"Why should we? I shouldn't like to be told out of a clear sky that I
had such and such a father. It doesn't seem in the least necessary."
But before the day was out Barbara thought best to tell Bubbles. He
came to her, with a slightly important air, which he did his best to
conceal, and said that he wished to go to the city for a few days,
on business.
"Sure the business isn't free untrammelled smoking?"
Bubbles was offended. "If I hadn't given you my word," he said, "you
might think that. I told you when we came that I might have to go back
any time on business. I got to go. Honest, Miss Barbara."
"Well, that settles it, Bubbles. But don't you think as long as I'm
trying to give you some of the things you've missed, that you might take
me a little more into your confidence?"
She maintained a discreet and serious countenance, although she wished
very much to laugh.
The boy studied her face gravely with grave eyes. "The ABC of my
business," he said presently, "is knowing who to trust. I know you won't
blab, Miss Barbara, 'r else I wouldn't tell you. There's a society in
New York City for putting down grafts and crimes. There's a rich man
back of it. And there's more kinds o' people working for it than you'd
guess in a year. There's even policemen workin' for it--"
"But it's their business to put down crime."
Bubbles shook his head sadly. "The chief business of the society is to
put down police graft in crime," he said. "But there's heaps o' side
businesses. Harry West, he's one of us. He's way high up. I'm way low
down. But when I'm called to do what I can, I got to do it. There's one
member younger'n me. And there's Fifth Avenue swells belongs, and
waiters, and druggists, and bootblacks, and men in hardware stores, and
barkeepers--"
"What sort of work do you have to do?"
"To go places and find out things."
"Why, then you're a detective, Bubbles."
A look of contempt swept into the child's face. "Detectives is in
business," he said, "for what they can get out of it. We're in it
because the house we live in is dirty and full of rats, and we want to
make it clean."
The boy had raised his voice a little, and Barbara found herself
thrilling to it.
"But, Bubbles," she objected, "you can't go to school and college and
keep up this work at the same time."
"If I get education," said Bubbles, "it's so's to be fitter for the work
when I come out. But I can't give the work up till the job I'm on is
finished. It wouldn't be square."
"Can you tell me the job?"
"I'm one o' them that's helpin' to get the old un where he's wanted."
"What old one?"
"Blizzard."