The boy’s countenance broadened in a smile.
“‘Say “Hullo!” and “How-de-do!”
“How’s the world a-using you?”’”
quoted Neale, and chuckled outright. “What’s his name? What does he want?”
“Costello—that me,” interposed the strange junkman. He gazed curiously at Neale with his snapping black eyes. “You are not Kenway—here in the pape’?”
Again the finger tapped upon the Lost and Found column in the Post. Neale shook his head. He glanced out of the open door and spied the wagon and its informative sign.
“You are a junkman, are you, Mr. Costello?”
“Yes, yes, yes! I buy the pape’, buy the rag and bot’—buy anytheeng I get cheap. But not to buy do I come this time to Mees Kenway. No, no! I come because of this in the paper.”
His tapping finger called attention again to the advertisement of the bracelet. Neale expelled a surprised whistle.
“Oh, Aggie!” he said, “is he after the Gypsy bracelet?”
The swarthy man’s face was all eagerness again.