After supper he gathered his newspapers to read.  He sat in his stocking feet.

Arise, some new Dante, and sing me the befitting corner of perdition for the man who sitteth in the house in his stockinged feet.  Sisters of Patience who by reason of ties or duty have endured it in silk, yarn, cotton, lisle thread or woollen—­does not the new canto belong?

The next day was Labor Day.  The occupations of Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Fink ceased for one passage of the sun.  Labor, triumphant, would parade and otherwise disport itself.

Mrs. Fink took Mrs. Cassidy’s pattern down early.  Mame had on her new silk waist.  Even her damaged eye managed to emit a holiday gleam.  Jack was fruitfully penitent, and there was a hilarious scheme for the day afoot, with parks and picnics and Pilsener in it.

A rising, indignant jealousy seized Mrs. Fink as she returned to her flat above.  Oh, happy Mame, with her bruises and her quick-following balm!  But was Mame to have a monopoly of happiness?  Surely Martin Fink was as good a man as Jack Cassidy.  Was his wife to go always unbelabored and uncaressed?  A sudden, brilliant, breathless idea came to Mrs. Fink.  She would show Mame that there were husbands as able to use their fists and perhaps to be as tender afterward as any Jack.

The holiday promised to be a nominal one with the Finks.  Mrs. Fink had the stationary washtubs in the kitchen filled with a two weeks’ wash that had been soaking overnight.  Mr. Fink sat in his stockinged feet reading a newspaper.  Thus Labor Day presaged to speed.

Jealousy surged high in Mrs. Fink’s heart, and higher still surged an audacious resolve.  If her man would not strike her—­if he would not so far prove his manhood, his prerogative and his interest in conjugal affairs, he must be prompted to his duty.

Mr. Fink lit his pipe and peacefully rubbed an ankle with a stockinged toe.  He reposed in the state of matrimony like a lump of unblended suet in a pudding.  This was his level Elysium—­to sit at ease vicariously girdling the world in print amid the wifely splashing of suds and the agreeable smells of breakfast dishes departed and dinner ones to come.  Many ideas were far from his mind; but the furthest one was the thought of beating his wife.

Mrs. Fink turned on the hot water and set the washboards in the suds.  Up from the flat below came the gay laugh of Mrs. Cassidy.  It sounded like a taunt, a flaunting of her own happiness in the face of the unslugged bride above.  Now was Mrs. Fink’s time.

Suddenly she turned like a fury upon the man reading.

“You lazy loafer!” she cried, “must I work my arms off washing and toiling for the ugly likes of you?  Are you a man or are you a kitchen hound?”

Mr. Fink dropped his paper, motionless from surprise.  She feared that he would not strike—­that the provocation had been insufficient.  She leaped at him and struck him fiercely in the face with her clenched hand.  In that instant she felt a thrill of love for him such as she had not felt for many a day.  Rise up, Martin Fink, and come into your kingdom!  Oh, she must feel the weight of his hand now—­just to show that he cared—­just to show that he cared!