"Why not, Babe--seein' you want it? There ain't no string tied to me and the green-felt table. I can go through with anything I make up my mind to." "Oh, honey baby, you promise! Darling little fuzzy chickens!" "Why, girl, I wouldn't have you eatin' yourself thisaway. The first ten-thou' high-water mark we hit I'm quits. How's that?" "Ten thousand! Oh, Blutch, we--" "What's ten thou', girl! I made the Hot Springs haul with a twenty-dollar start. If you ain't careful, we'll be buyin' that chicken-farm next week. That's what can happen to my girl if she starts something with her hubby." Suddenly Mrs. Connors crumpled in a heap upon the lacy pillows, pink sequins heaving. "Why, Babe--Babe, what is it? You're sick or something to-night, honey." He lifted her to his arms, bent almost double over her. "Nothin', Blutch, only--only I just never was so happy." "Lord!" said Blutch Connors. "All these years, and I never knew anything was eatin' her." "I--I never was, Blutch." "Was what?" "So--happy." "Lord bless my soul! The poor little thing was afraid to say it was a chicken-farm she wanted!" He patted her constantly, his eyes somewhat glazy. "Us two, Blutch, livin' regular." "You ain't all wrong, girl." "You home evenings, Blutch, regular like." "You poor little thing!" "You'll play safe, Blutch? Play safe to win!" "I wish I'd have went into the farmin' three years ago, Babe, the week I hauled down eleven thou'." "You was too fed up with luck then, Blutch. I knew better 'n to ask." "Lord bless my soul! and the poor little thing was afraid to say it was a chicken-farm she wanted!" "Promise me, Blutch, you'll play 'em close--to win!" "Al's openin' up his new rooms to-night. Me and Joe are goin' to play 'em fifty-fifty. It looks to me like a haul, Babe." "He's crooked, Blutch, I tell you." "No more 'n all of 'em are, Babe. Your eyes open and your pockets closed is my motto. What you got special against Joe? You mustn't dig up on a fellow, Babe." "I--. Why ain't he livin' in White Plains, where his wife and kids are?" "What I don't know about the private life of my card friends don't hurt me." "It's town talk the way he keeps them rooms over at the Liberty. 'Way back when I was a kid, Blutch, I remember how he used to--" "I know there ain't no medals on Joe, Babe, but if you don't stop listenin' to town talk, you're going to get them pretty little ears of yours all sooty." "I know, Blutch; but I could tell you things about him back in the days when my mother--" "Me and him are goin' over to Al's to-night and try to win my babe the first chicken for her farm. Whatta you bet? Us two ain't much on the sociability end, but we've played many a lucky card fifty-fifty. Saturday is our mascot night, too. Come, Babe; get on your jacket, and--" "Honeybunch, you and Joe go. I ain't hungry." "But--" "I'll have 'em send me up a bite from the grill." "You ain't sore because I asked Joe? It's business, Babe."