in the morning."

"I've heard that before, and I'm gittin' sick of it.
You'd 'a' been out of here last week if my husband
hadn't been laid up with a lame foot."

"I am sorry to hear about the foot. That must be
even worse than my being behind with your rent."

"Well, it's bad enough with all I got to put up with.
Of course I don't want to be ugly," she went on, her
fierceness dying out as she noticed his unruffled calm,
"but these rooms is about all we've got, and we can't
afford to take no chances."

"Did you suppose I would let you?"

"Let me what?"

"Let you take chances. When I become convinced
that I cannot pay you what I owe you, I will give you
notice in advance. I should be much more unhappy
over owing you such a debt than you could possibly
be in not getting your money."

The answer, so unlike those to which she had been
accustomed from other delinquents, suddenly rekindled
her anger. "Will some of them friends of yours that
never show up bring you the money?" she snapped
back.