“Did you work in Albany?” queried Laura, surprised.
“Yep. Last year. I had a right good place, too. Plenty of work. I got up at four o’clock in the mornin’ and I never did get through at night!”
“Oh, my!”
“Yep. I love work. It keeps yer mind off yer troubles, if you have enough and plenty to do. But if yer have too much of it, yer get fed up, as ye might say. I didn’t get time to sleep.”
Laura had to laugh at that.
“Yep. That chap I tell you about was the nicest chap I ever see. He was kind to me, too. When I cut my thumb most off—see the scar?—a-slicin’ bread in that boardin’ house, the missis put me out ’cause I couldn’t do my work.”
“How mean!” exclaimed Laura.
“Ah! ye don’t know about boardin’ house missises. They ain’t human,” said Liz, confidently. “But Mr. Norman, he seen me goin’ out with my verlise, and he knowed about my sore thumb. He slipped me five dollars out o’ his pocket. But he was rich,” sighed Liz, ecstatically. “He owned a bank.” 111
“Owned a bank?” gasped Laura.
“Yep.”