Half an hour later he leaned back and picked his teeth. He felt out o’ sight inside. He _liked_ that joint; in the middle of the night it was always warm and bright, and had a stir of life about it. You could hear the meat frying at the back, and smell the smoke of it. There were two men sitting opposite to each other, leaning forward until their heads almost touched, and whispering, whispering, each one rapidly stirring his coffee without ever looking toward the cup. Planning some job all right, thought Joe; bet they ain’t as smart as me, though. You can see they’re nervous. Across from the men sat a girl who was vainly trying to attract their attention. She was beginning to look bedraggled, and there was a look of terror in the bottom of her eyes that excited Joe’s scorn. She was on the toboggan all right. Been kicked out of the houses. A man would be a fool to take her. His breast twanged with exultation. He was a smart feller; he was all there, you bet. A feller could have a good time in this world if he was smart enough. Everything waitin’ to be picked up. No danger of _him_ gettin’ pinched. He was just a little too smart for them. Gee! it was great to bat around at night, and sleep in the day when the thick-heads was workin’! Let the thick-heads work! There was plenty of them. Workin’ never got you nowhere. Look at his old man. . . . Soon as he was old enough he’d have a woman to work for him. Funny how women would work for a man. Soft. Oh well, he’d have one of the best. When he wanted anything, he went out and got it. That was the sort of feller he was. He was smarter than anybody. Joe went home by way of Allen street where the houses were. After midnight when the East side generally was beginning to quiet down, Allen street was in full swing. Joe never tired of watching the game that was played there. The men looked so sheepish when they sneaked into the houses, and more so when they came out later, cleaned out. Each man looking as if he was the first who had been trimmed. These were the poor fools who hadn’t spunk enough to get a woman for themselves. The painted-up girls too, at the windows, grinning at the men like cats, and making goo-goo eyes, and calling pet names to get them to come in. And the poor suckers fell for it! It was enough to make a feller laugh. Besides, there was often a good trick to be worked in Allen street. If you could get hold of a souse before he fell into the hands of the girls.