person to deal with. Hattie Sterling stared at her coldly and
indifferently, and passed on by her to a seat. Joe proceeded to order
supper and other things in the nonchalant way that the woman had
enjoined upon him. Minty began to feel distinctly uncomfortable, but it
was her business not to be beaten. She laughed outright. Hattie did not
seem to hear her. She was beckoning Sadness to her side. He came and sat
down.

"Now look here," she said, "you can't have any supper because you have
n't reached the stage of magnificent hunger to make a meal palatable to
you. You 've got so used to being nearly starved that a meal don't taste
good to you under any other circumstances. You 're in on the drinks,
though. Your thirst is always available.--Jack," she called down the
long room to the bartender, "make it three.--Lean over here, I want to
talk to you. See that woman over there by the wall? No, not that
one,--the big light woman with Griggs. Well, she 's come here with a
story trying to throw Joe down, and I want you to help me do her."

"Oh, that 's the one that upset our young friend, is it?" said Sadness,
turning his mournful eyes upon Minty.

"That 's her. So you know about it, do you?"

"Yes, and I 'll help do her. She must n't touch one of the fraternity,
you know." He kept his eyes fixed upon the outsider until she squirmed.
She could not at all understand this serious conversation directed at
her. She wondered if she had gone too far and if they contemplated
putting her out. It made her uneasy.

Now, this same Miss Sterling had the faculty of attracting a good deal