"They ain't no good, but the teacher makes yer take one. You can get story books on the white card, but the other is for non-fiction."
"What's that?"
"Oh, school books, an' a lot of rotten things like that."
"What do yer want them for?"
"You don't want 'em—excep' a few of 'em. 'The American Boy's Handy Book' is one of 'em. That's all right. Most of 'em are bum. But if you take 'em, it makes a hit with the teacher. They want yer to read 'em. I got a prize last winter for readin' more'n any other feller that comes to the liberry."
"Gee, you must have hated to read all them school books."
"Aw, I didn't read 'em, you mutt. I jus' took 'em home, an' brought 'em back in a day or two. Say, have you ever read any of Alger's?"
"Yup—two of 'em. Eddie Meaghan let me take two of his. You can't get 'em here. I wish you could, though. They're great."
"I know. I tried to get 'em off the teacher down stairs. She said they warn't nice. I says yes they are too, for my brother who's studyin' to be a lawyer read 'em. She said she'd give me some book that was better, an' she give me one called 'Brothers of the Air.'"