Bill took Tommy to the kitchen and introduced him to Mrs. Clayton. “I've brought you another boarder.”
Mrs. Clayton looked at Tommy dubiously. “I don't know,” she said. “The front room is—”
“The room next to mine will do,” said Bill. “The one Perkins had.”
“Well—” she began, vaguely, looking at Tommy's clothes.
“How much?” asked Tommy, anxiously. His tone seemed to reassure the landlady.
“Eight dollars a week,” she answered. “But when the front room—”
“It's as much as I can afford to pay,” said Tommy, quickly. It wouldn't leave much to send home out of the fifteen Thompson said he would pay.
Seventeen thousand dollars! And there was need of haste! The tragedy showed in the boy's face.
“Of course that includes the dinner,” said Mrs. Clayton, hastily, “same as Mr. Byrnes.”
“Deal's closed,” said Bill. “Come on, Leigh.”