Ragged Dick Part 20

"Bridget!" called a shrill voice from the bas.e.m.e.nt.

"The missus is calling me," said Bridget, hurriedly. "I'll tell her ye want her."

"All right!" said d.i.c.k.

The servant descended into the lower regions, and in a short time a stout, red-faced woman appeared on the scene.

"Well, sir, what's your wish?" she asked.

"Have you got a room to let?" asked d.i.c.k.

"Is it for yourself you ask?" questioned the woman, in some surprise.

d.i.c.k answered in the affirmative.

"I haven't got any very good rooms vacant. There's a small room in the third story."

"I'd like to see it," said d.i.c.k.

"I don't know as it would be good enough for you," said the woman, with a glance at d.i.c.k's clothes.

"I aint very partic'lar about accommodations," said our hero. "I guess I'll look at it."

d.i.c.k followed the landlady up two narrow stair-cases, uncarpeted and dirty, to the third landing, where he was ushered into a room about ten feet square. It could not be considered a very desirable apartment. It had once been covered with an oilcloth carpet, but this was now very ragged, and looked worse than none. There was a single bed in the corner, covered with an indiscriminate heap of bed-clothing, rumpled and not over-clean. There was a bureau, with the veneering scratched and in some parts stripped off, and a small gla.s.s, eight inches by ten, cracked across the middle; also two chairs in rather a disjointed condition. Judging from d.i.c.k's appearance, Mrs. Mooney thought he would turn from it in disdain.

But it must be remembered that d.i.c.k's past experience had not been of a character to make him fastidious. In comparison with a box, or an empty wagon, even this little room seemed comfortable. He decided to hire it if the rent proved reasonable.

"Well, what's the tax?" asked d.i.c.k.

"I ought to have a dollar a week," said Mrs. Mooney, hesitatingly.

"Say seventy-five cents, and I'll take it," said d.i.c.k.

"Every week in advance?"

"Yes."

"Well, as times is hard, and I can't afford to keep it empty, you may have it. When will you come?"

"To-night," said d.i.c.k.

"It aint lookin' very neat. I don't know as I can fix it up to-night."

"Well, I'll sleep here to-night, and you can fix it up to-morrow."

"I hope you'll excuse the looks. I'm a lone woman, and my help is so shiftless, I have to look after everything myself; so I can't keep things as straight as I want to."

"All right!" said d.i.c.k.

"Can you pay me the first week in advance?" asked the landlady, cautiously.

d.i.c.k responded by drawing seventy-five cents from his pocket, and placing it in her hand.

"What's your business, sir, if I may inquire?" said Mrs. Mooney.

"Oh, I'm professional!" said d.i.c.k.

"Indeed!" said the landlady, who did not feel much enlightened by this answer.

"How's Tom?" asked d.i.c.k.

"Do you know my Tom?" said Mrs. Mooney in surprise. "He's gone to sea,--to Californy. He went last week."

"Did he?" said d.i.c.k. "Yes, I knew him."

Mrs. Mooney looked upon her new lodger with increased favor, on finding that he was acquainted with her son, who, by the way, was one of the worst young scamps in Mott Street, which is saying considerable.

"I'll bring over my baggage from the Astor House this evening," said d.i.c.k in a tone of importance.

"From the Astor House!" repeated Mrs. Mooney, in fresh amazement.

"Yes, I've been stoppin' there a short time with some friends," said d.i.c.k.

Mrs. Mooney might be excused for a little amazement at finding that a guest from the Astor House was about to become one of her lodgers--such transfers not being common.

"Did you say you was purfessional?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," said d.i.c.k, politely.

"You aint a--a--" Mrs. Mooney paused, uncertain what conjecture to hazard.

"Oh, no, nothing of the sort," said d.i.c.k, promptly. "How could you think so, Mrs. Mooney?"

"No offence, sir," said the landlady, more perplexed than ever.

"Certainly not," said our hero. "But you must excuse me now, Mrs.

Mooney, as I have business of great importance to attend to."

"You'll come round this evening?"

d.i.c.k answered in the affirmative, and turned away.

"I wonder what he is!" thought the landlady, following him with her eyes as he crossed the street. "He's got good clothes on, but he don't seem very particular about his room. Well; I've got all my rooms full now. That's one comfort."

d.i.c.k felt more comfortable now that he had taken the decisive step of hiring a lodging, and paying a week's rent in advance. For seven nights he was sure of a shelter and a bed to sleep in. The thought was a pleasant one to our young vagrant, who hitherto had seldom known when he rose in the morning where he should find a resting-place at night.

"I must bring my traps round," said d.i.c.k to himself. "I guess I'll go to bed early to-night. It'll feel kinder good to sleep in a reg'lar bed. Boxes is rather hard to the back, and aint comfortable in case of rain. I wonder what Johnny Nolan would say if he knew I'd got a room of my own."