give each other, people must of thought she was gonna take the veil or somethin', instead of just goin' to entomb herself in Jersey for a month. I swore I'd be in every night at ten, although that's kinda late to start out for the night, and she promised not to get in no bridge mêlées where the sum they battled for was over six bits. Then we took some more bows on the lovin' good-by stuff, and I'm alone in the big city. 

 I managed somehow to live through the day, but the next afternoon I lured a bunch up to the flat for a little pinochle. I begin by invitin' two guys, but by the time we got to Harlem we was a dozen strong. Once inside the portals, it turns out that only six of them is wild about pinochle, so the rest of 'em take up the rugs, start the victrola and give themselves up to dancin'. Pretty soon the telephone rings with great violence. I grabbed the receiver and learned it was the woman which lives underneath. 

 "Them steamfitters you got rehearsin' up there has got to call it a day!" she says.  "Otherwise I'll moan to the landlord. The chandelier has left the ceilin' already and four pieces of my chocolate set is busted. I never heard tell of such carryin' on!" 

 "Wait till you been here a little longer," I says, "I ain't carryin' on, me and some boy friends of mine is tryin' to kill a dull afternoon and—" 

 "If them's friends makin' that racket," she butts in, "I hope I have moved when your enemies call! What am I gonna do about that chocolate set, hey? D'ye hear—there goes another piece!" 

 "If I was in your place," I tells her, "I'd drink coffee, and if your furnishings is all as frail as that chocolate set you're featurin', you better grab hold of the piano, because I'm gonna sneeze!" 

 "Don't you dare make no cracks about my furniture!" she yells.  "I got my opinion of what you do for a livin' when you can afford to be home in the daytime!" 

 "I make chocolate sets," I says.  "We're workin' on one now and—" 

 "Wait till my husband comes home!" she cuts in.  "He'll take care of you!" 

 "I don't need nobody to take care of me," I comes back, "I'm self supportin'." 

 "Why don't you let go there?" yells Eddie Brannan.  "Are you and that dame doin' an act or what?" 

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