ect. I
feels mean and low down all the rest of the day, until I gets some
satisfaction by huntin' up Tony and throwin' such a scare into him that
he goes out and finds a porter's job and swears by all that's holy he'll
take up with the fam'ly again.

But think of the chance I passed up of breakin' into the high toned
philanthropy class!

CHAPTER XVI

CLASSING TUTWATER RIGHT

Maybe that brass plate had been up in the lower hall of our buildin' a
month or so before I takes any partic'lar notice of it. Even when I did
get my eye on it one mornin' it only gets me mildly curious. "Tutwater,
Director of Enterprises, Room 37, Fourth Floor," is all it says on it.

"Huh!" thinks I. "That's goin' some for a nine by ten coop under the
skylight."

And with that I should have let it drop, I expect. But what's the use?
Where's the fun of livin', if you can't mix in now and then. And you know
how I am.

Well, I comes pikin' up the stairs one day not long after discoverin' the
sign, and here on my landin', right in front of the studio door, I finds
this Greek that runs the towel supply wagon usin' up his entire United
States vocabulary on a strange gent that he's backed into a corner.

"Easy, there, easy, Mr. Poulykopolis!" says I. "This ain't any golf
links, where you can smoke up the atmosphere with language like that.
What's the row, anyway?"

"No pay for five week; always nex' time, he tells, nex' time. Gr-r-r-r! I
am strong to slap his life out, me!" says Pouly, thumpin' his chest and
shakin' his black curls. They sure are fierce actin' citizens when
they're excited, these Marathoners.

"Yes, you would!" says I. "Slap his life out? G'wan! If he handed you one
jolt you wouldn't stop runnin' for a week. How big is this national debt
you say he owes you! How much?"

"Five week!" says Pouly. "One dollar twenty-five."

"Sufferin' Shylocks! All of that? Well, neighbor," says I to the strange
gent, "has he stated it correct?"

"Perfectly, sir, perfectly," says the party of the second part. "I do not
deny the indebtedness in the least. I was merely trying to explain to
this agent of cleanliness that, having been unable to get to the bank
this morning, I should be obliged to----"

"Why, of course," says I. "And in that case allow me to stake you to the
price of peace. Here you are, Pouly. Now go out in the sun and cool
off."

"My dear sir," says the stranger, followin' me into the front office,
"permit me to---