"Why not?"

"I don't know why not."

"Well, then," he declared, as though that settled the question.
They made ready to go, as it was growing late.

"Will you tie that for me, Condy," she asked, rising and turning
the back of her head toward him, the ends of the veil held under
her fingers. "Not too tight. Condy, don't pull it so tight.
There, there, that will do. Have you everything that belongs to
you? I know you'll go away and leave something here. There's your
cigarette case, and your book, and of course the banjo."

As if warned by a mysterious instinct, the fat Chinaman made his
appearance in the outer room. Condy put his fingers into his vest
pocket, then dropped back upon his stool with a suppressed
exclamation of horror.

"Condy!" exclaimed Blix in alarm, "are you sick?"--for he had
turned a positive white.

"I haven't a cent of money," he murmured faintly. "I spent my
last quarter for those beastly crackers. What's to be done? What
is to be done? I'll--I'll leave him my watch. Yes, that's the
only thing."

Blix calmly took out her purse. "I expected it," she said
resignedly. "I knew this would happen sooner or later, and I
always have been prepared. How much is it, John?" she asked of