“It’smine，“persistedMcTeague。“Iwantit。“
“Go’longwithyou，Mac。Whatdoyoumean？“
“Imeanthatit’smine，that’swhatImean。Yougotnorighttoit。ItwasSTOLENfromme，that’swhatI
mean，“headded，asullenangerflamingupinhislittleeyes。
Theclerkraisedashoulderandputtheconcertinaonanuppershelf。
“Youtalktothebossaboutthat；t’ain’tnoneofmyaffair。
Ifyouwanttobuyit，it’selevendollars。“
Thedentisthadbeenpaidoffthedaybeforeandhadfourdollarsinhiswalletatthemoment。Hegavethemoneytotheclerk。
“Here，there’spartofthemoney。You——youputthatconcertinaasideforme，an’I’llgiveyoutherestinaweekorso——I’llgiveittoyoutomorrow，“heexclaimed，struckwithasuddenidea。
McTeaguehadsadlymissedhisconcertina。Sundayafternoonswhentherewasnoworktobedone，hewasaccustomedtolieflatonhisbackonhisspringlessbedinthelittleroomintherearofthemusicstore，hiscoatandshoesoff，readingthepaper，drinkingsteambeerfromapitcher，andsmokinghispipe。Buthecouldnolongerplayhissixlugubriousairsuponhisconcertina，anditwasadeprivation。Heoftenwonderedwhereitwasgone。Ithadbeenlost，nodoubt，inthegeneralwreckofhisfortunes。Once，even，thedentisthadtakenaconcertinafromthelotkeptbythemusicstore。ItwasaSundayandnoonewasabout。Buthefoundhecouldnotplayuponit。Thestopswerearrangeduponasystemhedidnotunderstand。
Nowhisownconcertinawascomebacktohim。Hewouldbuyitback。Hehadgiventheclerkfourdollars。Heknewwherehewouldgettheremainingseven。
TheclerkhadtoldhimtheconcertinahadbeensoldonPolkStreettothesecond-handstorethere。Trinahadsoldit。
McTeagueknewit。Trinahadsoldhisconcertina——hadstolenitandsoldit——hisconcertina，hisbelovedconcertina，thathehadhadallhislife。Why，barringthecanary，therewasnotoneofallhisbelongingsthatMcTeaguehadcherishedmoredearly。Hissteelengravingof“Lorenzode’MediciandhisCourt“mightbelost，hisstonepugdogmightgo，buthisconcertina！
“Andshesoldit——stoleitfrommeandsoldit。JustbecauseIhappenedtoforgettotakeitalongwithme。Well，we’lljustseeaboutthat。You’llgivemethemoneytobuyitback，or——“
Hisrageloomedbigwithinhim。HishatredofTrinacamebackuponhimlikeareturningsurge。Hesawhersmall，primmouth，hernarrowblueeyes，herblackmaneofhair，andup-tiltedchin，andhatedherthemorebecauseofthem。
Aha，he’dshowher；he’dmakeherdance。He’dgetthatsevendollarsfromher，orhe’dknowthereasonwhy。Hewentthroughhisworkthatday，heavingandhaulingattheponderouspianos，handlingthemwiththeeaseofaliftingcrane，impatientforthecomingofevening，whenhecouldbelefttohisowndevices。Asoftenashehadamomenttosparehewentdownthestreettothenearestsaloonanddrankaponyofwhiskey。Nowandthenashefoughtandstruggledwiththevastmassesofebony，rosewood，andmahoganyontheupperfloorofthemusicstore，ragingandchafingattheirinertnessandunwillingness，whilethewhiskeypirouettedinhisbrain，hewouldmuttertohimself：
“An’Igottodothis。Igottoworklikeadrayhorsewhileshesitsathomebyherstoveandcountshermoney——
andsellsmyconcertina。“
Sixo’clockcame。Insteadofsupper，McTeaguedranksomemorewhiskey，fiveponiesinrapidsuccession。AftersupperhewasobligedtogooutwiththedraytodeliveraconcertgrandattheOddFellows’Hall，whereapiano“recital“wastotakeplace。
“Ain’tyoucomingbackwithus？“askedoneofthehandlersasheclimbeduponthedriver’sseatafterthepianohadbeenputinplace。
“No，no，“returnedthedentist；“Igotsomethingelsetodo。“ThebrilliantlightsofasaloonneartheCityHallcaughthiseye。Hedecidedhewouldhaveanotherdrinkofwhiskey。Itwasabouteighto’clock。
Thefollowingdaywastobeafetedayatthekindergarten，theChristmasandNewYearfestivalscombined。
Allthatafternoonthelittletwo-storybuildingonPacificStreethadbeenfilledwithanumberofgrandladiesoftheKindergartenBoard，whowerehangingupropesofevergreenandspraysofholly，andarrangingagreatChristmastreethatstoodinthecentreoftheringintheschoolroom。Thewholeplacewaspervadedwithapungent，pineyodor。Trinahadbeenverybusysincetheearlymorning，comingandgoingateverybody’scall，nowrunningdownthestreetafteranothertack-hammerorafreshsupplyofcranberries，nowtyingtogethertheropesofevergreenandpassingthemuptooneofthegrandladiesasshecarefullybalancedherselfonastep-ladder。Byeveningeverythingwasinplace。Asthelastgrandladylefttheschool，shegaveTrinaanextradollarforherwork，andsaid：
