But Jenny only heard her words as part of the sounds of the night. If George did not come back! She moaned dreadfully, and shivered in spite of the heat of the great fire, which made itself felt even in the shack.
"Tchorch, Tchorch!"
She felt him in her arms, as she had held to him when he bore her through the fire. He was a man, a real man. She saw poor Ned, who wasn't one. She saw Mary. But Mary had no child. Poor Mary and poor Annawillee!
The door opened and Chihuahua came in with a bottle.
"You dam' thief, you open um and dlink," said Annie furiously. Chihuahua laughed.
"Hey, hermosa Annie, why you tink I no do dat?"
He was half drunk already. He saw Jenny.
"Hallo, Jenny, peretty Jenny! Peretty womans make mischief. All for dis Pete burn the Moola, and we all out of jhob!"
That was true enough, and Jenny knew it. But Chihuahua was a beast. He came over to her and put his arm about her waist and hugged her.
"I love you, peretty," he whispered; "if de boss no come back, I kick Annawillee out and have you for klootchman!"