“You mean he tipped you a whole half-dollar for that?” marvelled Wayne. June nodded. “Yes, sir, that’s all I done. He say, ‘Boy, fetch me two seegars from the news-stand. Tell them they’s for Mister Milburn an’ they’ll know what you want.’ An’ he give me a dollar bill an’ they was seventy-five cents change an’ he say, ‘Where you come from? I ain’ seen you before, has I?’ An’ I say, ‘No, sir, you ain’. I’m the new bell boy, sir, an’ anytime you wants anythin’ done partic’lar jus’ you asks for June.’ He sorter laughed an’ say as how he’s goin’ remember, an’ asks me where did I come from, an’ I tell him I come from Colquitt County, Georgia, an’ he say he knows Colquitt County ’cause he was to a trainin’ camp down thataway once.” June paused long enough to transfer some of the contents of his plate to his mouth, and then, heedful of his companion’s mandate regarding conversation and a full mouth, waited another moment before continuing. “We got on fine, him an’ me, Mas’ Wayne. He’s a right sociable gen’leman, yes, sir.” Wayne laughed. “I reckon that half-dollar was for your conversation, June, and not for the errand. Did you tell him you came here from Medfield?” June shook his head innocently. “He ain’ ask me that.” “Well, you made a good start. Do you like the work, June?” “Yes, sir, it’s a right promisin’ place. Lot’s o’ free-spendin’ gen’lemen at that yere hotel. Reckon I’m goin’ do better’n I did at the Union. I gets four dollars a week. They works you longer, though, ’cause I got to get there at six in the mornin’ an’ I don’ get through till six in the evenin’.” “Why, that’s twelve hours, June!” “Yes, sir, but the more I’m aroun’ there the more I’m goin’ to put in my jeans. I made a dollar an’ ten cents today, Mas’ Wayne; an’ I’d a done better’n that if them other boys hadn’ tried to friz me out. There’s four of them, an’ one’s a big yaller boy with a mean disposition. I reckon,” June added thoughtfully, “I’ll jus’ have to lam him good before he quits foolin’ with me!” “You’d better not,” cautioned Wayne. “This isn’t Medfield, and they might fire you if they found you fighting.” “They ain’ goin’ to fin’ me. I’m goin’ do it where they won’ know nothin’ about it. How come them other gen’lemen pesker us like they done today, Mas’ Wayne?” “What other gentlemen? Oh, you mean the Damascus club. We just couldn’t hit them any more than they could hit us, June. You see Mr. Milburn pitched Nick Crane and so the Damascus manager put in Woodworth, their best man, and it was a pitchers’ battle right through the whole eleven innings. If Bennett hadn’t stolen home from third with two out in the eleventh I reckon they’d be playing yet. I’d like to have seen that steal. It must have been a dandy!” “Sure must! That gives us three games to their two, don’ it? Reckon we’ll win the one tomorrow, Mas’ Wayne?”