"Oh, if a man's alone he can generally get along—turn his hand to anything. But a woman——"
"Worse, you think?"
He eyed her a moment without replying. Then he said:
"I was just thinking about you and what Burgess said."
"What was that?" asked the girl indifferently, as she sipped her milk.
The agent cleared his throat. With an air of some importance, he said:
"You know Burgess and I used to be in the circus business together. He took care of the grafters when I was boss canvas man. I never could see any good in shaking down the rubes for all the money they had and then taking part of it. He used to run the privilege car, you know."
Laura looked puzzled.
"Privilege car?" she echoed.
"Yes," he went on, "had charge of all the pick-pockets—dips we called 'em—sure-thing gamblers and the like. Made him rich. I kept sort o' on the level and I'm broke. Guess it don't pay to be honest——"