The woman shook her head.
“I’ve heard they do beat ’em dreadful on the dredgers, oftentimes,” she said, “and I don’t know as I blame you for running off, if that’s what you’ve been doing. But you’ll have to try somewhere’s else. I guess you couldn’t pay much, by the looks of you.”
Harvey and Tom Edwards looked at each other. Tom Edwards shook his head.
“It’s no use, Jack,” he said. “She won’t let us in.” Then he turned to the window once more and made a sweeping bow, with his greasy tarpaulin in hand.
“Allow us to wish you a Merry Christmas, madam,” he said.
“Hey?”
“A Merry Christmas, I say.”
The old woman suddenly withdrew her head from the window, and they started to go away; but she reappeared and called to them.
“Here,” she said, “catch this.” And she tossed something out of the window.
A coin fell at Harvey’s feet, and he stooped and picked it up. It was a quarter of a dollar.