"You tell me dat!" Mrs. Silverstein screamed. "Vat you know? You know
too much. You spend good money on der prize-fighters. How you know?
Tell me dat! How you know?"

"I know vat I know," Silverstein held on sturdily--a thing Genevieve had
never before seen him do when his wife was in her tantrums. "His fader
die, he go to work in Hansen's sail-loft. He haf six brudders an'
sisters younger as he iss. He iss der liddle fader. He vork hard, all
der time. He buy der pread an' der meat, an' pay der rent. On Saturday
night he bring home ten dollar. Den Hansen gif him twelve dollar--vat he
do? He iss der liddle fader, he bring it home to der mudder. He vork
all der time, he get twenty dollar--vat he do? He bring it home. Der
liddle brudders an' sisters go to school, vear good clothes, haf better
pread an' meat; der mudder lif fat, dere iss joy in der eye, an' she iss
proud of her good boy Joe.

"But he haf der beautiful body--ach, Gott, der beautiful body!--stronger
as der ox, k-vicker as der tiger-cat, der head cooler as der ice-box, der
eyes vat see eferytings, k-vick, just like dat. He put on der gloves vit
der boys at Hansen's loft, he put on der gloves vit de boys at der
varehouse. He go before der club; he knock out der Spider, k-vick, one
punch, just like dat, der first time. Der purse iss five dollar--vat he
do? He bring it home to der mudder.

"He go many times before der clubs; he get many purses--ten dollar, fifty
dollar, one hundred dollar. Vat he do? Tell me dat! Quit der job at
Hansen's? Haf der good time vit der boys? No, no; he iss der good boy.
He vork efery day. He fight at night before der clubs. He say, 'Vat for
I pay der rent, Silverstein?'--to me, Silverstein, he say dat. Nefer
mind vat I say, but he buy der good house for der mudder. All der time