t green eye round with wonder. For here was this little ragamuffin
seated high and dry in a first class taxi, and speeding through the city
in style, yet with the supreme indifference of a young millionaire!

"City younguns shore take the bak'ry!" One-Eye observed admiringly,
aiming the remark at his driver, who sat somewhat screwed about on his
seat in such a way that he could, from block to block, as some other car
slowed his machine, regale his astonished eyes with those fur-fronted
breeches.

"Oh, this banana'll be enough," politely returned Johnnie, having caught
the word bakery but missed the real meaning of the statement. Calmly as
ever, he divested the fruit of its skin and cast the long peelings upon
the floor of the cab. In his time he had sat for hours at a stretch in
the regal limousines of Uncle Albert's rich man; and he regarded a
taxicab without awe.

One-Eye chuckled.

Presently Johnnie was dragging at his mop as he ate. Which was proof
that he was meditating. Indeed he was thinking so hard that he failed to
note the large amount of attention which he and his companion were
attracting. So far he had not mentioned Grandpa to this friendly
stranger--this for fear of harming his own case, of hastening his return
home. Now the omission somehow appeared to be almost a denial of the
truth. Nor had he spoken of Cis. All this called for correction before
the flat was reached.

By way of clearing up the whole matter, he began with an introduction of
Cis. "There's a girl lives where I do," he announced casually.

"Y' don't say! Sister? Cousin? She must 'a' missed y'."

"No relation at all. But she's awful nice--I like her. She's sixteen,
goin' on seventeen, and I'm goin' t' steal her away soon's ever I grow
up."

"I git y'.--Say, Mister, go slow with this gasoline bronc' of your'n! Y'
know I'd like t' see little old Cheyenne oncet more before I check
in,"--this to the chauffeur, as the taxicab shaved the flank of a street
car going at high speed, then caromed to rub axles with a brother
machine.

"You'll meet her," promised Johnnie, who did not think they were going
too fast, and who had completely forgotten it was Sunday, which meant
that Cis would be at home without fail; "'cause once before, when I
burnt my hand, she stayed away from work two whole days. Big Tom never
lets Grandpa be alone." (He thought that rather a neat way to bring in
the old man.)

With a sidewise tipping of the big hat, One-Ey