admitted. "Mebbe she ain't doin' nothin' yit. She's home
mos' de time. She don' go out hardly 'tall. Seems like she don' know
many folks."

He seemed about to say more, but stopped. For a moment he obviously
hesitated, then blurted out what he had in mind.

"One t'ing got me guessin'," he muttered doubtfully. "Dat young lady,
she don' seem t' _eat_ nothin'!"

"What do you mean?" Laurie stared at him.

The boy shuffled his feet. He was on uncertain ground.

"Why, jes' what I said," he muttered, defensively. "Folkses here either
eats _in_ or dey eats _out_. Ef dey eats in, dey has stuff _sent_
in--rolls an' eggs an' milk and' stuff like dat. Ef dey eats out, dey
_goes_ out, reg'lar, to meals. But Miss Mayo she don' seem to eat in
_or_ out. Nothin' comes in, an' she don' go out 'nough to eat reg'lar. I
bin studyin' 'bout it consider'ble," he ended; and he looked
unmistakably relieved, as if he had passed on to another a burden that
was too heavy to carry alone.

Laurie hesitated. The situation was presenting a new angle and a wholly
unexpected one. It began to look as if he had come on a sentimental
errand and had stumbled on a tragedy. Certainly he had blundered into
the private affairs of a lady, and was even discussing these affairs
with an employee in the building where she lived. That thought was
unpleasant. Yet the boy's interest was clearly friendly, and the visitor
himself had invited revelations about the new lodger. Still, not such
revelations as these! He frankly did not know what to make of them or
how to act.

There was a chance that the boy might be all wrong in his inferences,
although this chance, Laurie mentally admitted, was slight. He knew the
shrewdness of this youth's type, the precocious knowledge of human
nature that often accompanies such training and environment as he had
had. Probably he suspected even more than he had revealed. Something
must be done.

Laurie drew a bill from his pocket

"How soon can you leave the elevator?" he asked.

"'Bout one o'clock."

"All right. Now here's what I want you to do. Take this money, go over
to the Clarence restaurant, and buy a good lunch for that lady. Get some
hot chicken or chops, buttered rolls, vegetables, and a bottle of milk.
Have it packed nicely in a box. Have them put in some fresh eggs and
extra rolls and butter for her breakfast. Deliver the box at her door as
if it came from some one outside. Do that and keep the change.
Understan