“Say, how much are you fellows getting for renting it?” asked Sanger with a grin. Bert colored and looked insulted, but Harry interposed with a chuckle.
“I don’t blame you for asking that,” he answered. “It does look as though we were working on a commission, doesn’t it? The fact is, Johnny, we’re all fond of Phin, and you know he’s had a hard time this fall. So we thought that if we could help him to rent that room we’d do it. Dana heard that you fellows would have to move out in a few days, and it occurred to him that maybe he could help you and Phin at the same time. When he asked me I told him right away that I knew you’d be glad to stretch a point to help Phin.”
“Hm!” grunted Sanger dubiously. “That’s all well enough, Harry, but if Mrs. What’s-her-name wants to rent that room of hers she ought to put the rent down to two and a half at most. If we don’t take it, it isn’t likely that she’ll rent it all the year.”
“Oh, you can’t tell,” answered Harry. “People come and go here. She’s not worrying about that. Supposing, though, we all walk down there together, and we’ll ask what her best price is.”
“Oh, I guess we don’t care to go to-night,” said Sanger. “It’s late and I’ve got my slippers on. Evan and I’ll look at the place in the morning on the way up to school. Of course I’d be glad to do anything I could to help Phin, but three dollars is a whole lot to pay for a room at this time of the year, and I don’t believe I could afford it.”
“Well, we thought we’d mention it to you,” said Harry, arising. “No harm done, eh? We wanted you to have a chance at it, but if you think it’s too high, all right. You might ask Mrs. Freer if she’ll take less, you know; maybe she will. But I know very well that I wouldn’t if I were she. She’s got one of the best rooms in town, and ought to get a fair price. Hope you fellows will find what you want; but there aren’t many rooms for rent now, they say, so you needn’t be disappointed if you don’t find anything right away. I guess we’ll be going on.”
Once more on the street Hansel turned to Harry.
“What do you think?” he asked eagerly.
“Oh, he’d take the room in a minute if she’d offer it to him for two and a half. He will go around there in the morning and try to beat her down. And I’m afraid he will do it, too.”
“Well, maybe she’d be glad to get it off her hands for two and a half,” said Bert.