"
Nevertheless, he rapped loudly upon the door, not once, but several
times, and so hard that he drew the attention of the policeman on that
beat.
"Phat are you trying to do?" asked the officer as he came up.
"I want to get in;" and Richard related the particulars of his plight.
"You'll have a job, me b'y," was the reply. "Mrs. Betty slapes like
a log."
They waited for several minutes in silence. But nobody appeared and
no sound came from within.
"Phat are you going to do?" asked the policeman finally.
"I don't know, I'm sure. My valise is inside with my money. I've only
got twenty cents in change in my pocket."
"There's a lodging-house in Washington Street where you can get a bed
for that," went on the officer. "But it's not over clean."
"I don't want to go where it's dirty," replied the boy, shuddering.
And for a brief instant a vision of his own neat and tidy cot at home
floated through his mind.
"Well, oi dunno; you can't stay out here."
While trying to plan what to do a man turned the corner and came toward
them. By the walk Richard recognized Doc Linyard, and with a cry of
joy he ran up to the old tar.
"Ahoy! so here you are?" exclaimed the sailor, his face beaming with
satisfaction. "A nice chase you've led me! Where did you go to?"
"Nowhere.
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