“Now，ifyou’lljusttidyuphere，Mrs。McTeague，Ithinkthatwillbeall。Sweepupthepineneedleshere——youseetheyarealloverthefloor——andlookthroughalltherooms，andtidyupgenerally。Goodnight——andaHappyNewYear，“shecriedpleasantlyasshewentout。
Trinaputthedollarawayinhertrunkbeforeshedidanythingelseandcookedherselfabitofsupper。Thenshecamedownstairsagain。
Thekindergartenwasnotlarge。Onthelowerfloorwerebuttworooms，themainschoolroomandanotherroom，acloakroom，verysmall，wherethechildrenhungtheirhatsandcoats。Thiscloakroomopenedoffthebackofthemainschoolroom。Trinacastacriticalglanceintobothoftheserooms。Therehadbeenagreatdealofgoingandcominginthemduringtheday，andshedecidedthatthefirstthingtodowouldbetoscrubthefloors。Shewentupagaintoherroomoverheadandheatedsomewateroverheroilstove；
then，re-descending，settoworkvigorously。
Bynineo’clockshehadalmostfinishedwiththeschoolroom。
Shewasdownonherhandsandkneesinthemidstofasteamingmuckofsoapywater。Onherfeetwereapairofman’sshoesfastenedwithbuckles；adirtycottongown，dampwiththewater，clungabouthershapeless，stuntedfigure。
Fromtimetotimeshesatbackonherheelstoeasethestrainofherposition，andwithonesmokinghand，whiteandparboiledwiththehotwater，brushedherhair，alreadystreakedwithgray，outofherweazened，palefaceandthecornersofhermouth。
Itwasveryquiet。Agas-jetwithoutaglobelituptheplacewithacrude，rawlight。Thecatwholivedonthepremises，preferringtobedirtyratherthantobewet，hadgotintothecoalscuttle，andoveritsrimwatchedhersleepilywithalong，complacentpurr。
Allatoncehestoppedpurring，leavinganabruptsilenceintheairlikethesuddenshuttingoffofastreamofwater，whilehiseyesgrewwide，twolambentdisksofyellowintheheapofblackfur。
“Whoisthere？“criedTrina，sittingbackonherheels。Inthestillnessthatsucceeded，thewaterdrippedfromherhandswiththesteadytickofaclock。ThenabrutalfistswungopenthestreetdooroftheschoolroomandMcTeaguecamein。Hewasdrunk；notwiththatdrunkennesswhichisstupid，maudlin，waveringonitsfeet，butwiththatwhichisalert，unnaturallyintelligent，vicious，perfectlysteady，deadlywicked。Trinaonlyhadtolookonceathim，andinaninstant，withsomestrangesixthsense，bornoftheoccasion，knewwhatshehadtoexpect。
Shejumpedupandranfromhimintothelittlecloakroom。
Shelockedandboltedthedoorafterher，andleanedherweightagainstit，pantingandtrembling，everynerveshrinkingandquiveringwiththefearofhim。
McTeagueputhishandontheknobofthedooroutsideandopenedit，tearingoffthelockandboltguard，andsendingherstaggeringacrosstheroom。
“Mac，“shecriedtohim，ashecamein，speakingwithhorridrapidity，cringingandholdingoutherhands，“Mac，listen。
Waitaminute——lookhere——listenhere。Itwasn’tmyfault。
I’llgiveyousomemoney。Youcancomeback。I’lldoANYTHINGyouwant。Won’tyoujustLISTENtome？Oh，don’t！I’llscream。Ican’thelpit，youknow。Thepeoplewillhear。“
McTeaguecametowardsherslowly，hisimmensefeetdraggingandgrindingonthefloor；hisenormousfists，hardaswoodenmallets，swingingathissides。Trinabackedfromhimtothecorneroftheroom，coweringbeforehim，holdingherelbowcrookedinfrontofherface，watchinghimwithfearfulintentness，readytododge。
“Iwantthatmoney，“hesaid，pausinginfrontofher。
“Whatmoney？“criedTrina。
“Iwantthatmoney。Yougotit——thatfivethousanddollars。
Iwanteverynickelofit！Youunderstand？“
“Ihaven’tit。Itisn’there。UncleOelbermann’sgotit。“
“That’salie。Hetoldmethatyoucameandgotit。You’vehaditlongenough；nowIwantit。Doyouhear？“
“Mac，Ican’tgiveyouthatmoney。I——IWON’Tgiveittoyou，“Trinacried，withsuddenresolution。
“Yes，youwill。You’llgivemeeverynickelofit。“
“No，NO。“
“Youain’tgoingtomakesmallofmethistime。Givemethatmoney。“
“NO。“
“Forthelasttime，willyougivemethatmoney？“
“No。“
“Youwon’t，huh？Youwon’tgivemeit？Forthelasttime。“
“No，NO。“