“He certainly could,” agreed Harriet; and then suddenly:  “Why, what’s the matter, Elizabeth?  Your face is perfectly scarlet.”

The other girl tapped the floor with the toe of one boot impatiently.

“That horrid creature at the next table just winked at me,” she said disgustedly.

Harriet looked about in the direction her companion had indicated, to see a large, overdressed man staring at them.  There was a smirk on his face, and as Harriet caught his eye she saw him rise and, to her horror, realized that he was advancing toward their table.

He stopped in front of them with his huge hands resting on the edge of their table and looked down at Elizabeth.

“Hello, kiddo!” he said.  “What are you going to drink?”

Elizabeth gave the man one look such as would utterly have frozen a male from her own stratum of society, but it had as little effect upon Steve Murray’s self-assurance as the cork from a popgun would have on the armored sides of a rhinoceros.

“All right,” said the man, “what’s the use of asking?  There’s only one thing when Steve Murray buys.  Here, waiter,” he yelled, pounding on the table.  The nearest waiter, who chanced not to be Jimmy, who was then in the kitchen, came hurriedly forward.  “Open up some wine,” commanded Murray.  “Come on, boys!  Bring your chairs over here,” he continued, addressing his companions; “let’s have a little party.”

Elizabeth Compton rose.

“You will oblige me,” she said, “by leaving our table.”

Steve Murray laughed uproariously.  He had dropped into a chair next to hers.

“That’s great!” he cried.  “I guess you don’t know who I am, kiddo.  You won’t cop off anything better in this joint than Steve Murray.  Come on—­let’s be friends.  That’s a good girl,” and before Elizabeth realized the man’s intentions he had seized her wrist and pulled her down into his lap.

It was this scene that broke upon Jimmy’s view as he emerged from the kitchen with a laden tray.  He saw Steve Murray seize the girl, and he saw her struggling to free herself, and then there was a mighty crash as Jimmy dropped the tray of steaming food upon the floor and ran quickly forward.

Murray was endeavoring to draw the girl’s lips to his as Jimmy’s hand shot between their faces and pushed that of the man away.  With his free arm he encircled the girl’s body and attempted to draw her from her assailant.

“Cut it, Murray!” he commanded in a low tone of voice.  “She isn’t your sort.”

“Who the hell are you?” cried the labor leader, releasing the girl and rising to his feet.  “Get the hell out of here, you dirty hash-slinger!  Any girl in this place belongs to me if I want her.  There don’t only one kind come in here without an escort, or with one, either, for that matter.  You get back on your job, where you belong,” and the man pressed forward trying to push Jimmy aside and lay hands on Elizabeth again.