"Oh, it's you?" he said pleasantly. "Come in--sit down."
"No, I won't stay," demurred Slavin, shaking his outer coat, which was dripping with wet. "I--you see, I was strolling by. Saw you up here, and thought I'd drop in for a minute."
"I am glad. It is pretty lonesome up here, you know," said Ralph.
He noticed a certain embarrassment in Slavin's manner. It was a queer night and a queer hour for Slavin to select for a stroll. Ralph wondered what really was the motive of his visit.
As Slavin shook his outer coat Ralph caught a gleam of bright red beneath it. He was quite surprised to observe that this was a sweater, bearing the initials "S.A." braided across its front.
"Why, Mr. Slavin," he said with an inquisitive smile, "is that a uniform you are wearing?"
"Why, yes," admitted Slavin, turning as red in the face as the sweater itself--"Salvation Army, you know."
"I thought so. Joined them?"
Slavin fidgeted, and regarded Ralph suspiciously from the corner of one eye to see if he was laughing at him. Ralph preserved a reassuring gravity on purpose.
"N-no," said Slavin. "You see, I got tired of that mob I was training with. They borrowed and stole all I earned."