"He's ruined me--ruined me!"
"Oh, he's all right," said Susan cheerfully. "I like him.
He's a pretty little fellow. I'll not give him away to Jim."
"Joe was dead stuck on you," cried the madam eagerly. "I
might 'a' knowed he hadn't seen you before. I had to pay him
the twenty-five right away, to get him out of the house and let
me put you to work. He wanted to stay on."
Susan shivered, laughed to hide it. "Well, I'll go for twenty-five."
"Twenty-five!" shrieked the madam.
"You'll get it back from Joe."
"Maybe I won't. He's a dog--a dirty dog."
"I think I told Joe about Jim," said Susan reflectively. "I
was awful gabby downstairs. Yes--I told him."
And her lowered eyes gleamed with satisfaction when the madam
cried out: "You did! And after that he brought you here!
He's got it in for me. But I'll ruin him! I'll tear him up!"
Susan dressed with the utmost deliberation, the madam urging
her to make haste. After some argument, Susan yielded to the
madam's pleadings and contented herself with the twenty
dollars. The madam herself escorted Susan down to the outside
door and slathered her with sweetness and politeness. The rain
had stopped again. Susan went up Second Avenue slowly. Two
blocks from the dive from which she had escaped, she sank down
on a stoop and fainted.
IX
THE dash of cold rain drops upon her face and the chill of
moisture soaking through her clothing revived her.
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