As soon as this apparition caught sight of Mr. Biron, it straightened up into life.
"Kin I see you, Mr. Biron?" asked the boy eagerly, "on a matter o' business?"
"'I CANNOT FIGHT THIS PEASANT—I AM A GENTLEMAN'"
"Certainly," said the manager of the White Star, "just step into the office."
The boy followed him in through the ground-glass door, shifted from one bare foot to the other, cleared his throat, then without further preliminary said:
"Say—d' you want Andray Franswa licked to-day?" Then, fixing him with a bargaining eye, "I'll do it dandy fer seventy-five cents. I kin fight 'most as good as Jimmie—I uster be the biggest kid here before he come an' licked me," he added, with reminiscent pride in a past glory.
Mr. Biron looked at him thoughtfully a moment, then said: