Part 5 (1/2)

That's what you been thinkin', ain't it?

”Take those hobos up in the lodgin' house, for instance. Curiosity's eatin' their hearts out in regard to me. They know I ain't a tramp, yet they see me float smoothly along among 'em and never strike a discord. I don't seem to mix with 'em, neither do I seem to keep aloof from 'em. I'm there and I ain't there--see? If they only knew it, I've tramped miles to their feet. Yet I never was a regular tramp.

”On the other hand, when I'm hob-n.o.bbin' with the upper cla.s.s I keep them guessin'. I talk kinda crude, yet what I say seems to be worth listenin' to. I go into a flash hotel or cafe and never stumble over anything, or knock the carafe off the table, or order corned-beef hash when the menu card looks like an advanced lesson in _parlez vous_.

They take me to the circus to amuse me, and I come back at 'em with grand opera.

”So that's the way it goes, and you'll savvy more about it when you see more o' me. At present I'm goin' to take you away from Frisco and, if somethin' turns up, give you a start. I'm doin't this princ.i.p.ally because I need your little roll to tide me over till I get a workin'

stake. I'm frank about it. But I may learn to like you. You appear to be sorta bright.”

Tweet pushed back his chair. ”Now we'll go down to Morgan & Stroud's and get out where we c'n go to work and do somethin', and have a chance to look about and think.”

Protestations died on Hiram's lips, and he dutifully rose and followed.

There was a cigar case on the cas.h.i.+er's counter, and Tweet leaned over it, looking down at the contents, while Hiram laid his check beside the cash register and fumbled for his pocketbook. He produced a dollar and laid it on the check, then looked about for some one to receive them.

The s.p.a.ce behind the counter was empty, but from a little inclosed portion of the window came the slow, labored clicking of typewriter keys.

”Tap the dollar on the show case,” suggested Tweet.

Hiram tapped the gla.s.s.

Instantly, in the window room, the clicking keys were hushed. Hiram heard the squeak of a swivel chair. He heard the swish and caught the gleam of a white skirt. The next moment she was standing before him.

His breathing checked itself, and his knees began that sickening tattoo. He was instantly so miserable that he longed to die. Yet he faced her big eyes, brown and good-natured and smiling with recognition, and dumbly pushed the check and the dollar across the counter.

”Why, h.e.l.lo!” she said lightly.

”h.e.l.lo,” came a quavering echo.

The drawer of the cash register shot out with a metallic clang.

Hiram's dollar jingled in among its kind. The girl's slim fingers were suspending a quarter to be dropped into his palm, suggesting to Hiram's abnormal mind the fear of contamination. He feebly put out his hand, and she dropped the coin.

”Thank you,” she acknowledged in a light, professional tone, raising her voice on the ”you.”

She was turning away, when Tweet looked up from the cigars.

”Since when, Lucy?” came his rollicking voice. She turned back, smiling. ”Oh, since just this morning,” she replied. ”The boss fired the cas.h.i.+er just before I went off watch last night. He said he was going to call up the employment agency and get another the first thing this morning.

”'What's the matter with giving some one here a chance?' I says.

'That's the way with you fellows,' I says. 'A girl can work her fingers off for you for years, then when the chance comes for something better, why, you telephone an employment agency and give it to a perfect stranger. You give me a pain!' I says.

”'But you ain't a cas.h.i.+er--you're a waitress,' he says.

”'I'm not speaking about myself in particular,' I says. 'I'm speaking about all of us who are working for you. Then,' I says, 'how do you know I can't make change? When there's an opening for better pay and easier work,' I says, 'why don't you come to us and see if any of us think we can hold it down? You know us and can trust us, and instead of giving us a look-in, you go and hire an outsider.'”

”Good stuff!” commented Tweet. ”And he fell for it, did he?”

She flipped out her palms in a little gesture. ”I'm here, ain't I?

Waited table from seven to three last night, and came behind the counter here at five-thirty this morning. The boss'll relieve me at twelve o'clock. Guess I'll sleep some to-night!”