The girl looked sympathetic. "You haven't, have you?"
"Oh, I get along."
"Guy says you live with a guardian."
"You may call him a guardian if you like, but the word is too big. You only have a guardian when you've something to guard, and I haven't anything."
"Yes, but how did you ever ...?"
Once more Tom said to himself, "It's the way she looks at you." He knew what she was trying to ask him, and in order to be open and aboveboard, he gave her the few main facts of his life. He did it briefly, hurriedly, throwing emphasis only on the point that, to keep him from becoming a State ward the second time, his stevedore friend had brought him to Boston and sent him to school.
"He must be an awfully good man!"
He was going to tell her that he was when the brother gave the talk another twist.
"What are you going to do in your holidays?"