Trinawouldjumpwithastifledshriek。McTeaguewouldbellowwithlaughtertillhiseyeswatered。Thentheywouldrecommenceupontheinstant，Trinaprotestingwithanervoustremulousness：
“Now——now——now，Mac，DON’T；youSCAREmeso。“
Butthesedelicioustete-a-teteswithTrinawereoffsetbyacertaincoolnessthatMarcusSchoulerbegantoaffecttowardsthedentist。AtfirstMcTeaguewasunawareofit；butbythistimeevenhisslowwitsbegantoperceivethathisbestfriend——his“pal“——wasnotthesametohimasformerly。TheycontinuedtomeetatlunchnearlyeverydaybutFridayatthecarconductors’coffee-joint。ButMarcuswassulky；therecouldbenodoubtaboutthat。HeavoidedtalkingtoMcTeague，readthepapercontinually，answeringthedentist’stimideffortsatconversationingruffmonosyllables。Sometimes，even，heturnedsidewaystothetableandtalkedatgreatlengthtoHeisetheharness-maker，whosetablewasnexttotheirs。TheytooknomorelongwalkstogetherwhenMarcuswentouttoexercisethedogs。
NordidMarcuseveragainrecurtohisgenerosityinrenouncingTrina。
OneTuesday，asMcTeaguetookhisplaceatthetableinthecoffee-joint，hefoundMarcusalreadythere。
“Hello，Mark，“saidthedentist，“youherealready？“
“Hello，“returnedtheother，indifferently，helpinghimselftotomatocatsup。Therewasasilence。AfteralongwhileMarcussuddenlylookedup。
“Say，Mac，“heexclaimed，“whenyougoingtopaymethatmoneyyouoweme？“
McTeaguewasastonished。
“Huh？What？Idon’t——doIoweyouanymoney，Mark？“
“Well，youowemefourbits，“returnedMarcus，doggedly。“I
paidforyouandTrinathatdayatthepicnic，andyounevergaveitback。“
“Oh——oh！“answeredMcTeague，indistress。“That’sso，that’sso。I——yououghttohavetoldmebefore。Here’syourmoney，andI’mobligedtoyou。“
“Itain’tmuch，“observedMarcus，sullenly。“ButIneedallIcangetnow-a-days。“
“Areyou——areyoubroke？“inquiredMcTeague。
“AndIain’tsayinganythingaboutyoursleepingatthehospitalthatnight，either，“mutteredMarcus，ashepocketedthecoin。
“Well——well——doyoumean——shouldIhavepaidforthat？“
“Well，you’d’a’hadtosleepSOMEWHERES，wouldn’tyou？“flashedoutMarcus。“You’a’hadtopayhalfadollarforabedattheflat。“
“Allright，allright，“criedthedentist，hastily，feelinginhispockets。“Idon’twantyoushouldbeoutanythingonmyaccount，oldman。Here，willfourbitsdo？“
“Idon’tWANTyourdamnmoney，“shoutedMarcusinasuddenrage，throwingbackthecoin。“Iain’tnobeggar。“
McTeaguewasmiserable。Howhadheoffendedhispal？
“Well，Iwantyoushouldtakeit，Mark，“hesaid，pushingittowardshim。
“ItellyouIwon’ttouchyourmoney，“exclaimedtheotherthroughhisclenchedteeth，whitewithpassion。“I’vebeenplayedforasuckerlongenough。“
“What’sthematterwithyoulately，Mark？“remonstratedMcTeague。“You’vegotagrouchaboutsomething。IsthereanythingI’vedone？“
“Well，that’sallright，that’sallright，“returnedMarcusasherosefromthetable。“That’sallright。I’vebeenplayedforasuckerlongenough，that’sall。I’vebeenplayedforasuckerlongenough。“Hewentawaywithapartingmalevolentglance。
