“It’s too bad he’s christened already,” smiled Mrs. Bilkins. “If he hadn’t been, we’d name him Joe.”
“What would be the use of putting a hoodoo on the little chap,” protested Joe.
There was a little further conversation and then, although they urged Joe to stay to lunch, he excused himself on the plea that his mother would be waiting for him and started for home.
But his progress homeward was doomed to be slow that day, for he had scarcely gone a block when he was hailed by Dick Talbot, the moving picture operator whom he had had in mind the day before while talking to Professor Crabbe.
“Hello, Joe, old man!” cried Dick, clapping him on the shoulder. “I haven’t seen you for a month of Sundays. How’s tricks?”
Joe returned his greeting with equal warmth, for he had a strong feeling of friendship for that exuberant youth who seemed always to be in good spirits.
“Things are moving all right,” he answered.
“Anything doing in this old burg?” asked Dick.
“Oh, not so much,” was the answer. “You know it’s rather a sleepy old town.”