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we had a dollar we could 〃
〃Hush up！〃 said Mr。 Peters； licking his lips。 〃We got to get that case
note somehow； boys。 Ain't what's a man's wife's his？ Leave it to me。 I'll go
over to the house and get it。 Wait here for me。〃
〃I've seen 'em give up quick； and tell you where it's hid if you kick 'em
in the ribs；〃 said Kidd。
〃No man would kick a woman；〃 said Peters； vir… tuously。 〃A little
choking … just a touch on the windpipe … that gets away with 'em … and no
marks left。 Wait for me。 I'll bring back that dollar； boys。〃
High up in a tenement…house between Second Ave… nue and the river
lived the Peterses in a back room so gloomy that the landlord blushed to
take the rent for it。 Mrs。 Peters worked at sundry times； doing odd jobs of
scrubbing and washing。 Mr。 Peters had a pure； unbroken record of five
years without having earned a penny。 And yet they clung together； shar…
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ing each other's hatred and misery； being creatures of habit。 Of habit； the
power that keeps the earth from flying to pieces； though there is some silly
theory of gravitation。
Mrs。 Peters reposed her 200 pounds on the safer of the two chairs and
gazed stolidly out the one win… dow at the brick wall opposite。 Her eyes
were red and damp。 The furniture could have been carried away on a
pushcart； but no pushcart man would have removed it as a gift。
The door opened to admit Mr。 Peters。 His fox… terrier eyes expressed a
wish。 His wife's diagnosis located correctly the seat of it； but misread it
hun… ger instead of thirst。
〃You'll get nothing more to eat till night；〃 she said； looking out of the
window again。 Take your hound…dog's face out of the room。〃
Mr。 Peters's eye calculated the distance between them。 By taking her
by surprise it might be pos… sible to spring upon her； overthrow her； and
apply the throttling tactics of which he had boasted to his waiting
comrades。 True； it had been only a boast； never yet had be dared to lay
violent bands upon her； but with the thoughts of the delicious； cool bock
or Culmbacher bracing his nerves； he was near to upsetting his own
theories of the treatment due by a gentleman to a lady。 But； with his
loafer's love for the more artistic and less strenuous way； he chose
diplomacy first； the high card in the game the as… sumed attitude of
success already attained。
〃You have a dollar；〃 he said； loftily； but signifi… cantly in the tone that
goes with the lighting of a cigar … when the properties are at hand。〃
〃I have；〃 said Mrs。 Peters； producing the bill from her bosom and
crackling it； teasingly。
〃I am offered a position in a in a tea store；〃 said Mr。 Peters。 〃I am to
begin work to…morrow。 But it will be necessary for me to buy a pair of 〃
〃You are a liar；〃 said Mrs。 Peters； reinterring the note。 〃No tea store；
nor no A B C store； nor no junk shop would have you。 I rubbed the skin
off both me hands washin' jumpers and overalls to make that dollar。 Do
you think it come out of them suds to buy the kind you put into you？
Skiddoo！ Get your mind off of money。〃
Evidently the poses of Talleyrand were not worth one hundred cents
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The Voice of the City
on that dollar。 But diplomacy is dexterous。 The artistic temperament of Mr。
Peters lifted him by the straps of his congress gaiters and set him on new
ground。 He called up a look of des… perate melancholy to his eyes。
〃Clara；〃 he said； hollowly； 〃to struggle further is useless。 You have
always misunderstood me。 Heaven knows I have striven with all my might
to keep my head above the waves of misfortune； but … 〃 〃Cut out the
rainbow of hope and that stuff about walkin' one by one through the
narrow isles of Spain；〃 said Mrs。 Peters； with a sigh。 〃I've heard it so often。
There's an ounce bottle of carbolic on the shelf behind the empty coffee
can。 Drink hearty。〃
Mr。 Peters reflected。 What next！ The old ex… pedients had failed。 The
two musty musketeers were awaiting him hard by the ruined chateau
that is to say； on a park bench with rickety cast…iron legs。 His honor was at
stake。 He had engaged to storm the castle single…handed and bring back
the treas… ure that was to furnish them wassail and solace。 And all that
stood between him and the coveted dollar was his wife； once a little girl
whom he could aha！ why not again？ Once with soft words he could；
as they say； twist her around his little finger。 Why not again？ Not for years
had he tried it。 Grim poverty and mutual hatred had killed all that。 But
Ragsy and Kidd were waiting for him to bring the dollar！
Mr。 Peters took a surreptitiously keen look at his wife。 Her formless
bulk overflowed the chair。 She kept her eyes fixed out the window in a
strange kind of trance。 Her eyes showed that she had been re… cently
weeping。
〃I wonder；〃 said Mr。 Peters to himself； 〃if there'd be anything in it。〃
The window was open upon its outlook of brick walls and drab； barren
back yards。 Except for the mildness of the air that entered it might have
been midwinter yet in the city that turns such a frown… ing face to
besieging spring。 But spring doesn't come with the thunder of cannon。 She
is a sapper and a miner； and you must capitulate。
〃I'll try it；〃 said Mr。 Peters to himself； making a wry face。
He went up to his wife and put his arm across her shoulders。
〃Clara； darling；〃 he said in tones that shouldn't have fooled a baby seal；
〃why should we have hard words？ Ain't you my own tootsum wootsums？
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〃A black mark against you； Mr。 Peters； in the sa… red ledger of Cupid。
Charges of attempted graft are filed against you； and of forgery and
utterance of two of Love's holiest of appellations。
But the miracle of spring was wrought。 Into the back room over the
back alley between the black walls had crept the Harbinger。 It was
ridiculous； and yet … Well； it is a rat trap； and you； madam and sir and all of
us； are in it。
Red and fat and crying like Niobe or Niagara； Mrs。 Peters threw her
arms around her lord and dissolved upon him。 Mr。 Peters would have
striven to extricate the dollar bill from its deposit vault； but his arms were
bound to his sides。
〃Do you love me； James？〃 asked Mrs。 Peters。 〃Madly；〃 said James；
〃but 〃
〃You are ill！ 〃 exclaimed Mrs。 Peters。 〃Why are you so pale and tired
looking？〃
〃I feel weak；〃 said Mr。 Peters。 〃I 〃
〃Oh； wait； I know what it is。 Wait； James。 I'll be back in a minutes''
With a parting bug that revived in Mr。 Peters recollections of the
Terrible Turk； his wife hurried out of the room and down the stairs。
Mr。 Peters hitched his thumbs under his sus… penders。
〃All right；〃 he confided to the ceiling。 〃I've got her going。 I hadn't any
idea the old girl was soft any more under the foolish rib。 Well； sir； ain't I
the Claude Melnotte of the lower East Side？ What？ It's a 100