“Can’t say for sure,” answered Harry with a broad smile, “but judging by some of the dresses you see, I dare say you’re right.”
“Well, anyway, they’re having a hard pull of it. You know how Phin works; he gets up before it’s light and he works until long after it’s dark, and I don’t suppose he makes very much, either. It’s a shame!”
“Sure it is! But we can’t support them, Hansel. I like Phin as much as you do, and I’ve got a lot of respect for that mother of his; she’s a dandy sort of a mother to have; but--well, what the dickens can we do?”
“You know they’ve got a room at their house that they want to rent. I’ve seen it, and it’s a dandy. If they had rented that when school began they’d have been all right, Phin says. It’s only three dollars a week, but I suppose that three dollars means a whole lot to them.”
“Well, I propose to find some one to take it for the rest of the year.”
“Oh! It sounds simple, but can you do it?”
“Here’s where I come in, eh? What do you want me to do? Walk through the town with a placard on my back? Go around with a dinner bell yelling ‘Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! There is a fine room for rent at Mrs. Freer’s, and the price be moderate?’”
“No, I want you to hush up and let me do the talking for a minute,” Hansel laughed. Harry looked hurt.
“Let you do the talking!” he muttered. “You don’t seem to realize the fact that you’ve been talking a steady stream ever since you entered my humble apartment.”
“I was in Dole’s this morning,” said Hansel, “and he told me that he had to move out inside of a fortnight, because the owner is going to pull that old building down and put up a big four-story affair.”
“Phew!” whistled Harry. “Won’t that be swell? Think of Bevan Hills with a four-story block! Maybe there’ll be a real store there when they get it finished!”
“Well, do you see what I’m driving at?” asked Hansel.
“Didn’t you just tell me awhile ago that this fellow Sanger lives over Dole’s store?”
“Well, do you think he’s going to stay there after they pull the place down?”
“Of course not, you idiot, but what’s that got to do with Mrs. Freer’s room that she wants to--” Harry paused. “Look here, you don’t mean that you’re thinking of trying to rent Mrs. Freer’s room to Sanger and Sill, or Shill, or whatever his silly name is?”