She spoke in a kinder tone.

“Look, Bearcat,” she said, “how we’re tied down. And I couldn’t take the dough I need from you after you sweatin’ for it chasin’ fares. It wouldn’t be right. I wouldn’t be a burden to you like that.” She didn’t exactly mean what she told him, for her thoughts were speculating on something else.

The Bearcat was delighted that she began to see things in a different light.

“Regular hours and keepin’ to ourselves for a while is goin’ to do us good like nothin’ else. I’ll make my shifts so I can take you to as many shows as you want to see.”

Babe had thought out something and the strain in her eyes relaxed.

“I wouldn’t think of takin’ advantage of you like that,” she told him. “Usin’ up your hard-earned dough for my amusement—unless I helped you.”

“How do you mean?” he asked.

“I mean, if I found somethin’ to do, too. Maybe I could go back to Goldstein or some place else and model.”

The Bearcat shook his head.

“That’s a swell spirit, Babe, Ibut I wouldn’t let you do that. You’re my wife an’ it’s up to me to support you. And that’s the way it’s goin’ to be.” He rose and stretched. “I got to go down and see about my license. I’m goin’ to be on the job, nine o’clock tomorrow mornin’.” He took up his hat and went to the door. “We’ll go to a show when I get back.”

Babe waited till she heard the elevator door slam, and then took up the transmitter from the phone base. She called a Harlem number. After a minute the wire crackled back.

“Hello—that you, Gert? It’s an old friend of yours—Babe. . . . That’s right. Is Jenny there? Drunk ? Well, if she ain’t tell her to meet me around at Toni’s back room in an hour. I’ll tell you all about myself when I come up with Jenny. Sure I will.”

XII BABE LEARNS A NEW RACKET

INSIDE of an hour after she had called Nigger Gert’s, Babe was in Toni’s back room. Toni was out, but Henry, the giant bartender, greeted her effusively and set her up to the best he had in the place.

“Sure glad to see you, Miss Gordon,” he said.

Babe gave him a dazzling smile.

“Glad to see you, Henry. How’s things with Toni?”

“Lively, Miss Gordon. Plenty of goin’s on. You been missin’ a lot by not bein’ around here nights.”