Hunch went over the conversation in the evening with Bruce. It frightened Bruce, and he made promises which he kept for the rest of the week.
They did not talk about Mamie until Saturday night, after they had been sitting by the stove for a long time in silence. Bruce was nervous.
“Say, Hunch,” he said, “would you go down if you was me?”
“I don't know. What do you s'pose she'll say?”
“I guess you know what she ought to say, all right.”
Bruce went to bed early, but Hunch heard him tossing until late. In the morning he was moody.
“Hunch,” he said, after breakfast, “what time does the train go down?”
“Say, I s'pose I might as well take it as the noon train.”
“Well, I guess I will. Say, Hunch, I'll tell you--s'pose you come along.”
“I don't mean nothing, Hunch, but you've been talking to her, and you know how to kind of quiet her. I never could, somehow.”
“Look here, Bruce, I ain't going today or any day. I ain't going at all. Understand? You needn't tell her I said that, though.”
“Guess I'd better be starting, eh, Hunch?”
“Come on down to the depot. You ain't got nothing to do.”
At the station, Hunch said: “Got any money?”
“On my honor, Hunch, I won't drink a drop. Do you think a man would drink when he's going down to see his own wife, Hunch? Do you think----”
In the evening Hunch met the Liddington train. Bruce did not get off.
Hunch looked for him Monday morning, but had no word of him. At noon he was called to Mr. Jackson's office.
“Badeau,” said his employer, “when that Considine gets back to work, you send him to me for his time.”
Hunch hesitated. “I'll tell you, Mr. Jackson, he went down yesterday to see his wife. Their kid died a little while ago, and like's not she's sick.”
“My work is pretty light to-day. I thought mebbe I could get off for the afternoon train and sort of look him up. I can get back to-night, you know. You see, if he gets laid off it'll come kind of hard on his wife.”
“All right, go ahead. But, say, Badeau, hold on a minute. We're not running a charity hospital, you know. We can't give that man much rope.” Hunch said, “Yes, sir,” and went out.
He reached Liddington at supper time and picked up a hasty meal at the hotel. Then he hurried over to Joe Cartier's house. Cartier let him in.