"Was in 'orspital three months," the hero said, quietly. "Young lady,
she visits me reg'lar, calls me her life-saver, and every name like
that, and kind o' clings to me. But, Lord, marriage ain't never been
much of a fancy to me. Ties a man up, and I likes to be free, except
when I'm sufferin' for socialism. Besides, if I was to marry every
woman what I've saved their lives I'd be one o' them Normans by this
time. When yer wants company a good pal'll be faithfuller than a wife,
and nag yer a lot less."
"Mr. Goodsir's your pal, ain't he, Mr. Honeybun?"
"Yes, and I'm sick of him. He don't develop. He ain't got no
eddication. Yer can see for yerself he don't talk correct. That's what
I've took to in yer gov'nor and you, yer gentleman way o' speakin'.
Only yer needn't go for to tell yer old man all what I've been
a-gassin' of to you. I can see he's what they call conservative. He
wouldn't understand. You're the younger generation, mind more open
like. You and me'd make a great team if we was ever to work together."
With memories of his mother in his mind, Tom answered sturdily, "I
wouldn't be a socialist, not for anything you could offer me."
They left it at that. Mr. Honeybun was content to point out the
historic sites known to him as they turned homeward. There was the
house where a murder had been committed; the store where a big break
had been pulled off; a private detective's residence.
"Might go out agin some day, if yer pop don't mind it," he suggested,
when they had reached their own hallway. "I gits the time in the late
afternoon. Yer see, our job at the market begins early and ends early,
and lately--" there was a wistful note--"well, I feels kind o' fed
up with the low company Goodsir keeps. Every kind o' joint and dive
and--and--Chinamen--and--" Out of respect for the boy he held up the
description. "You'd 'ardly believe it, but an innercent little walk
like what we've just took, why, it'll do me as much good as a swig o'
water when you wake up about three in the mornin', with yer tongue
'angin' out like a leather strap, after a three-days' spree."
Unable to get the full force of this figure, Tom thanked his guide
politely, and was bounding up the stairs two steps at a time, when the
man who stood watching him spoke again.
"If I'd ever a-thought that I'd 'a had a kid like you, it'd 'a' been
pretty near worth gittin' married for."
Tom could only turn with one of those grins which showed his teeth,
making his eyes twinkle with a clear blue light, when adequate words
for kindness wouldn't come to him.