"What are you goin' to give me for tellin' you, Peggy?" asked Tim.
"I'll give you a penny the next time I see you," said Peggy, vaguely.
"That isn't enough. Give me a nickel to buy a glass of beer?"
"I haven't got it, Tim. I wish I had, for I'm awful dhry myself."
"I wouldn't have come all the way to tell you if I'd know'd that," said Tim, discontentedly.
Just then a noise was heard on the stairs, and Tim, opening the door wider, looked out.
"Here's Johnny now, Peggy!" he said in excitement.
"Come home the middle of the afternoon, too, the young rascal!" ejaculated the old woman. "I'll fix him!"
"So here you are, you young——," commenced Peggy, as Johnny made his appearance, but the threat with which she was about to conclude, died in the utterance, when she saw that Johnny was closely followed by a tall man of middle age.
"Who are you, sir?" she asked irritably, "and what brings you here? If you're the agent, I haven't got any money for you."