id three words. In fact,
he said exactly three words, uttered as Miss Margaret's silken skirts
swung too near a pot of varnish. They were "Look out, miss!" and at the
same second, Tommy (who was in advance, with really no call to know of
the danger), turned on his heel and whisked the skirts away, turning
back to pick up the sentence he had dropped.

Tommy told Harry that Miss Van Harlem was a very handsome lady, but
haughty-looking. Then he talked for half an hour about the cleverness of
Mrs. Carriswood.

"I am inclined to think Tommy will rise." (Mrs. Carriswood was
describing the interview to her cousin, the next day.) "What do
you think he said to me last of all? 'How,' said he, 'does a man, a
gentleman'--it had a touch of the pathetic, don't you know, the little
hesitation he made on the word--'how does he show his gratitude to a
lady who has done him a great service?' 'Young or old?' I said. 'Oh, a
married lady,' he said, 'very much admired, who has been everywhere.'
Wasn't that clever of him? I told him that a man usually sent a few
flowers. You saw the basket to-day--evidently regardless of expense. And
fancy, there was a card, a card with a gilt edge and his name written on
it."

"The card was his mother's. She has visiting cards, now, and pays visits
once a year in a livery carriage. Poor Mrs. Fitzmaurice, she is always
so scared; and she is such a good soul! Tommy is very good to her."

"How about the father? Does he still keep that 'nice' saloon?"

"Yes; but he talks of retiring. They are not poor at all, and Tommy is
their only child; the others died. It is hard on the old man to retire,
for he isn't so very old in fact, but if he once is convinced that
his calling stands in the way of Tommy's career, he won't hesitate a
second."

"Poor people," said Mrs. Carriswood; "do you know, Grace, I can see
Tommy's future; he will grow to be a boss, a political boss. He will
become rich by keeping your streets always being cleaned--which means
never clean--and giving you the worst fire department and police to be
obtained for money; and, by and by, a grateful machine will make him
mayor, or send him to the Legislature, very likely to Congress, where he
will misrepresent the honest State of Iowa. Then he will bloom out in a
social way, and marry a gentlewoman, and they will snub the old people
who are so proud of him."

"Well, we shall see," said Mrs. Lossing; "I think better things of
Tommy. So does Harry."