allen had earlier said to shirley that he wanted a woman with an education, aspirations: "ain't no use both of us being dumb". she feigns respectability, telling him that she only works in the dance hall to support her sick parents, who live on a farm in idaho and that she is educated ("i've got a year of high school, wish i'd have stuck it out"). shirley pretends to be interested in attending a lecture with him. later, bud is remonstrating with john about him having hooked up with "a dance hall dame". "how much money has she had off you" bud asks. "not a red cent. "we're going to a lecture", john said. bud: "if a dame tells a guy she's going to a lecture that means one thing, she's got designs on him". john indicates that he doesn't want to fall out with bud, trying to get him to like shirley: "she knows things". bud: "that dame don't need to go to school, she knows "everything"". as john leaves, bud says more cheerily, "come home sober and bring me a lollipop". instead of taking john to "a lecture", shirley takes him to a speakeasy where she gets him drunk on "tea", bootleg gin was served in teapots to disguise its true nature, as alcohol was illegal then, due to prohibition. when john allen protests, she says stupidly that they can "catch the second show" of the lecture. john allen is drunk after the first floor show, drunk, bored and belligerent. he says that shirley herself shouldn't drink too much. she intones "i must, because of my problems". ""what" problems", john allen responds. shirley starts crying: "don't do that" john says, "not when i'm drunk, i hate that". he then brightens up a bit smiling with realisation "i'm drunk". liquor was illegal and managing to get "blind drunk" (sometimes literally, the substances being methanol, not alcohol) was something of an achievement to them. shirley day kisses him, cheering him up greatly. "you know i like that" he says. shirley responds, "would you like "more"?".