleeping to-night in my room if I go elsewhere?”
Busto scratched his chest with his chin and, after some meditation,
“What do you mean exactly?”
“You’re understanding. Anyway, as a matter of fact, I don’t suppose anything I say will make you despise me more than you do already. The name Ted called me wasn’t very far wrong. Do you remember when I spoke to you a little while ago near Warren Street station?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” said Pym, with tired irony.
“Well, as a matter of fact, I was trying to work up enough nerve to …”
Feeling the eye of the waitress, Pym ordered coffee, and then, leaning across the table, he said quickly and breathlessly: “Don’t be such a damned fool! You mustn’t do these things. Where will it get you? What will you get out of it? Less than nothing. I know you, Win. You haven’t the temperament. For God’s sake, don’t be such a fool. You’ve been broke before, haven’t you? You can be broke again. Besides, there are other things to do. I swear to God, scrubbing floors is easier work. You get more out of——”
“I don’t know how to scrub a floor. I couldn’t even get a job as a waitress. You know that, Johnny. Even say … well, say you were the manager of Woolworth’s—would you give me a job selling sixpenny writing-pads? I’m not good for anything, Johnny, as a matter of fact. I’ve been trying to get some ‘Extra’ work on the films, and there’s a man who says he’s going to be able to give me a job doing Market Research … you know, you go from door to door and ask people what soap they use. But I’m so tired, Johnny. I need a good long sleep, and a bath, and a square meal or two—because I’m not myself. Once I’m myself again, well, then I’ll be myself again, if you understand what I mean. And also, I don’t know whether I mentioned it before, I’m going to have a baby.”
“Good God!”
“Ted swears it isn’t his, Johnny—but it is, it is!” said Win, shedding tears again. “It is! I never was actually unfaithful to Ted. We were happy together, Johnny—for a little while. Then all of a sudden he started to get suspicious, but he had no reason to be, as a matter of fact, and after that business of the microscope—when he threw me out, Johnny—he got cruel, cruel! ‘How can you do this to me when you know I’m pregnant?’ And Ted said: ‘That’s the father’s worry,’ and I told you what he called me after that. And here I am, and that’s that.”
Turning over the small change in his pocket Pym said, heavily: “If you don’t mind my asking: how much of this infant is there? I mean, how long has it been going on?”
“Nearly four months. I suppose that’s why I’m so emotional and silly.”
“You never were anything else,” said Pym. “I never knew you do or say anything that wasn’t somehow stupid.”
“I better go now.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know—just go. ”
“Well, look here: I think I can probably get you a room for a day or two. Where did you sleep last night?”
“Mona let me sleep on her sofa, but this morning she told me she had someone coming.”
“Come along with me.”
*
Pym said to Busto: “This friend of mine wants a room. Her luggage is coming along.”
“Hah!”
“Well, you know I gave you a pound this afternoon? That leaves me nine shillings in the clear. Would you mind taking that on account until, say, to-morrow?”
“To-morrow never comes,” said Busto. “Anyway, no transfer against the law.”
“It isn’t against the law to transfer money paid in advance in a case like this,” said Pym.
“Against my rule. No transfer.”
Win was standing, limp and relaxed, swaying from side to side. “Where is the lady going to sleep?” cried Pym.
“I ain’t the Salvation Army,” said Busto, “and no women brought in. Against the law.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” said Win.
“Listen, Mr. Busto, have you any objection to this lady sleeping to-night in my room if I go elsewhere?”
Busto scratched his chest with his chin and, after some meditation,
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