"Mrs. Greenough, who lives over my store, spoke to me, a few days ago, about a boy. She is an elderly woman, whose husband died about a year ago, leaving her this house. She has no other property except her furniture, and the rent of this store about pays her expenses. She is a little timid, and does not like to be alone in the house at night. She is a nice woman, and perhaps she will take your young man to board. She wanted one of my young men to occupy a room up stairs, but both of them live at home."
"We will go up and see her. This boy is going to work for Clinch to-morrow, and this will be a good locality for him."
"Just the place," added the grocer, as he conducted us up stairs to the rooms of Mrs. Greenough.
The house was a small one, and the store occupied the whole of the ground floor, except a small entry. It was three stories high, with a flat roof, and I judged that the tenement could not contain more than four rooms. We were taken up stairs, and found the lady in her little parlor. She was about fifty years old, and did not appear to be in good health. The grocer explained our business, and having vouched for the good character of Captain Davis, he left us.
"I didn't think of taking a boy to board," said Mrs. Greenough. "I thought if I could get one of the young men in the store to sleep in the house, I should feel safer. But I don't know but I might take him, if he is a very steady boy."
"Steady as a judge, Mrs. Greenough," replied Captain Davis. "He's going to be a carpenter."
"Is he? My poor husband was a carpenter," added the lady, wiping a tear from her eye. "I am a lone woman now."
"Phil will be good company for you. He knows more than most boys of his age. He has fought through one campaign against the Indians, and is a dead shot with his rifle."
"Not always, captain," I remonstrated.