— ”

“Swell chanst. Swell chanst!”

Which explains why the calls came oftenest for Nick. He was so indifferent to them. You pictured the patient and persistent Miss Bauers, or the oxlike Miss Olson, or Miss Ahearn, or just Gertie hovering within hearing distance of the telephone listening, listening — while one o’clock deepened to six — for the call that never came; plucking up fresh courage at six until six o’clock dragged on to bedtime. When next they met: “I bet you was there all the time. Pity you wouldn’t answer a call when a person leaves their name. You could of give me a ring. I bet you was there all the time.”

“Well, maybe I was.