"You old bully!" she said, between white lips. "You touch me, and I'll
scream till I bring in every neighbor in the block. There's a good
lamp-post outside that's just waiting for your sort of German."

He had refused to pay her for the last week, also. But that she knew
well enough was because he was out of money. As fast as Anna's salary
had come in, he had taken out of it the small allowance that was to
cover the week's expenses, and had banked the remainder. But Anna had
carried her last pay envelope away with her, and added to his anger at
her going was his fear that he would have to draw on his savings.

With Katie gone, he set heavily about preparing his Sunday dinner. Long
years of service done for him, however, had made him clumsy. He cooked a
wretched meal, and then, leaving the dishes as they were, he sat by the
fire and brooded. When Rudolph came in, later, he found him there, in
his stocking-feet, a morose and untidy figure.

Rudolph's reception of the news roused him, however. He looked up, after
the telling, to find the younger man standing over him and staring down
at him with blood-shot eyes.

"You beat her!" he was saying. "What with?"

"What does that matter--She had bought herself a watch--"

"What did you beat her with?" Rudolph was licking his lips. Receiving no
reply, he called "Katie!"