“It sounds a heap like him,” murmured Wayne, thrusting the letter back into its envelope. “He never did think I was any good, anyway. But I’ll show him. And he needn’t be afraid of my going back or asking him for money, because I wouldn’t, not if I was starving to death!” Wayne clenched his hands tightly and frowned at the letter. Then the frown faded and gave place to a satisfied smile. “Anyway,” he said to himself, “he isn’t going to try to get me back, and that’s a load off a fellow’s mind!”
[CHAPTER XXI]
MR. MILBURN PROMISES
June took a shining half-dollar from his pocket and slipped it along the counter. Wayne examined it questioningly.
“Mister Milburn done give me that,” chuckled June. “An’ all I done was jus’ fetch him some seegars from the news-stand.”
“You mean he tipped you a whole half-dollar for that?” marvelled Wayne.
June nodded. “Yes, sir, that’s all I done. He say, ‘Boy, fetch me two seegars from the news-stand. Tell them they’s for Mister Milburn an’ they’ll know what you want.’ An’ he give me a dollar bill an’ they was seventy-five cents change an’ he say, ‘Where you come from? I ain’ seen you before, has I?’ An’ I say, ‘No, sir, you ain’. I’m the new bell boy, sir, an’ anytime you wants anythin’ done partic’lar jus’ you asks for June.’ He sorter laughed an’ say as how he’s goin’ remember, an’ asks me where did I come from, an’ I tell him I come from Colquitt County, Georgia, an’ he say he knows Colquitt County ’cause he was to a trainin’ camp down thataway once.” June paused long enough to transfer some of the contents of his plate to his mouth, and then, heedful of his companion’s mandate regarding conversation and a full mouth, waited another moment before continuing. “We got on fine, him an’ me, Mas’ Wayne. He’s a right sociable gen’leman, yes, sir.”
Wayne laughed. “I reckon that half-dollar was for your conversation, June, and not for the errand. Did you tell him you came here from Medfield?”
June shook his head innocently. “He ain’ ask me that.”