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MRS. AUSTIN.

What made you do it?

JIM.

It’s a long story.

MRS. AUSTIN.

Tell it to me.

JIM.

It ain’t just a good time for story telling.

MRS. AUSTIN.

You are afraid of me? I have no quarrel with you. I don’t care anything for the things you have in the bag; and, besides, I suppose you won’t take them now. I’m only sorry to see a man going wrong, and I’d like to help if I could. I’ll play fair, I give you my word of honor.

JIM.

There ain’t much honor in this business.

MRS. AUSTIN.

No, I suppose not. But you can trust me. Put up that gun and talk to me.

JIM.

[Surlily.] It can’t do any good.

MRS. AUSTIN.

It can’t do any harm. Put up that revolver, and tell me what’s the matter.

JIM.

You’ll let me go when I want to? No tricks!

MRS. AUSTIN.

I give you my word.

JIM.

All right. I’m a fool, I guess, but I’ll trust you. [Puts revolver in pocket.] Sit down, ma’am. It must be cold for you. This is a queer kind of layout for a burglar. [Sits opposite her.] You heard that racket I made in the other room?

MRS. AUSTIN.

Yes. What was it?

JIM.

Some kind of a jar.

MRS. AUSTIN.

Oh, my Greek vase. Well, never mind . . . it was an imitation. What were you doing?

JIM.

I was looking for something to eat.

MRS. AUSTIN.

Oh!

JIM.

It would have been the first thing I’ve had since the day before yesterday.

MRS. AUSTIN.

What’s the matter?

JIM.

No work. [A pause.] I suppose you’ll give me the old gag . . . there’s plenty of work for a man that’s willing.

MRS. AUSTIN.

No, I happen to have studied, and I know better than that. Else I should have fainted when I saw you . . . instead of sitting here talking to you . . . . Do you drink?

JIM.

Yes, but I didn’t use to. Any man would drink . . . that went through what I did.

MRS. AUSTIN.

Are you married?

JIM.

Yes . . . I was married. My wife is dead.

MRS. AUSTIN.

Any children?

JIM.

Two. Both dead.

MRS. AUSTIN.

Oh!

JIM.

It ain’t a pretty story, ma’am. It’s a poor man’s story.

MRS. AUSTIN.

Tell it to me.

JIM.

All right. It’ll spoil your sleep for the rest of the night, I guess, but you can have it. [A pause.] A year ago I was what they call an honest working man. I had a home and a happy family; and I didn’t drink any too much, and I did well . . . even if the work was hard. I was in the steel works here in town.

MRS. AUSTIN.

[Startled.] The Empire Steel Company?

JIM.

Yes. Why?

MRS. AUSTIN.

Nothing . . . only I happen to know some people there. Go on.

JIM.

It’s no child’s work there, ma’am. There’s an awful lot of accidents . . . more than the world has any idea of. I’ve seen a man sent to hell in the snapping of a finger. And they don’t treat them fair . . . they hush things up. There are things you wouldn’t believe if I told them to you.

MRS. AUSTIN.

Tell them.

JIM.

I’ve seen a man there get caught in one of the cranes. They stopped the machinery, but they couldn’t get him out. They’d have had to take the crane apart, and that would have cost several days, and it was rush time, and the man was only a poor Hunkie, and there was no one to know or care. So they started up the crane, and cut his leg off.