Skinny the Swiper was a child of the New York streets, one of those boys who could not remember having had any home or kindred, and who, from his earliest recollection, had been living as best he could by selling papers, blacking boots, or doing anything that he could turn his hand to. His wits, naturally sharp, had been developed to a remarkable degree of precocity by his rough contact with the world until they had made him more than a match for any of the lads with whom he consorted. He had known very little kindness in his dozen years of life, and possibly it was for that reason that his heart went out in gratitude to the boy who had saved him, but Skinny was a lad of few words, and although he looked searchingly at the other and probably thought a great deal, it was not until late in the afternoon that he ventured to speak of what was uppermost in his thoughts. Then he raised himself slightly on his elbow and said: “Hay, boss, I seen dat young lady before, onct.” Bruce did not like the idea of discussing such a superior being as Laura Van Kuren with a grimy little boy of the streets, and besides he did not believe that Skinny had ever seen her, so he answered rather curtly, “No, I guess you’re mistaken; that young lady doesn’t live in the same street with you.” “Who said she did?” demanded the boy. “But I seen her all de same. Besides I don’t live in no street at all.” “Well, where did you see her then?” “I seen her way up near de Harlem. Her folks has got a big house dere, an’ one day when I was walkin’ by I stopped ter look troo de railin’ and she come up and gimme some grapes. She’s a jim dandy, dat young lady is.” “But how came you away up there?” inquired Bruce, in some amazement. “I went up dere fer a man wot useter git me to run errands onct in a while, and dat’s de way I seen her,” replied Skinny. “What sort of errands did you have to do up there? I should think that would be pretty far out of your beat,” continued Bruce, with an idle curiosity to learn something of his new friend. “Oh! I went up dere lots o’ times on most partick’ler business,” responded Skinny. “Dere was a bloke useter send me ter carry letters to a big house dat had evergreens in front of it and a porch over de door. Deres was an’ old gent lived dere, but now he’s gone ter Yurrup or Africky or some place or nudder.” And now it was Bruce’s turn to be interested. “Was there a side door to the house, with vines hanging over it?” he asked. “Cert,” replied Skinny, “an’ an old gent dat giv me a quarter two or tree times. An’ twict he sent me in de kitchen an’ de lady wot cooked dere gimme a steak an’ pertaters an’ coffee. Dey never watched me needer, an’ I mighter swiped some spoons on’y dey used me so white.”