AtthecornerofPolkStreet，betweentheflatandthecarconductors’coffee-joint，wasFrenna’s。Itwasacornergrocery；advertisementsforcheapbutterandeggs，paintedingreenmarking-inkuponwrappingpaper，stoodaboutonthesidewalkoutside。ThedoorwaywasdecoratedwithahugeMilwaukeebeersign。Backofthestoreproperwasabarwherewhitesandcoveredthefloor。Afewtablesandchairswerescatteredhereandthere。Thewallswerehungwithgorgeously-coloredtobaccoadvertisementsandcoloredlithographsoftrottinghorses。Onthewallbehindthebarwasamodelofafull-riggedshipenclosedinabottle。
ItwasatthisplacethatthedentistusedtoleavehispitchertobefilledonSundayafternoons。SincehisengagementtoTrinahehaddiscontinuedthishabit。
However，hestilldroppedintoFrenna’soneortwonightsintheweek。Hespentapleasanthourthere，smokinghishugeporcelainpipeanddrinkinghisbeer。Heneverjoinedanyofthegroupsofpiquetplayersaroundthetables。Infact，hehardlyspoketoanyonebutthebartenderandMarcus。
ForFrenna’swasoneofMarcusSchouler’shaunts；agreatdealofhistimewasspentthere。HeinvolvedhimselfinfearfulpoliticalandsocialdiscussionswithHeisetheharness-maker，andwithoneortwooldGerman，habituesoftheplace。ThesediscussionsMarcuscarriedon，aswashiscustom，atthetopofhisvoice，gesticulatingfiercely，bangingthetablewithhisfists，brandishingtheplatesandglasses，excitinghimselfwithhisownclamor。
OnacertainSaturdayevening，afewdaysafterthesceneatthecoffee-joint，thedentistbethoughthimtospendaquieteveningatFrenna’s。Hehadnotbeenthereforsometime，and，besidesthat，itoccurredtohimthatthedaywashisbirthday。Hewouldpermithimselfanextrapipeandafewglassesofbeer。WhenMcTeagueenteredFrenna’sbackroombythestreetdoor，hefoundMarcusandHeisealreadyinstalledatoneofthetables。TwoorthreeoftheoldGermanssatoppositethem，gulpingtheirbeerfromtimetotime。Heisewassmokingacigar，butMarcushadbeforehimhisfourthwhiskeycocktail。AtthemomentofMcTeague’sentranceMarcushadthefloor。
“Itcan’tbeproven，“hewasyelling。“Idefyanysanepoliticianwhoseeyesarenotblindedbypartyprejudices，whoseopinionsarenotwarpedbyapersonalbias，tosubstantiatesuchastatement。Lookatyourfacts，lookatyourfigures。IamafreeAmericancitizen，ain’tI？Ipaymytaxestosupportagoodgovernment，don’tI？It’sacontractbetweenmeandthegovernment，ain’tit？Well，then，bydamn！iftheauthoritiesdonotorwillnotaffordmeprotectionforlife，liberty，andthepursuitofhappiness，thenmyobligationsareatanend；Iwithholdmytaxes。Ido——Ido——IsayIdo。What？“Heglaredabouthim，seekingopposition。
“That’snonsense，“observedHeise，quietly。“Tryitonce；you’llgetjugged。“Butthisobservationoftheharness-maker’srousedMarcustothelastpitchoffrenzy。
“Yes，ah，yes！“heshouted，risingtohisfeet，shakinghisfingerintheother’sface。“Yes，I’dgotojail；butbecauseI——Iamcrushedbyatyranny，doesthatmakethetyrannyright？Doesmightmakeright？“
“Youmustmakelessnoiseinhere，MisterSchouler，“saidFrenna，frombehindthebar。
“Well，itmakesmemad，“answeredMarcus，subsidingintoagrowlandresuminghischair。“Hullo，Mac。“
“Hullo，Mark。“
ButMcTeague’spresencemadeMarcusuneasy，rousinginhimatonceasenseofwrong。Hetwistedtoandfroinhischair，shruggingfirstoneshoulderandthenanother。
Quarrelsomeatalltimes，theheatofthepreviousdiscussionhadawakenedwithinhimallhisnaturalcombativeness。Besidesthis，hewasdrinkinghisfourthcocktail。
