“What’s the difference!” he said. “I got more money now than Rockefella. I ain’t spent more’n a buck since we been over, and then it was just to be spendin’ it, not because they was anything to buy. I seen a fella the other day light a cigarette with one o’ these here dirty twenty-franc notes. He was sick o’ carrying it round. And they was another fella went up to one o’ these here village belles and slipped her a hundred francs. He never seen her before, and he won’t never see her again. He just says ‘Souvenir’ and let it go at that.”

“Did she take it?”

“Oh, I guess not! She’s to gay Paree by this time already.”

“She won’t burn up that town with a hundred francs.”

“No, but all these girls don’t think o’ nothin’ but gettin’ there. From what I seen of it, I’d just as soon be in Akron.”

“Oh, I’d hardly say that!”

99