"All right!" said Dick.

The servant descended into the lower regions, and in a short time a
stout, red-faced woman appeared on the scene.

"Well, sir, what's your wish?" she asked.

"Have you got a room to let?" asked Dick.

"Is it for yourself you ask?" questioned the woman, in some surprise.

Dick answered in the affirmative.

"I haven't got any very good rooms vacant. There's a small room in
the third story."

"I'd like to see it," said Dick.

"I don't know as it would be good enough for you," said the woman,
with a glance at Dick's clothes.

"I aint very partic'lar about accommodations," said our hero. "I
guess I'll look at it."

Dick followed the landlady up two narrow stair-cases, uncarpeted
and dirty, to the third landing, where he was ushered into a room
about ten feet square. It could not be considered a very desirable
apartment. It had once been covered with an oilcloth carpet, but
this was now very ragged, and looked worse than none. There was a
single bed in the corner, covered with an indiscriminate heap of