Pete did not consider that he had ruined Maggie. If he hadthought that her soul could never smile again, he would havebelieved the mother and brother, who were pyrotechnic over theaffair, to be responsible for it.

Besides, in his world, souls did not insist upon being able to smile."What deh hell?"

He felt a trifle entangled. It distressed him. Revelationsand scenes might bring upon him the wrath of the owner of thesaloon, who insisted upon respectability of an advanced type.

"What deh hell do dey wanna raise such a smoke about it fer?"demanded he of himself, disgusted with the attitude of the family. He saw no necessity for anyone's losing their equilibrium merelybecause their sister or their daughter had stayed away from home.

Searching about in his mind for possible reasons for their conduct,he came upon the conclusion that Maggie's motives were correct,but that the two others wished to snare him. He felt pursued.

The woman of brilliance and audacity whom he had met in thehilarious hall showed a disposition to ridicule him.

"A little pale thing with no spirit," she said. "Did you notethe expression of her eyes? There was something in them aboutpumpkin pie and virtue. That is a peculiar way the left cornerof her mouth has of twitching, isn't it? Dear, dear, my cloud-compelling Pete, what are you coming to?"

Pete asserted at once that he never was very much interestedin the girl. The woman interrupted him, laughing.

"Oh, it's not of the slightest consequence to me, my dear young man.You needn't draw maps for my benefit. Why should I be concerned about it?"

But Pete continued with his explanations. If he was laughedat for his tastes in women, he felt obliged to say that they wereonly temporary or indifferent ones.

The morning after Maggie had departed from home, Pete stoodbehind the bar. He was immaculate in white jacket and apron andhis hair was plastered over his brow with infinite correctness.No customers were in the place. Pete was twisting his napkinedfist slowly in a beer glass, softly whistling to himself andoccasionally holding the object of his attention between his eyesand a few weak beams of sunlight that had found their way overthe thick screens and into the shaded room.

With lingering thoughts of the woman of brilliance andaudacity, the bartender raised his head and stared through thevarying cracks between the swaying bamboo doors. Suddenlythe whistling pucker faded from his lips. He saw Maggie walkingslowly past. He gave a great start, fearing for the previously-mentioned eminent respectability of the place.

He threw a swift, nervous glance about him, all at oncefeeling guilty. No one was in the room.

He went hastily over to the side door. Opening it and lookingout, he perceived Maggie standing, as if undecided, on the corner. She was searching the place with her eyes.

As she turned her face toward him Pete beckoned to herhurriedly, intent upon returning with speed to a position behindthe bar and to the atmosphere of respectability upon which theproprietor insisted.

Maggie came to him, the anxious look disappearing from herface and a smile wreathing her lips.

"Oh, Pete--," she began brightly.

The bartender made a violent gesture of impatience.

"Oh, my Gawd," cried he, vehemently. "What deh hell do yehwanna hang aroun' here fer? Do yeh wanna git me inteh trouble?"he demanded with an air of injury.

Astonishment swept over the girl's features. "Why, Pete! yehs tol' me--"

Pete glanced profound irritation. His countenance reddenedwith the anger of a man whose respectability is being threatened.

"Say, yehs makes me tired. See? What deh hell deh yeh wannatag aroun' atter me fer? Yeh'll git me inteh trouble wid deh ol'man an' dey'll be hell teh pay! If he sees a woman roun' herehe'll go crazy an' I'll lose me job! See? Yer brudder come inhere an' raised hell an' deh ol' man hada put up fer it! An' nowI'm done! See? I'm done."

The girl's eyes stared into his face. "Pete, don't yeh remem--"

"Oh, hell," interrupted Pete, anticipating.

The girl seemed to have a struggle with herself. She was apparentlybewildered and could not find speech. Finally she asked in a low voice:"But where kin I go?"

The question exasperated Pete beyond the powers of endurance. It was a direct attempt to give him some responsibility in a matterthat did not concern him. In his indignation he volunteered information.

"Oh, go teh hell," cried he. He slammed the door furiouslyand returned, with an air of relief, to his respectability.

Maggie went away.

She wandered aimlessly for several blocks. She stopped onceand asked aloud a question of herself: "Who?"

A man who was passing near her shoulder, humorously took thequestioning word as intended for him.

"Eh? What? Who? Nobody! I didn't say anything,"he laughingly said, and continued his way.

Soon the girl discovered that if she walked with suchapparent aimlessness, some men looked at her with calculating eyes.She quickened her step, frightened. As a protection, she adopteda demeanor of intentness as if going somewhere.

After a time she left rattling avenues and passed between rowsof houses with sternness and stolidity stamped upon their features. She hung her head for she felt their eyes grimly upon her.

Suddenly she came upon a stout gentleman in a silk hat and achaste black coat, whose decorous row of buttons reached from hischin to his knees. The girl had heard of the Grace of God and shedecided to approach this man.

His beaming, chubby face was a picture of benevolence andkind-heartedness. His eyes shone good-will.

But as the girl timidly accosted him, he gave a convulsivemovement and saved his respectability by a vigorous side-step.He did not risk it to save a soul. For how was he to know thatthere was a soul before him that needed saving?