She done it quite quiet and unexpected one afternoon when there was only me and her and Andy in the place. And I don't think either of them knew I was there, for I was taking an easy on a chair at the back, reading an evening paper. She said, kind of quiet, 'Oh, Andy.' 'Yes, darling,' he said. And that was the first I knew that there was anything between them. 'Andy, I've something to tell you.' 'What is it?' She kind of hesitated. 'Andy, dear, I shan't be able to help any more in the restaurant.' He looked at her, sort of surprised. 'What do you mean?' 'I'm--I'm going on the stage.' I put down my paper. What do you mean? Did I listen? Of course I listened. What do you take me for? From where I sat I could see young Andy's face, and I didn't need any more to tell me there was going to be trouble. That jaw of his was right out. I forgot to tell you that the old man had died, poor old feller, maybe six months before, so that now Andy was the real boss instead of just acting boss; and what's more, in the nature of things, he was, in a manner of speaking, Katie's guardian, with power to tell her what she could do and what she couldn't. And I felt that Katie wasn't going to have any smooth passage with this stage business which she was giving him. Andy didn't hold with the stage--not with any girl he was fond of being on it anyway. And when Andy didn't like a thing he said so. He said so now. 'You aren't going to do anything of the sort.' 'Don't be horrid about it, Andy dear. I've got a big chance. Why should you be horrid about it?' 'I'm not going to argue about it. You don't go.' 'But it's such a big chance. And I've been working for it for years.' 'How do you mean working for it?' And then it came out about this dancing-school she'd been attending regular. When she'd finished telling him about it, he just shoved out his jaw another inch. 'You aren't going on the stage.' 'But it's such a chance. I saw Mr Mandelbaum yesterday, and he saw me dance, and he was very pleased, and said he would give me a solo dance to do in this new piece he's putting on.' 'You aren't going on the stage.' What I always say is, you can't beat tact. If you're smooth and tactful you can get folks to do anything you want; but if you just shove your jaw out at them, and order them about, why, then they get their backs up and sauce you. I knew Katie well enough to know that she would do anything for Andy, if he asked her properly; but she wasn't going to stand this sort of thing. But you couldn't drive that into the head of a feller like young Andy with a steam-hammer. She flared up, quick, as if she couldn't hold herself in no longer. 'I certainly am,' she said. 'You know what it means?' 'What does it mean?' 'The end of--everything.' She kind of blinked as if he'd hit her, then she chucks her chin up. 'Very well,' she says. 'Good-bye.' 'Good-bye,' says Andy, the pig-headed young mule; and she walks out one way and he walks out another.