"You won't
want to see me again, of course. Will you--shake hands--Mr. McManus."
"I mightn't have got wise if you hadn't give the snap away," said Cork.
"Why did you do it?"
"You'd have been pinched if I hadn't. That's why. Ain't that reason
enough?" Then she began to cry. "Honest, Eddie, I was goin' to be the
best girl in the world. I hated to be what I am; I hated men; I was
ready almost to die when I saw you. And you seemed different from
everybody else. And when I found you liked me, too, why, I thought I'd
make you believe I was good, and I was goin' to be good. When you asked
to come to my house and see me, why, I'd have died rather than do
anything wrong after that. But what's the use of talking about it? I'll
say good-by, if you will, Mr. McManus."
Cork was pulling at his ear. "I knifed Malone," said he. "I was the one
the cop wanted."
"Oh, that's all right," said the girl listlessly. "It didn't make any
difference about that."
"That was all hot air about Wall Street. I don't do nothin' but hang out
with a tough gang on the East Side."
"That was all right, too," repeated the girl. "It didn't make any
difference."
Cork straightened himself, and pulled his hat down low.
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