She nodded slowly.

"Thank you very much. Now, what will you charge us?"

"How much you give?"

"Whatever you think is right."

After reflection, Mrs. Brodsky said she thought about two dollars a week would be right. If that was too much she would charge them less.

"No; that is too cheap," said Rush. "We will give you two dollars and a half, gladly."

Mrs. Brodsky smiled benignly.

"Fine boys!" she said.

Ignatz was very happy. He began talking joyously, until sternly reproved by his mother. It was arranged that the boys were to move into their new quarters early on the following morning. The room a.s.signed to them was small, but the perfection of neatness. There was a clean, white spread on the bed, a wash stand with a clean towel laid over it, though, as Bob observed, the pitcher and wash bowl had seen better days. There was no carpet on the floor, but this they did not mind. After making final arrangements and paying over one week's board, the Iron Boys took their departure, very well content with what had been accomplished.

"We could just as well have gotten it for two," said Jarvis after they had left the house.

"Yes, but I am not quite so mean as that. That extra fifty cents apiece means a lot to us, and I shall be glad to be there. We shall have a happy day to-morrow, and perhaps we will take that long-deferred picnic trip."

CHAPTER XII

THE BOYS MEET WITH A SURPRISE

Ignatz had gone when the Iron Boys made their appearance at the Brodsky home next morning, carrying a trunk between them.

"Good morning, Mrs. Brodsky and all the little Brodskys," greeted Steve, with a winning smile, as the family met him at the door. The coming of the boys was an event in that household. The children were bashful, and not a word could he get out of them. They hid behind their mother's skirts, peering out at the newcomers suspiciously.

After placing the trunk in their room the lads went back for the second trunk, which was Steve's. An hour later they were well settled in their new quarters. They decided to wait until after the noon meal before starting off on their pleasure jaunt.

"I suppose our friend Ignatz is at work, Mrs. Brodsky?" said Steve, sitting down in the parlor for a chat with the widow.

"Yes."

"Well, he is a good boy and you should be proud of him. If ever I get a good position I shall give Ignatz a job that you will be proud of."

"You'll be lucky if you get one for yourself," grunted Jarvis.

"Luck will change, old man. When a fellow sets his mind on doing a certain thing, then drives straight ahead, he's going to land what he is after. No one can stop us, Bob."

"Well, all I've got to say is that some one has given a pretty good imitation of stopping us."

While they talked, Ignatz, instead of being in the mill, as they supposed, was hanging about the entrance to the company's offices. He had heard, that morning, that the general superintendent had returned from his trip, and young Brodsky was determined to see him, even if he lost a day's pay in his effort to do so.

There were two entrances to the office building, but Ignatz had forgotten this. After waiting nearly three hours he hailed a clerk who came hurrying from the building, with the request to tell him if Mr.

Keating were coming down that morning.

"He's in his office now, young man, but he is very busy," was the answer as the clerk hurried away.

Brodsky did not care whether the superintendent were busy or not, for his own business was more important than anything that Mr. Keating could possibly have on hand, according to the way Ignatz reasoned it out.

The Pole climbed the steps leisurely, peered into the corridor through the gla.s.s door, and seeing no one there, entered. He saw no one after he got in. Even the Iron and Steel Policeman who usually stood guard in the hall was not there. The man was in the office getting some orders from the superintendent.

Ignatz, who did not know that the regular entrance to Mr. Keating's office was through the main offices, wandered on down the hall, slowly spelling out the names on the doors. At last he reached a door on which the word "Superintendent" had been painted in large letters.

The long word bothered Ignatz, but he labored with it until he managed to convey the sound of it phonetically to his ears.

"Him there," he muttered.

Then Brodsky boldly turned the k.n.o.b, opened the door and entered.

Mr. Keating glanced up from his desk in surprise.

"Well, sir, what do you want?" he demanded.

"All liars!" exclaimed Brodsky, striking a dramatic att.i.tude, legs apart, arms waving wildly above his head.

Mr. Keating regarded the boy keenly.

"Who are you?" he asked sharply.

"Ignatz Brodsky."

"Well, what do you want?"

"All liars!" persisted Ignatz.

"So I heard you remark before. Who is it who has lied?"

"Kalinski, Foley--all liars."

"See here, young man, I am inclined to think you are crazy, but if you have anything to say to me, say it quickly and run along. Now what do you want?"

"Steve Rush and Bob Jarvis, him not lie."

"Rush and Jarvis," repeated the superintendent. "What about them?"

"They not blow up the cinder pits. Kalinski say they do, then pouf, out they go!"

"I don't understand?"

Brodsky was dripping with perspiration from his efforts to make himself understood.

"Has anything happened to Rush and Jarvis?"