step. He sat down and at once became engrossed in the baseball news.
At a quarter of one Theresa came up the steps with her arms full of bundles. She looked at him without surprise this time.
"Hold this, will you, till I get my key out?" She handed him a large moist bundle on the top of which peaches and oranges fought for space. There were string-beans and lettuce in the bag, too. Hubert saw them when the bag broke. The accident occurred in Theresa's kitchen; so it was not as annoying as it would have been on the steps. Hubert called her attention to the fact that the bag could have broken out there, but she continued to swear violently at the fruit and vegetables and he decided that she was just hot and tired.
She put meat in the ice-box but left the other things on the table. They went to the living-room then. Theresa threw her hat on the gate-leg table and lit a cigarette. She was frowning deeply and made no effort to open the conversation.
Hubert said, "Awfully hot today, isn't it?"
"Yes," Theresa agreed.
"Thought it was cool in the hall there. I'd only been waiting about five minutes when you came along."
"Is that all?"
"That's all."
Hymie was soft. Too soft. He had said, "Gee, Theresa, I don't think he's a bad fellow. Dumb, but not mean or anything. I'm glad you gave him the hundred bucks. If he comes back don't turn him down. Of
