She was stark silent. Her eyes searched the Bearcat’s weary face intently, and her mind seemed to be racing ahead of his to trap his thought.

“Well, can’t you get no fights without Charlie?”

“No.”

“How about out west? Maybe you could get some good fights out there. They never saw you there, and if you trained hard, with all the publicity you got you might be a drawin’ card. You could knock over a few of them palookas and then make a come-back here in the East.”

“That’s no good, Babe. All the real matches are made here. It’d be just a waste of time goin’ west. But that ain’t what I wanted to tell you about.”

“No?” Babe wondered what he had up his sleeve. She regarded him narrowly.

The Bearcat seemed to draw a deep breath.

“I wanted to tell you,” he said, “that I got rid of the car.”

She took a step towards him in amazement.

“Got rid of the car?”

“Yeah, Babe. I had to do it.”

Anger blazed up in her.

“What do you mean, you had to do it?” Her tone became bitterly sarcastic. “So, you got rid of the car without askin’ me? Well, you got one hell of a nerve. I thought that car belonged to me. Didn’t you buy it for me? I suppose I don’t mean a goddam thing around here. I’m only your wife. You just do as you please with the car you got for me, and I got to walk, eh?”

The Bearcat was numb with astonishment. He had never heard Babe use such language before, except, perhaps, when she couldn’t get a telephone number right away, or when the waves came out of her hair, or when she had trouble getting a tight shoe on. But she always excused her language afterwards very prettily.

“But, Babe,” he gasped, “you won’t have to do no walkin’.”

“You’re damn right I won’t,” Babe almost shouted.

“Listen, Babe,” he said, trying to pacify her. “I traded the car in for a taxicab.”

“You what?” She was speechless with anger for a moment. Then: “Oh, so I ain’t gonna walk. I’m gonna ride in a taxi. What do you expect me to do, ride up front with you? God, what a dope!”

“Aw, listen, Babe,” the Bearcat cried. “I only did it for you. I want to make some money, till I get pulled together again. Only for a while. I’ll get out and hustle with the cab. It’ll be better for us both. We’ll be livin’ regular and accordin’ to schedule and we’ll soon be on our feet again. Believe me, Babe, I’m only doin’ it for you.”

Babe’s anger cooled. She felt a sudden pity for him, but at the same time her busy mind was active with a new scheme.