“Hello, Budge,” said Jack. “Where have you been all this while?” For Budge Rankin, the odd character whom Jack had befriended by getting him the position of assistant janitor at Washington Hall, was clad in overcoat and cap.
“Me? Oh, I’ve been in town,” answered Budge, stretching some gum out of his mouth and beginning to pull it in again by the simple process of winding it around his tongue.
“In town?” questioned Nat.
“Yep. ’Smynightoff.”
“Oh, it was your night off,” repeated Jack, for Budge had a habit of running his words together.
“Yep. Wow! My gum’s frozen!” he exclaimed, pausing in the act of trying to chew it again. “But say,” he added, “if the fire’s out, you’d better go inside. It’s cold here.”
“You’re right; it is,” admitted Jack, shivering.
“Here, take my coat,” spoke Budge, starting to take it off.
“Indeed, I’ll do nothing of the sort,” replied Jack. “I’ll go in and get warm.”