“Are we goin’ to ride?” asked Tom, surprised.

“Yes, you don’t catch me lugging¹ this heavy carpet-bag up to Sixteenth Street.”

Tom was rather surprised at this. She did not understand why her services were required to carry the bundle if they were going to ride. However, she very sensibly remained silent, not feeling called upon to comment on her employer’s arrangements.

At this time in the day there was no difficulty in obtaining a seat in the cars. Tom, however, was not disposed to sit down quietly:—

“I’ll stand outside,” she said.

“Very well,” said Captain Barnes, and he drew out a copy of a morning paper which he had purchased on leaving the hotel.

89Tom took her position beside the driver. She rather enjoyed the ride, for, though she had lived in the city for years, she had seldom been on the car as a passenger, though she had frequently stolen a ride on the steps of a Broadway omnibus.

“Well, Johnny, are you going up town to look after your family?” asked the driver, good-naturedly.

“I’d have to look a long time before I found ’em,” said Tom.

“Haven’t you got any relations, then?”

“There’s an old woman that calls herself my granny.”

“Does she live up on Fifth Avenue?”

“Yes,” said Tom; “next door to you.”

“You’ve got me there,” said the driver, laughing. “Give my respects to your granny, and tell her she’s got a smart grand-daughter.”

“I will, when I see her.”

“Don’t you live with her?”

“Not now. She aint my style.”

Here the conductor tapped Tom on the shoulder.

“He pays for me,” said Tom, pointing back at Captain Barnes.

90“I suppose he’s your grandfather,” said the driver, jocosely².

“I wish he was. He’s a trump³. He gave me a stunnin’ breakfast.”

“So you like him better than your granny?”

“You can bet on that.”

Captain Barnes, sitting near the door, heard a part of this conversation, and it amused him.

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