"Could I borrow about seventy-five dollars of you?"
"Why, certainly, Barker!" Sewell had not so much of what he called
his flying-charity fund by him, but he instantly resolved to advance
the difference out of his own pocket.
"It's to get me an outfit for horse-car conductor," said Lemuel. "I
can have the place if I can get the outfit."
"Horse-car conductor!" reverberated Sewell. "What in the world for?"
"It's work I can do," answered Lemuel briefly, but not resentfully.
"But there are so many other things--better--fitter--more
profitable! Why did you leave Mr. Corey? I assure you that you have
been a great loss to him--in every way. You don't know how much he
valued you, personally. He will be only too glad to have you come
back."
"I can't go back," said Lemuel. "I'm going to get married."
"Married!" cried Sewell in consternation.
"My--the lady that I'm going to marry--has been sick, ever since the
first of October, and I haven't had a chance to look up any kind of
work. But she's better now; and I've heard of this place I can get.
I don't like to trouble you; but--everything's gone--I've got my
mother down here helping take care of her; and I must do something.
I don't know just when I can pay you back; but I'll do it sometime."
"Oh, I'm sure of that," said Sewell, from the abyss of hopeless
conjecture into which these facts had plunged him; his wandering
fancy was dominated by the presence of Lemuel's mother with her
bloomers in Boston.
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