“I’m sorry, dear, I got so rough but I just can’t stand the idea of your steppin’ out with some other guy.” He undressed her gently. After that she felt easier and less afraid. She was drowsy now the booze was wearing off and wanted to go to sleep if he would let her.

She got a new kick out of the Bearcat that night. The force of his emotions, his jealousy, gave her an unexpected thrill.

But she rapidly grew tired of his jealous outbursts whenever he arrived home first, and explanations became more and more difficult. She had to keep in touch with Lou and Harry about her prospective position. The matter could not safely be discussed over the telephone, so she frequented the Harlem night clubs. She haunted Sonnie’s, Small’s Paradise, The Net, Barron’s, the Hotsy Club, with Sunday night high-lights at the Harlem Breakfast Club.

Then one night Harry passed her the word that she was to go into Baldwin’s Five and Ten Cent store the next day and apply for the job that was open behind the cosmetic counter. Having landed the job Babe decided she was through with married life.

The Bearcat, coming into the hotel room at five the following morning, saw she was not there.

“Babe!” he called, thinking she might have stepped into the bath. There was no answer. “Jeeziz! Where is she?” he muttered as he looked around the room.

From the dresser there were several toilet articles missing. The clothes-closet door stood open. The racks were empty. Her trunk was gone.

His face blanched. He knotted his hands and sat down on the bed to think, numb with apprehension. For the few moments required to regain any sense of reality he was submerged in a wave of self pity, then as the blood rushed back to his head he saw red.

Leaping to the telephone he snapped off the receiver.

“Did Mrs. Delaney leave any message when she went out?” he asked the switchboard operator.

“No, sir. She did not,” replied the clerk.

The Bearcat hung up. He rushed out and rang for the elevator. When it came up he said to the elevator boy:

“Did you see Mrs. Delaney go out?”

“Yas suh,” said the colored boy.

“When?”

“’Bout two hours ago.”

“Do you know where she went?”

“Ah do’ know, boss. She jus’ gone, da’s all. Ah know Ah took her down in duh elevator an’ put her grip in a taxi. She didn’t say nothing.”

“What kind of a taxi was it? One that stands in front of the hotel?”

“No, suh. Jus’ a taxi comin’ along. Jus’ a pick-up taxi.”

“Who took her trunk down?”

“Duh po’ter done took it down in duh fweight elevator an’ put it in duh cab.”

“Where is the porter?”

“Downstairs, suh. Ah’ll send him up to yo’ ef yo’ wants me to.”