“'Wait a jiffy,' I says. 'I'll go out and see if he's home. You stay here. I'll be back right off.'
“Out I put, and over to the Berry house, standin' on its rollers in the middle of the Boulevard. And, just as I got to it, somebody says:
“'Ahoy, Sim! What's the hurry? Anybody on fire?'
“'Twas the Cap'n himself, settin' on a pile of movin' joist and smokin' as usual. I didn't waste no time.
“'Sol,' says I, 'I've just come from Olive's. She's got that letter from the Omaha man. Poor thing! all alone there—'
“He interrupted me sharp. 'Well?' he snaps. 'What's it say? Will the cousin help her?'
“'No,' I says, 'drat him, he won't!'
“The answer I got surprised me more'n anything I ever heard or ever will hear.
“'Thank God!' says Sol Berry. 'That settles it.'
“And I swan to man if he didn't climb down off them timbers and march straight across the street, over to the door of Olive Edwards's home, open it, and go in! I leaned against the joist he'd left, and swabbed my forehead with my sleeve.”