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supper time when I got her alone. He went up to wash, and the two of us were left in the kitchen.
          "You been thinking about me, Cora?"
          "Sure. I wouldn't forget you all that quick."
          "I thought about you a lot. How are you?"
          "Me? I'm all right."
          "I called you up a couple of times, but he answered and I was afraid to talk to him. I made some money."
          "Well, gee, I'm glad you're getting along good."
          "I made it, but then I lost it. I thought we could use it to get started with, but then I lost it."
          "I declare, I don't know where the money goes."
          "You sure you think about me, Cora?"
          "Sure I do."
          "You don't act like it."
          "Seems to me I'm acting all right."
          "Have you got a kiss for me?"
          "We'll be having supper pretty soon. You better get ready, if you've got any washing to do."
          That's the way it went. That's the way it went all evening. The Greek got out some of his sweet wine, and sang a bunch of songs, and we sat around, and so far as she was concerned, I might just as well have been just a guy that used to work there, only she couldn't quite remember his name. It was the worst flop of a home-coming you ever saw in your life.
     
          When it came to go to bed, I let them go up, and then I went outside to try and figure out whether to stay there and see if I couldn't get going with her again, or blow and try to forget her. I walked quite a way off, and I don't know how long it was, or how far away I was, but after a while I could hear a row going on in the place. I went back, and when I got close I could hear some of what they were saying. She was yelling like hell and saying I had to leave. He was mumbling something, probably that he wanted me to stay and go back to work. He was trying to shut her up, but I could tell she was yelling so I would hear it. If I had been in my room, where she thought I was, I could have heard it plain enough, and even where I was I could hear plenty.
          Then all of a sudden it stopped. I slipped in the kitchen, and stood there listening. But I couldn't hear anything, because I was all shook up, and all I could get was the sound of my own heart, going bump-bump, bump-bump, bump-bump, like that. I thought that was a funny way for my heart to sound, and then all of a sudden I knew there was two hearts in that kitchen, and that was why it sounded so funny.
          I snapped on the light.
          She was standing there, in a red kimono, as pale as milk, staring at me, with a long thin knife in her hand. I reached out and took it away from her. When she spoke, it was in a whisper that sounded like a snake licking its tongue in and out.
          "Why did you have to come back?"
          "I had to, that's all."
          "No you didn't. I could have gone through with it. I was getting so I could forget you. And now you have to come back. God damn you, you have to come back!"
          "Go through with what?"
          "What he's making that scrapbook for. _It's to show to his children!_ And now he wants one. He wants one right away."
          "Well, why didn't you come with me?"
          "Come with you for what? To sleep in box cars? Why would I come with you? Tell me that."
          I couldn't say anything. I thought about my $250, but what good was it telling her that I had some money yesterday, but today I lost it playing one ball in the side?
          "You're no good. I know that. You're just no good. Then why don't you go away and let me alone instead of coming back here again? Why don't you leave me be?"
          "Listen. Stall him on this kid stuff just a little while. Stall him, and we'll see if we can't figure something out. I'm not much good, but I love you, Cora. I swear it."
          "You swear it, and what do you do? He's taking me to Santa Barbara, so I'll say I'll