a pause. "My name's Duane -- Jack Duane. I've more
than a dozen, but that's my company one." He seated him~
self on the floor with his back to the wall and his legs
crossed, and went on talking easily; he soon put Jurgis
on a friendly footing -- he was evidently a man of the
world, used to getting on, and not too proud to hold con~
versation with a mere laboring man. He drew Jurgis
out, and heard all about his life -- all but the one un~
mentionable thing; and then he told stories about his
own life. He was a great one for stories, not always of
the choicest. Being sent to jail had apparently not dis~
turbed his cheerfulness; he had "done time" twice before,
it seemed, and he took it all with a frolic welcome. What
with women and wine and the excitement of his vocation,
a man could afford to rest now and then.

Naturally, the aspect of prison life was changed for
Jurgis by the arrival of a cell-mate. He could not turn
his face to the wall and sulk, he had to speak when he
was spoken to; nor could he help being interested
in the conversation of Duane -- the first educated man
with whom he had ever talked. How could he help lis~
tening with wonder while the other told of mid~
night ventures and perilous escapes, of feastings and
orgies, of fortunes squandered in a night? The young
fellow had an amused contempt for Jurgis, as a sort of
working mule; he, too, had felt the world's injustice, but
instead of bearing it patiently, he had struck back, and
struck hard. He was striking all the time -- there was
war between him and society. He was a genial free~
booter, living off the enemy, without fear or shame. He
was not always victorious, but then defeat did not mean
annihilation, and need not break his spirit.

Withal he was a good-hearted fellow -- too much so, it
appeared. His story came out, not in the first day, nor the
second, but in the long hours that dragged by, in which
they had nothing to do but talk, and nothing to talk of
but themselves. Jack Duane was from the East; he was
a college-bred man -- had been studying electrical engi~
neering. Then his father had met with misfortune in busi~

[[195]]

p194 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p195w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p196

v?