McTeaguebeganfillinghisbigporcelainpipe。Helitit，blewagreatcloudofsmokeintotheroom，andsettledhimselfcomfortablyinhischair。Thesmokeofhischeaptobaccodriftedintothefacesofthegroupattheadjoiningtable，andMarcusstrangledandcoughed。Instantlyhiseyesflamed。
“Say，forGod’ssake，“hevociferated，“chokeoffonthatpipe！Ifyou’vegottosmokeropelikethat，smokeitinacrowdofmuckers；don’tcomehereamongstgentlemen。“
“Shutup，Schouler！“observedHeiseinalowvoice。
McTeaguewasstunnedbythesuddennessoftheattack。Hetookhispipefromhismouth，andstaredblanklyatMarcus；
hislipsmoved，buthesaidnoword。Marcusturnedhisbackonhim，andthedentistresumedhispipe。
ButMarcuswasfarfrombeingappeased。McTeaguecouldnothearthetalkthatfollowedbetweenhimandtheharness-
maker，butitseemedtohimthatMarcuswastellingHeiseofsomeinjury，somegrievance，andthatthelatterwastryingtopacifyhim。Allatoncetheirtalkgrewlouder。Heiselaidaretaininghanduponhiscompanion’scoatsleeve，butMarcusswunghimselfaroundinhischair，and，fixinghiseyesonMcTeague，criedasifinanswertosomeprotestationonthepartofHeise：
“AllIknowisthatI’vebeensoldieredoutoffivethousanddollars。“
McTeaguegapedathim，bewildered。Heremovedhispipefromhismouthasecondtime，andstaredatMarcuswitheyesfulloftroubleandperplexity。
“IfIhadmyrights，“criedMarcus，bitterly，“I’dhavepartofthatmoney。It’smydue——it’sonlyjustice。“Thedentiststillkeptsilence。
“Ifithadn’tbeenforme，“Marcuscontinued，addressinghimselfdirectlytoMcTeague，“youwouldn’thavehadacentofit——no，notacent。Where’smyshare，I’dliketoknow？
WheredoIcomein？No，Iain’tinitanymore。I’vebeenplayedforasucker，an’nowthatyou’vegotallyoucanoutofme，nowthatyou’vedonemeoutofmygirlandoutofmymoney，yougivemethego-by。Why，wherewouldyouhavebeenTO-DAYifithadn’tbeenforme？“Marcusshoutedinasuddenexasperation，“You’dabeenpluggingteethattwobitsanhour。Ain’tyougotanygratitude？Ain’tyougotanysenseofdecency？“
“Ah，holdup，Schouler，“grumbledHeise。“Youdon’twanttogetintoarow。“
“No，Idon’t，Heise，“returnedMarcus，withaplaintive，aggrievedair。“Butit’stoomuchsometimeswhenyouthinkofit。Hestoleawaymygirl’saffections，andnowthathe’srichandprosperous，andhasgotfivethousanddollarsthatImighthavehad，hegivesmethego-by；he’splayedmeforasucker。Lookhere，“hecried，turningagaintoMcTeague，“doIgetanyofthatmoney？“
“Itain’tminetogive，“answeredMcTeague。“You’redrunk，that’swhatyouare。“
“DoIgetanyofthatmoney？“criedMarcus，persistently。
Thedentistshookhishead。“No，youdon’tgetanyofit。“
“Now——NOW，“clamoredtheother，turningtotheharness-
maker，asthoughthisexplainedeverything。“Lookatthat，lookatthat。Well，I’vedonewithyoufromnowon。“
Marcushadrisentohisfeetbythistimeandmadeasiftoleave，butateveryinstanthecameback，shoutinghisphrasesintoMcTeague’sface，movingoffagainashespokethelastwords，inordertogivethembettereffect。
“Thissettlesitrighthere。I’vedonewithyou。Don’tyoueverdarespeaktomeagain“——hisvoicewasshakingwithfury——“anddon’tyousitatmytableintherestaurantagain。I’msorryIeverloweredmyselftokeepcompanywithsuchdirt。Ah，one-horsedentist！Ah，ten-centzinc-
plugger——hoodlum——MUCKER！Getyourdamnsmokeoutamyface。“