tive vegetable
patch with much lubrication of the horny hands of toil, in which he
grasped a potato fork.

"Getting ready to plant?" I asked, my farming blood beginning to rise.
"Why don't you use a spade and get somewhere?" There I was, as usual,
ready to give advice.

"'Tain't necessary; we don't plant very deep, only 'bout a foot or two;
expect we'll have to later on, though, if the business keeps on like it
has been goin'. Say, mister, what time is it?" A man who digs for day's
wages frequently wants to know the time, so I accommodated him and lost
track of the direction of his remarks.

"Can you tell me where I'll find the grave noted on this slip of paper?"
I asked, handing Collins' memorandum to him.

"Yes," said he, "that's one of mine. Browning--that's right. I kin show
it to you. Step this way."

When he said it was one of his, I took it to mean that he had been the
digger for the occasion. So we followed through a little rustic
gate--Hamlet Hopkins and Horatio Hosley--into a fenced lot comprising
about two acres of level ground, laid out in the smallest graves I had
ever seen. Most of them were about the size of my floral tribute. The
tiny marble slabs reared above many of the little knolls seemed like
foot-stones, and appeared to indicate that the perpendicular system of
the Irish pagans had been adopted.

"Here's your'n," said our guide, pointing to a very small exhibit in his
peculiar collection. I laid the flowers on it and glanced at the
headstone. The simple inscription read:

"TOOTSEY."

The foot-stone bore this epitaph:

"RATS!"

CHAPTER XXII

On the way home in the hack and the trolley, Jim wanted to know why I
had gone so far out of my way. Was it part of my work for the city? Did
I think I could manage his affairs with so much lost time? He was as
restless and nervous as a hungry dog shivering before a meat-shop. As
for myself, I never yielded a point in my dignity, but tried hard to add
to my supply of superiority, assuring him the hour would soon be at hand
when I could report a complete victory in his cause, and my own
vindication as a middleman in the sort of business that had run me
through the tortures specially prepared for those who flatter themselves
they are better able to manage other people's business than their own. I
had gone in so deep I determined to wade through to the finish, no
matter if