"I'm hurrying," retorted Tim. "Leave a feller alone, can't you? I heard the clerk say to some one. 'Here's a nut says he has a lost child; you don't know anything about it, do you?'"
"I couldn't hear what the other one said, and then, all of a sudden, some one shouts. 'For the love of Pete, hold that wire! Are you dumb? The Hortons lost their kid in the subway coming down this afternoon.'"
"Then what happened?" asked Theresa.
"Nothing much," answered Tim, who like some other story tellers always stopped short when the story got exciting. "The clerk told me to hold the call, and I heard him ordering the girl to put me on another wire. A man answered, an' he didn't give me time to say more than 'Sunny Boy' when he sang out; 'All right, Mother, the boy's been found.' Then I told him where we were, and he says should he send a taxi, but I told him the subway'd make better time. We can take an express. And that's about all, I guess."
"Well you must be hurrying off," said Mrs. Harrity. "Let me polish his face a bit, so they won't think he's been neglected entirely, an' then the two of yese must be goin'. 'Tis glad I am that his mother won't have to live through a night wondering if harm's come to him."
Mrs. Harrity washed Sunny Boy's face and hands carefully and brushed his hair with a brush that was probably the family hairbrush and certainly showed signs of much use. She kissed him heartily when he was ready, and he put his arms about her neck and hugged her.
"Hurry up," urged Tim, pulling him toward the door. "Cut the good-byes short, for I can't be accused of wasting time on this trip."
"Tim," whispered Theresa, "Timmie, you sure you have enough?"
Tim rattled the change in his pockets by way of answer.
"Plenty," he said proudly. "I wasn't after giving Ma any to-night. When I come back I'll fix it up with her. We're off now—watch your step."