“Say, Harry,” he asked, “do you know a fellow named Sanger, who lives in the town?”
“Johnny Sanger? Sure, I do. He lives over Dole’s store; rooms with a fellow named Sill.”
“Shill; but that’s the chap. Well, what sort of a fellow is he?”
“Sanger? Oh, he’s a sort of a frost. He’s in the second class, I think, and I also think that he was there last year, too. Somebody told me that his folks have lots of money, and give Johnny all he wants, and he doesn’t spend any of it from the time he comes until he goes home in the spring. But I don’t know much about him personally. In fact, he may be a very decent sort, after all; you can’t believe all you hear.”
“Don’t know him except by sight. He’s a tall and thin youth with an earnest countenance; wears glasses, I think.”
“Search me, my boy. Say, what the dickens are you after, anyhow? Take me for a city directory, do you? Or a copy of the school catalogue?”
“S-sh, don’t excite yourself,” laughed Hansel. “I’ll tell you all about it. In fact, I want your help. Can I have a few minutes of your valuable time? Or are you going to study?”
“Don’t be silly,” answered Harry, leading the way up to his room. “Who ever studies with exams two months and more away? Take the Morris chair and make yourself ‘ter hum.’ Now, then, unburden your mind. But let me tell you before you start that I’m dead broke. If you are thinking of hiring any more nurses, old son, you mustn’t ask me. And that reminds me that I haven’t collected all that money yet; there are three fellows still owing me. What you ought to do, Hansel, is to start a hospital.”
“It isn’t a nurse this time,” answered the other, “but it’s Mrs. Freer again.”
“The dickens it is! What are you going to do now? Buy her a new silk dress or send her to Europe?”
“Well, you quit being funny and I’ll tell you.”
“Oh, I’m not funny; I can’t be; I try awfully hard, but I can’t make it.”
“Well, stop trying then. And listen here, Harry. You know how Phin and his mother are fixed; they have mighty little money; she’s been trying to make some sort of a living by doing sewing and dressmaking, but Phin says she hasn’t found much to do. I suppose that’s only natural in a town like this. I guess most of the women do their own dressmaking, eh?”