"My friend Mr. McGolwey--I knew him in Schoenstrom--come on to Seattle
for a while. Bill, these are some people I met along the road," Milt
grumbled.
"Glad to meet 'em. Have a chair. Have two chairs! Say, Milt, y'ought to
have more chairs if you're going to have a bunch of swells coming to
call on you. Ha, ha, ha! Say, I guess I better pike out and give the
folks a chance to chin with you," Bill fondly offered.
"Oh, sit down," Milt snapped at him.
They all sat down, four on the bed; and Milt's inner ear heard a mute
snicker from the Gilsons and Saxton. He tried to talk. He couldn't. Bill
looked at him and, perceiving the dumbness, gallantly helped out: "So you met the kid on the road, eh? Good scout, Milt is. We always used
to say at Schoenstrom that he was the best darn hand at fixing a flivver
in seven townships."
"So you knew Mr. Daggett at home? Now isn't that nice," said Mrs.
Gilson.
"Knew him? Saaaaay, Milt and I was brung up together. Why, him and I
have bummed around together, and worked on farms, summers, and fished
for bull-heads---- Ever catch a bull-head? Damnedest slipperiest fish
you ever saw, and got horns that sting the stuffin's out of you and----
Say, I wonder if Milt's told you about the time we had at a barn-dance
once? There was a bunch of hicks there, and I says, 'Say, kid, lez
puncture their tires, and hide back of the manure pile, and watch the
fun when they come out.' I guess maybe I was kind of stewed a little,
tell the truth, but course Milt he don't drink much, hardly at all, nice
straight kid if I do say so----"
"Bill!" Milt ordered. "We must have some tea. Here's six-bits. You run
down to the corner grocery and get some tea and a little cream. Oh, you
better buy three-four cups, too. Hustle now, son!"
"Attaboy! Yours to command, ladies and gents, like the fellow says!"
Bill boomed delightedly. He winked at Jeff Saxton, airily spun his
broken hat on his dirty forefinger, and sauntered out.
"Charming fellow. A real original," crooned Mrs. Gilson.
"Did he know your friend Mr. Pinky?" asked Saxton.
Before Milt could answer, Claire rose from the bed, inspected the
Gilsons and Jeff with cold dislike, and said quietly to Milt, "The poor
dear thing--he was dreadfully embarrassed. It's so good of you to be
nice to him. I believe in being loyal to your old friends."
"Oh, so do I!" babbled Mrs. Gilson. "It's just too splendid. And we
must do something for him. I'm going to invite Mr. Daggett and Mr.--Mr.
McGollups, was it?--to dinner this evening. I do want to hear him tell
about your boyhood. It must have been so interesting."