And as she casually glanced around she began to stare, her eyes lit with wonder, and she arose, exclaiming:
At the sound of her voice the tension snapped within him; he felt common and homely again; he felt comfortable and warm; and he smiled wearily.
She came close to him, more and more incredulous, and the air became electric.
Impulsively her hand went out, and he clasped it ... her hand seemed almost frozen. Tears of humility sprang to her eyes.
"I was high and mighty that night,... but I couldn't help it.... But you ... do you realize what a wonderful thing you've done?"
"Yes, here's what I've done"--he handed her a copy of _The Nine-Tenths_--"and it's very wonderful."
She gave a strange, short laugh again--excitement, exultation--and held the paper as if it were a living thing.
"This ... _The Nine-Tenths_ ... oh!... for the working people.... Let me see!"
She went to the light, spread the paper and eagerly read. Then she glanced back a moment and saw his worn face and the weary droop of his back.
"Say--you're dead tired. Sit down. You don't mind the bed, do you?"
"I don't! I am pretty much done up." And he sank down, and let his hands droop between his knees.
Sally read, and then suddenly turned to him.
The author felt the thrill of a creator. She went on:
"I wish every working-girl in New York could read this."
She turned and looked at him, more and more excited.
"So _this_ is what you're doing. I must pinch myself--it's all a dream! Too good to be true."
Suddenly there seemed to be a reversal in their relationships. Before, his end of the beam was down, hers up. But subtly in her voice he felt the swing to the other extreme. She had set him in a realm above herself.
"Tell me," she said, "just how you came to go into this."
He told her a little, and as he spoke he became thoroughly at his ease with her, as if she were a man, and in the pleasure of their swift comradeship they could laugh at each other.
"Mr. Blaine," she said, suddenly, "if I got you into this, it's up to me to help you win. I'm going to turn into an agent for you--I'll make 'em subscribe right and left."
"Lordy, if you knew how good it is to hear this--after tramping up three miles of stairs and more and nabbing a tawdry twenty subscriptions."