"You said, wait," answered the boy, taking off his hat and rising.
"Oh, yes. Very well; no matter."
"Ma"am?"
"No matter."
"Does that mean for me to wait?"
"It means you may go."
He started reluctantly. "Gee," he exclaimed, under his breath, looking around, "this is swell in here, ain"t it?"
"See here, what is your name?"
"Solomon Battershawl, but most folks call me Gloomy."
"Gloomy! Where did you get that name?"
"Mr. Glover."
"Who sent you with this note?"
"I can"t tell. He gave me a dollar and told me I wasn"t to answer any questions."
"Oh, did he? What else did he tell you?"
"He said for me to take my hat off when I spoke to you, but my hat blowed off when you spoke to me."
"Unfortunate! Well, you are a handsome fellow, Gloomy. What do you do?"
"I"m a railroad man."
"Are you? How fine. So you won"t tell who sent you."
"No, ma"am."
"What else did the gentleman say?"
"He said if anybody offered me anything I wasn"t to take anything."
"Did he, indeed, Gloomy?"
"Yes"m."
She turned to the table from where she was sitting and took up a big box. "No money, he meant."
"Yes"m."
"How about candy?"
Solomon shifted.
"He didn"t mention candy?"
"No"m."
"Do you ever eat candy?"
"Yes"m."
"This is a box that came from Pittsburg only this morning for me. Take some chocolates. Don"t be afraid; take several. What is your last name?"
"Battershawl."
"Gloomy Battershawl; how pretty. Battershawl is so euphonious."
"Yes"m."
"Who is your best friend among the railroad men?"
"Mr. Duffy, our chief despatcher. I owe my promotion to "im," said Solomon, solemnly.
"But who gives you the most money, I mean. Take a large piece this time."
"Oh, there ain"t anybody gives me any money, much, exceptin" Mr.
Glover. I run errands for him."
"What is the most money he ever gave you for an errand, Gloomy?"
"Dollar, twice."
"So much as that?"
"Yes"m."
"What was that for?"
"The first time it was for taking his washing down to the Spider to him on Number Two one Sunday morning."
This being a line of answer Gertrude had not expected to develop she started, but Solomon was under way. "Gee, the river w"s high that time. He was down there two weeks and never went to bed at all, and came up special in a sleeper, sick, and I took care of him. Gee, he was sick."
"What was the matter?"
"Noomonia, the doctor said."
"And you took care of him!"
"Me an" the doctor."