Rufus looked at him, unsatisfied.
"What did he give you?" he asked after a silence.
Pete put his hand in the pocket of his coarse blue shirt and drew out a half-dollar.
"Humph!" grunted Rufus. "You can go."
He turned back to Geraldine.
"Is one allowed to write letters from here?" she asked.
"Of course, of course," replied Rufus genially. "What a foolish question." His face had settled into its customary lines.
"Where do we take them? Out to the rural-delivery box? I should like to write to Miss Upton. She was very kind to me."
"No, don't mail anything there. It isn't safe. Right here is the place." He indicated a box on his desk. "Drop anything you want to have go right in here. I'll take care of it."
"Yes," thought Geraldine bitterly. He will take care of it.