for it! Now, you take this - "

But Curly turned away, blinking his eyes, and trying to swallow the lump
in his throat. Babe stood watching him through her tears as he tramped
down the street, out of the town on the road to the south.

* * * * *

Two years later in a hall in Sonora, a man strolled in to the card
tables.

"Why, hel-lo, Curly!"

Curly glanced up briefly. "Hello, George."

"Hear you've made another strike."

"You can hear a lot that ain't true. This happens to be."

"You know, I was telling - "

"Well, the sight of you don't put me in the mood to be told much." There
was an imperceptible shifting of the crowd around the table. They were
moving away from Spellman.

"I was telling my wife - "

"My girl, you mean! It wasn't enough to keep my business, you had to go
home an' marry my girl, too, didn't you?"