“Ya’, suh,” I grinned.
And on the moment I wanted to let out a tickled whoop. For I knew well enough what was in his mind. But, of course, I kept shut.
“Git out of here,” he said, savage-like, giving me a shove. And following me into the hall, he put the key of the locked room into his pocket and stomped down the stairs.
When he was well out of sight in the street, I ’phoned to Scoop. Then I went to the basement and skinned out of my fancy uniform, putting on the clothes that I had brought from home. Hiding the uniform behind a flour barrel, I whitened my face with the flour and crawled through a window into the alley.
Overtaking Gennor, I kept well behind. And when he turned in at the brick house and cranked the door-bell, I circled to the rear and tumbled in through the kitchen door.
The visitor was talking loudly in the front hall.
“Why didn’t you tell me,” he demanded, ugly-like, “that old Ricks lived here?”
“Is that a riddle,” returned Scoop, “or a question?” [[163]]
“Don’t git fresh with me.… Where’s the old man? I came to talk business.”
“Oh!…” said Scoop. “Have a seat.”