"Oh! Ah! Well—I'll tell him."
"Do."
"Do you know Mr. McSheen?"
I nodded "Yes."
"Do you know him well?"
"Does any one know him well?" I parried.
"He has an office in this building?"
I could not, for the life of me, tell whether this was an affirmation or a question. So I merely nodded, which answered in either case. But I was pining to say to him, "Peck, why don't you come out with it and ask me plainly what I know of your conference the other night?" However, I did not. I had learned to play a close game.
"Oh! I saw your nigger, Jeams—ah—the other day."
"Did you? Where is he?" I wanted to find him, and asked innocently enough.