about her friends, her favorite pastimes, her school. As he talked, he reached up a hand—mottled with liver spots but surprisingly powerful-looking, a laborer’s hand—and began to stroke her hair. Gracie squirmed a bit under the stranger’s touch and cast a questioning look at her mother, who smiled back in encouragement. Catching the wordless exchange, Howard let his hand slip down to the girl’s flank and nudged her onto his lap.
“Let’s see how good a counter you are,” he said, leaning backward in his chair so that he could stick one hand deep into his pants pocket. He pulled out a thick wad of bills, which he set on the table before him. Then, reaching back into his pocket, he came out with a handful of coins. At the sight of the overspilling money pile, Mrs. Budd lifted her eyebrows appreciatively, while her husband gulped down a big swallow of sauerkraut and smiled vacantly.
At Howard’s prodding, Gracie picked up the stack of bills—so thick that she needed both hands to hold it—and counted them back onto the table, one at a time, adding aloud as she did so. Then she scooped up the coins and counted those. The total came to $92.50.
“What a bright little girl,” said Howard. Plucking a few nickels and dimes from the table, he held her hand open, placed the coins into her upturned palm, then folded her fingers over the money and patted her fist. “Here is fifty cents. Go out and buy some candy for you and your sister.”
“Thank you,” sang Grace as she slid from his lap, grabbed her sister’s hand, and sped from the room.
“If you see Eddie,” Mrs. Budd shouted after her older daughter, “tell him Mr. Howard’s come for him!”
“Well,” said Mr. Budd, chuckling softly. “You’ve made them children happy.”
But the old man seemed lost in thought.
Grace had heeded her mother’s instructions. Just a few minutes after she disappeared out the door, Eddie showed up with Willie Korman at his side. The boys, breathless from running, burst into the kitchen, where Mr. Howard greeted them warmly. But after apologizing for the previous day’s delay, the old man made an announcement that took the two friends by surprise.
“Edward,” he said. “I am not going to take you to the job right at the present. I received a letter from my sister yesterday, and she is throwing a birthday party for one of her children, which I’m obliged to attend.” Howard, who had replaced his money in his pocket after Gracie’s departure, now pulled out the wad again and peeled off a couple of bills. “Here’s two dollars. You and Willie and some of the boys go take in the moving pictures. Later on this evening, after the party, I will pick you up on my way home.”
Eddie and Willie took the preferred singles with thanks.
“Before you two run off,” Mrs. Budd said, “why don’t you have a bite of lunch?”
Eddie and his friend seated themselves at the big kitchen table, heaped their dishes with food, and began to shovel it in. Their plates were clean in minutes. Shoving their chairs away from the table, they thanked Mr. Howard again, told him that they would see him that evening, and headed back onto the street to round up some friends.
By that time, Grace and her little sister had returned with their treats. Mrs. Budd had just stood up to pour the coffee when the old man consulted his pocket watch. “It’s almost time for me to be on my way,” he said, then paused as if considering a possibility.
Something had just occurred to him, he said. He wondered if Gracie would like to come with him to his niece’s birthday party. It was going to be quite a bash. Lots of children and games. He would take good care of her, he assured the Budds, and bring her home no later than nine.
Mr. and Mrs. Budd found themselves in a delicate position. They were reluctant to offend their guest by suggesting that they couldn’t trust him with their daughter. And with Howard sitting right there, they didn’t feel
“Let’s see how good a counter you are,” he said, leaning backward in his chair so that he could stick one hand deep into his pants pocket. He pulled out a thick wad of bills, which he set on the table before him. Then, reaching back into his pocket, he came out with a handful of coins. At the sight of the overspilling money pile, Mrs. Budd lifted her eyebrows appreciatively, while her husband gulped down a big swallow of sauerkraut and smiled vacantly.
At Howard’s prodding, Gracie picked up the stack of bills—so thick that she needed both hands to hold it—and counted them back onto the table, one at a time, adding aloud as she did so. Then she scooped up the coins and counted those. The total came to $92.50.
“What a bright little girl,” said Howard. Plucking a few nickels and dimes from the table, he held her hand open, placed the coins into her upturned palm, then folded her fingers over the money and patted her fist. “Here is fifty cents. Go out and buy some candy for you and your sister.”
“Thank you,” sang Grace as she slid from his lap, grabbed her sister’s hand, and sped from the room.
“If you see Eddie,” Mrs. Budd shouted after her older daughter, “tell him Mr. Howard’s come for him!”
“Well,” said Mr. Budd, chuckling softly. “You’ve made them children happy.”
But the old man seemed lost in thought.
Grace had heeded her mother’s instructions. Just a few minutes after she disappeared out the door, Eddie showed up with Willie Korman at his side. The boys, breathless from running, burst into the kitchen, where Mr. Howard greeted them warmly. But after apologizing for the previous day’s delay, the old man made an announcement that took the two friends by surprise.
“Edward,” he said. “I am not going to take you to the job right at the present. I received a letter from my sister yesterday, and she is throwing a birthday party for one of her children, which I’m obliged to attend.” Howard, who had replaced his money in his pocket after Gracie’s departure, now pulled out the wad again and peeled off a couple of bills. “Here’s two dollars. You and Willie and some of the boys go take in the moving pictures. Later on this evening, after the party, I will pick you up on my way home.”
Eddie and Willie took the preferred singles with thanks.
“Before you two run off,” Mrs. Budd said, “why don’t you have a bite of lunch?”
Eddie and his friend seated themselves at the big kitchen table, heaped their dishes with food, and began to shovel it in. Their plates were clean in minutes. Shoving their chairs away from the table, they thanked Mr. Howard again, told him that they would see him that evening, and headed back onto the street to round up some friends.
By that time, Grace and her little sister had returned with their treats. Mrs. Budd had just stood up to pour the coffee when the old man consulted his pocket watch. “It’s almost time for me to be on my way,” he said, then paused as if considering a possibility.
Something had just occurred to him, he said. He wondered if Gracie would like to come with him to his niece’s birthday party. It was going to be quite a bash. Lots of children and games. He would take good care of her, he assured the Budds, and bring her home no later than nine.
Mr. and Mrs. Budd found themselves in a delicate position. They were reluctant to offend their guest by suggesting that they couldn’t trust him with their daughter. And with Howard sitting right there, they didn’t feel
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