“You hain’t got no ambition. If you had, you’d show some spunk now. ’Tain’t often a feller has a chance to get into a case like this one is.”
“Well, I don’t care if it ain’t, that’s what I say.”
“I thought you wanted to be a detective, and couldn’t wait, hardly, for me to work up the case.”
“Well, I didn’t think I’d have to climb into places like this old Gunwagner’s. ’Tain’t what I call bein’ a detective no way.”
“You make me tired, Tom Flannery. You get the foolishest notions into your head of any boy I ever see.”
“Well, I don’t care if I do. I know plenty detectives don’t do nothin’ like this. They jest dress up and play the gentleman, that’s what they do.”
“And that’s the kind of a detective you want to be, is it?”
“Yes, it is; there ain’t no danger about that kind of bein’ a detective.”
“Tom, you’d look great tryin’ to be a gentleman, wouldn’t you? I’d like to see you, Tom Flannery, a gentleman!” said Bob, derisively. “It makes me sick, such talk.”
Tom was silent for a time. Evidently he thought there was some ground for Bob’s remarks.